Review by: The Muskox

This was the final dram from a Bunnahabhain tasting I got to co-host a few months back. In a lineup of distillery exclusive and Feis Ile bottlings, this whisky stood out as the only one without an age statement. Combine that with the maturation in tiny PX-seasoned octave casks, and I wasn’t exactly thrilled to try this. I also have no idea why any distillery would name a whisky so similarly to Abhainn Dearg, considering how that whisky was received.

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Distillery: Bunnahabhain.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 50.8%, cask strength.

Age: NAS. Bottled in 2022.

Cask type: Bourbon + Pedro Ximenez octave sherry casks.

Price: £79 from Bunnahabhain’s website.

Color: Gold. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.

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Nose: Young, with some new-makey greenness. Buttered popcorn and cashews. Pickled ginger. Mild PX sweetness on top of everything– marschino cherries, raspberry, plums, nut brittle, toffee, and some red apples. Some mild red chili flake.

Palate: Light texture. Arrives with light apples, malt, cotton candy, and a hint of wine. In the middle is light oak, leather, more ginger. The wine gets more robust, with some darker fruit, macerated strawberries, brown sugar, and dark chocolate.

Finish: Short and rather-sweet. Cotton candy, bubblegum, milk chocolate, and honey. Plums, bananas, and more strawberry. Lingering dark chocolate and caramel.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Cherry pie forgotten in a dusty field”

Notes: I really wanted to dislike this, but it’s not bad. The new-makey character fades with time, in favour of this rich glazed strawberry note and dark chocolate. It’s not a great whisky, and certainly not my style of whisky, but it’s passable for the stats. Worthy of being a Feis Ile bottling, though? There are enough bottles of this at a low enough price that it’s actually available and reasonable to buy, which makes it a standout amont other Feis bottlings these days.

Final Score: 79.

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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.