Another of the bonus samples from the SDT. This time we venture over to Islay’s northern shores to Bunnahabhain, where we have Cruach-Mhòna, a travel retail exclusive. Gaelic for “peat stack”, this single malt comes in at a respectable 50% ABV and is non chill filtered and natural color of medium amber. The nose is sweet billowing peat smoke...oh I love it already! Sherry maturation is evident with sugary dates, plums, raspberries and blackberries. Cigar ashes, creosote, tennis balls and rubber...oh so good, a proper Islay profile. Vanilla custard, some polished oak, molasses, ginger and even a drop of teriyaki. It turns slightly to citrus with oranges/tangerines and a twist of lemon. The addition of water brings the berries out a bit more as well as the ashy notes. The palate is all sweet peat. Sherry and raspberries. Tennis balls and rubber, less than the nose but still present. Orange peel, licorice, almonds or maybe hazelnut and some well integrated oak. Water does little but lessen the intensity and produce a slightly bitter taste. Without water is definitely preferable. A medium to full bodied mouthfeel that is oily and creamy and mouthwatering. The finish is long, smoky, sweet(ish), with creosote and the smoke trailing on for a good long while. Other than the Ardbeg 23 that I had not too long ago, this is the first proper Islay I’ve had in a while. Oh did I miss this! Really liked the nose, but the palate was a little less complex that I would have liked. I guess that’s a NAS, TRE for you though. At $100 I think it’s a little over priced (even for a 1L bottle), but I might be tempted to purchase it if I came across a bottle. Thanks to @Telex for the sample. A solid 4 Cheers