Review by: The Muskox

Bunnahabhain 12 was one of the first whiskies I ever reviewed. I finally killed my bottle the other day, but finally got to try the 18-year-old version at my good buddy Dave’s place. Thanks Dave!

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Distillery: Bunnahabhain.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 46.3%.

Age: 18 years.

Cask type: Bourbon and sherry casks.

Price: $180 CAD.

Color: Light gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: For the most part, it smells like an older, mustier version of the 12. Rich brown sugar cookies, browned butter, and milk chocolate. Plenty of woody vanilla. Brioche, definitely. Dark dried fruits: Fig, plum, raisin, and apple chutney. Earthy, with some fresh tobacco and a touch of salt. Something slightly smoky lurking in the background, like charred corn and chipotle pepper.

Palate: Thick and syrupy. Opens with sweet vanilla, toasted marshmallow, and more cooked apple. Raisins carry through the entire experience. The development is slow and measured, eventually ramping up into strong oak, then spice. The oak has this nice toasty cedary character as well as that mustiness. Tree bark? Does that make sense? Then comes the cinnamon and black pepper, as well as some ashy tobacco this time.

A couple drops of water brought out some really nice coffee and dark chocolate notes.

Finish: Long and earthy. More tobacco and musty earth. Spice lingers. Some fruit jam sweetness.

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Conclusion: Unsurprisingly, it’s delicious. It’s exactly what you would want and expect from an older Bunnahabhain. I might have liked it to be a little bit more than just an extra-aged version of the 12, but that’s a pretty good place to start.

Final Score: 86.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.