What we have here is another sample from, what I like to call, Bunnahabhain’s Unpronounceable Series. This is a travel retail exclusive and I received a sample of this from my friend @Telex, after I traded this bottle to him for something else that escapes me right now. He was gracious enough to send me a hearty pour so I can review it. This is a deep gold in color with undefined legs that snake their way down the Glencairn after a vigorous spin. It leaves behind tiny, watery droplets even though it’s bottled at a hearty 50% ABV. I paid just over $110 for this 1L bottle from an online shoppe out of the UK. The nose has lots of campfire and creosote smoke initially. There’s a nice splash of red berries, but that charcoal note permeates the fruitiness. Then I get a hit of an odd, musty smell. It doesn’t belong at all- sometimes I get that same type of band aid note from a few Islay whiskies and I think it’s out of place. It’s not off-putting, it just doesn’t quite belong. Thankfully, it fades but so does the berry note- leaving just the smoke. The mouthfeel on the palate is nice. There’s smoky, earthy peat mingling with some fresh pastry notes. Those delicious red and black raspberries come along again. It’s a tad thick, especially for such a high ABV, but it works. The finish is medium to long, but it turns quite harsh and leaves a good bit of heat from the alcohol lingering longer than I’d like. The smoke is gone, the fruits are gone- it’s just abrasive alcohol. This is where some well-aged whisky needed to swoop in and save the dram- but it doesn’t and that’s a shame. Overall, it had a lot more potential than I think it capitalized on. The funky nose and high heat finish really hurt this one on the overall score. 3 stars. Cheers.