Bunnahabhain 9 Year (2008) SMWS 10.117 “Smoky, salty, sweet porridge”

Review by: The Muskox

It’s nice to take a break from some of these ultra-hyped Diageo Special Releases and Compass boxes and whatnot to enjoy some more understated whiskies. This peated Bunnahabhain for example – nothing fancy, no crazy stats or cask, not even a particularly imaginative SMWS bottling name.

Distillery: Bunnahabhain.

Bottler: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 61.2%, cask strength.

Age: 9 years old. Distilled on 02/07/2008. Bottled in 2017.

Cask type: Refill Ex-Bourbon Barrel.

Color: Light gold. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.

Nose: Name checks out – very smoky, but with rich sweetness. Marshmallow squares and sweet citrus. Some darker notes of unsweetened cocoa powder and black pepper. Hay and dill. There’s a salty savouriness that reminds me of smoked gouda.

Palate:Oily texture. Salty up front, along with sweet malt, honey, and tangy fresh orange. Develops quickly to intense bonfire peat tempered with rich malt-syrup sweetness. Plenty of earthy peat-reek flavours. Maple-drizzled pancakes with chocolate chips. A hint of sesame paste.

Finish: Long and smoky, turning sweet. Cigarette smoke and black pepper. Cooked vegetables, maybe simmering in chicken soup. Or maybe a slightly more exotic soup – there’s that particular nutty sweetness that reminds me of Miso ramen, complete with flamed chashu. Lingering malt and honey, with a hint of mint right at the end.

Possible SMWS bottling name: “Sticky stocky cigarette soup”

Notes: Straightforwardly tasty. It’s pretty much what I expected, and that’s a perfectly good outcome. It’s not like it’s completely one-note: there are some layers here, and a good balance of sweet, tart, salt, savoury, and smoke. The complete lack of ethanol heat, the rich mouthfeel, and the long and robust finish all work to make this an extremely sippable whisky. This is the kind of bottle I’d love to have on hand. A good night-finisher!

Final Score: 84.

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.

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