Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks
I’m getting close to the end of my Bunna samples, and it feels like a good opportunity to dig into the older ones. Here are two fine, old drams from Wemyss Malts, an IB I’ve had good luck with in the past. Similar ages, different casks here, both presented at 46%.
Tasted on 8/14/2022, neat in a Glencairn, water added later as appropriate.
Bunnahabhain 29 Year (1988) Wemyss Malts “Antique Pomander”
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Bottler: Wemyss Malts (Wy)
Region: Scotland, Islay
ABV: 46.0%
Age: 29 years. Distilled in 1988. Bottled in 2018.
Cask type: Hogshead
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. One of 190 bottles, from a single cask.
Nose: apricot, peach, coconut. Caramel. Sandalwood. Sea spray. Honey. After some time I’m getting some nice waxiness. With Water: same.
Taste: spice-forward with sandalwood, ginger, maybe cinnamon. Somewhat thin mouthfeel. Apricot, coconut. Toffee. A little seawater. With Water: same.
Finish: nice spice followed by caramel, then the fruit. Again, it feels a bit thin. Medium length on spice and fruit. With Water: same.
Summary: this is a nice, simple, inoffensive dram. The nose is shy, simple on bright fruit and quite a bit of spice. It’s the best part. It develops a little bit with time, but honestly not much. The mouthfeel and finish are both quite thin, which is a shame. Just as simple throughout the rest of it. No off-notes at all, but also nothing really interesting going on. It doesn’t need water, and water does nothing for it.
Would I buy a bottle? nah
Final Score: 82.
Bunnahabhain 30 Year (1987) Wemyss Malts “Chesnut & Apple Chutney”
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Bottler: Wemyss Malts (Wy)
Region: Scotland, Islay
ABV: 46.0%
Age: 30 years. Distilled in 1987. Bottled in 2018.
Cask type: Sherry Butt
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. One of 628 bottles, from a single cask.
Nose: rich, dried fruits. Raisins, dates, orange peel. Molasses. Sea spray. Dark chocolate covered hazelnuts. Gentle spice, ginger and sandalwood. Very nice. Just a touch of machine oil. A bit earthy. With Water: tea. More fruit, slightly citrus.
Taste: all that rich, dark fruit. Mild spice. Salty sea water. Dark chocolate. Nuts. Toffee. Medium-thin mouthfeel. With Water: a bit of cream, again more fruit.
Finish: lots of all that fruit. Chocolate, toffee, nicely maritime. Lots of roasted nuts. Long on fruit, mild warm spice, salted chocolate covered toffee. With Water: more spice wrapped around all that fruit and chocolate.
Summary: well this is just excellent. Beautiful nose filled with rich, dried fruits, chocolate, nuts, and gentle spice. Time brings out touches of machine oil and some earthiness. Lovely complexity. The taste and finish follows the nose well, and my only knock against it is the mouthfeel is a bit thin honestly. Water isn’t necessary, but a few drops does open it up even more.
Easily in the top two or three Bunna I’ve had. I’d like to have been in control of its dilution myself.
Would I buy a bottle? yes
Final Score: 90.
Comparison
Order: 30 > 29
Wow, what a gap between these two! The 30 is excellent, and exactly what you’d hope for.
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 