Friday’s can’t come soon enough. Start of the weekend which means some sipping. Bunnahabhain is one of those under the radar scotches that is often overlooked. This sample came my way courtesy of @Telex as a bonus sample in our SDT. I had sampled this some four years ago and it was quite good then. Will I experience the same today? Did it change? Did I change (for the better, of course). The color is lightly golden which would indicate natural color. The nose starts with a salty and briny with a light earthy peatiness. In my younger days, I would ride 12 speeds and maintain and tweak them. A whiff of this brings me back in time and the smell of fresh inner tube with a coating of baby powder comes back to me, (when I replaced or repaired the inner tube). There is some mild sweetness that comes through as well. Vanilla, apricots, grilled pineapples. Some walnuts and oak are buried deep within. A mild nose yields to strong peat and char. A nice Islay earthiness in an oily and medium weight body. Quickly intense. The intensity yields to black pepper spice and a bit of sugary sweetness. A bit of vanilla and some lemon zest strengthen towards the finish. The finish is peppery and spicy at first. As that subsides, the long, tarry, ashy flavors fill the palate and is ultimately left with some bitterness and drying, oak tannins. This is a good, peaty dram that is not complex and lacks a deepthness comparatively to the Islay standards. A easy peaty sipper. At $70 and upwards, I can get more flavor and complexity with a Laphroaig or Ardbeg at 2/3 the cost. All in all, quite enjoyable. [86/100][Tasted: 2/1/19]