Bunnahabhain 30 Year (1990) Douglas Laing XOP Black

Review by: The Muskox

Why not keep the old Islays rolling? This was the next dram in the Murray McDavid/Douglas Laing XOP tasting I was at a few weeks ago. It’s bottled as part of their XOP Black series, which are apparently even more extra-special than the normal XOPs.

Distillery: Bunnahabhain.

Bottler: Douglas Laing.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 43.5%, cask strength.

Age: 30 years old. Distilled in 11/1990. Bottled in 04/2021.

Cask type: Cask #DL14861, Refill Hogshead.

Price: Recently available in Alberta for a cool $1000 CAD.

Color: Pale straw. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.

Nose: Very delicate and sweet. Floral and grassy, with some lemon zest and green apple, balanced by rich creamy notes of white chocolate, buttery pie crust, almonds, and pistachios. Petrichor and gentle sea spray. Marshmallow.

Palate: Medium texture, but very soft. Arrives sweet and malty, with powdered-sugar donuts, coconut, and honey. Very creamy, like an extra-foamy cappuccino. Develops to rich but soft oak, dried herbs, old books, herbs, and leather furniture. Nuttier notes of almonds and white miso(??).

Finish: Long. Light oak, more herbs, and more of that cappuccino maybe dusted with cocoa powder here. A hint of seawater.

Possible SMWS bottling name: “Pier-side latte art expo”

Notes: Hard to score. It’s extremely light and subtle, without all that much complexity. I’m certain that my tasting-sized sample didn’t help with finding a whole lot of complexity. On the other hand, there’s supreme elegance and gorgeous creaminess. Good Bunnahabhain character too, with those nutty notes. Something I’ve had recently that’d be similar to this would be that Old Rhosdhu 27. That whisky might have been a bit more complex, but overall I think this one was more enjoyable.

Final Score: 85.

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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