Review by: Raygun

Manzanilla casks are some of my favorites, but not that common. I’d been eyeing this limited edition Bunnahabhain for a while, still in stock at a nearby store until a year or so ago. The nearly $200 price tag put me off: seemed very steep for an 11 year old, even something limited. Evidently someone disagreed, as one day it was gone. Let’s see if I missed out. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

---

Distillery: Bunnahabhain 

Bottler: Bunnahabhain   

Region/style: Islay single malt Scotch

ABV: 52.3%  

Age: 11 years old. Distilled on July 2, 2008 and bottled in May 2020.   

Cask type: Manzanilla sherry casks, 9249 bottles

Color: 1.5 auburn. Natural color and non-chillfiltered.

Price: About $190 from what I recall

---

Nose: Cheese, yogurt, and olives. Hints of sulfur, but not too obtrusive. Some charred bread and caramel makes it more familiar. Strange nose overall.                     

Palate: Rather peculiar here, too. There’s some of the richness I’ve had in other Bunnas, but little of the fruit. Dry, briny, and somewhat meaty instead. Olives, hard cheese, almonds. Some green grapes, but more like tart wine grapes than eating grapes. Then I get some caramel and more yogurt. It’s growing on me somewhat over time. 

Finish: Hard cheese, grapes, almonds. Still very much on the nutty and briny side, but it’s a little sweeter here, with some apple coming in. Sulfury here, too, which works oddly with the sweetness.    

---

Conclusion: This is a weird one. Wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of team and I’m not sure it’s mine, though I’m not as down on it as some. Very dry, briny, and nutty. Some sips have a wonderfully savory, creamy flavor, but it’s not consistent for whatever reason. As a result it’s very hard to make up my mind what I think. One sip I’m all “hell yeah!” and the next is “uh, maybe not.” Ultimately, I think I’m not too upset I missed out on a bottle. 

Score: 76

---

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)