A single cask Bunnahabhain 1999 from independent bottler Cadenhead on the menu today. The Bunnahabhain distillery was founded in 1881 near Port Askaig on the North-Eastern coast of Islay. Although once known for its peaty whiskies, it was back in the 60’s this started to change and the peat dissapeared completely. This made it a bit of an outsider compared to the other distilleries on Islay. Nowadays around 20% of their production is peated again but Bunna is still known for its milder whiskies. And that’s exactly what I like about it.

This 16 year old Bunnahabhain has finished in a sherry hogshead since December 2o13 and was bottled at 49,7 % ABV.

Bunnahabhain 1999 Cadenhead tasting notes:

Nose: It’s starts light smoky, a gentle tobacco whiff. Followed by spices, especially nutmeg. Later some sweetness is added here, but I can also discover some fruits, like oranges and a feint hint of citrus. Liquorice as well. It’s quite pleasant.

Taste: It’s different than to expect from the nose, it’s much sweeter. Caramel and chocolate are here as well. Oranges too. Still some gentle smoke on the background, but quite faint. The spices are here too, but a lot less then on the nose. The nose is more powerful, I think.

Finish: The finish is mid-long, with a feint of tobacco again. Some lingering spices and pepper. Maybe some liquorice too.

A very pleasant Bunnahabhain. I love how the smoke/tobacco lingers in this whisky, all quite subtle and mostly on the background. It is not a very outspoken dram, but that’s what makes it highly enjoyable.

Thanks to JJ from Whiskyrover for the generous sample and the picture, you can read his review here.