Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks
I’ve got a couple of old Bunna samples that look quite nice on paper. Let’s see how they hold up in the glass.
Tasted on 5/14/2021, neat in a Glencairn.
Stock image retrieved from Whiskybase, 2021/05/14.
Bunnahabhain 28 Year (1989) Cadenhead’s
This is a pretty straightforward small batch bottling from Cadenhaed’s, aged in just two ex-bourbon hogsheads. Ought to show off the spirit quite nicely without anything fancy getting in the way 😉
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Bottler: Cadenhead’s (CA)
Region: Scotland, Islay
ABV: 43.8%, cask strength
Age: 28 years old. Distilled in 1989. Bottled on 03/01/2018.
Cask type: 2 Bourbon Hogsheads
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. One of 432 bottles.
Nose: subtle with lots of bright fruits; apples, pineapple, kiwi, even banana. Honey. Cream. Dry grass and a bit herbal. Some very light camphor behind it all.
Taste: rather thin, watery. Subtle fruits w/ apples, some citrus. Honey. Very mild camphor. A little grassy.
Finish: subtle bright fruits; apples, pineapple, banana. Light camphor. Is that a hint of smoke at the end? Somewhat short on the fruit and bitter grassy notes.
Summary: the nose on this is nice, if a bit subtle. Some bright fruits w/ cream, very mild spice, and some grassy/herbal notes. Cool. But this lets me down quickly on the palate. My first impression in the mouth was “watery”, and yea there are flavors there but they’re really washed out. The mouthfeel is disappointing and thin. The finish is also a letdown; it’s relatively short and simple with minimal flavor. Not much complexity here at all either.
Wow, this is my first disappointment from Cadenhead’s!!
Would I buy a bottle? nope!
Final Score: 72.
Bunnahabhain 30 Year (1988) Marsala Cask
This is a 30 year old Bunna spent its final two years in Marsala hogsheads. I’m assuming ex-bourbon before that, but no info in this case. Should make for an interesting contrast with the bottle above.
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Islay
ABV: 47.4%
Age: 30 years old. Distilled on 12/01/1988. Bottled on 01/18/2019.
Cask type: Marsala Finish in 4 Hogsheads since 7.7.2016
One of 1,116 bottles.
Nose: stewed cherries, figs. Red wine. Sweet. Damp soil. Hazelnuts. Linseed oil. Cocoa. Musty. Camphor, aniseed. Beautiful.
Taste: quite some spice here w/ aniseed and camphor. Rich, sweet fruit. Creamy. Chocolate. Leather. Just a little dry. Nice mouthfeel, oily. Vanilla. Hazelnuts. Spice builds for sure but is never too much.
Finish: the fruit and spice are really well balanced. Lots of those red fruits w/ camphor and aniseed. Some nuts. Chocolate. Wine. Black tea. Decent length with the spice and fruit at the front.
Summary: yea, this is really nice. Lots of rich fruit and excellent spice very, very well balanced throughout. There’s a slight earthiness on the nose, with some oil, nuts, and chocolate too. Nice complexity. The palate delivers, with an excellent mouthfeel and beautiful spice over that fruit. The finish is equally good and balanced. FWIW, I tossed a few drops of water in towards the end and I’d say it got a bit bigger all around, and more spice in the finish. Nice.
Would I buy a bottle? well, I see this as averaging 512.20 EUR on Whiskybase, and while this is indeed quite good I wouldn’t pay that for it. If it were half the price then sure.
Final Score: 90.
Comparison
Order: 30 Marsala > 28
No contest, and I think the ordering is obvious from the notes above.
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.
Malt Runners 