Puff Daddy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2007
- Messages
- 6,910
- Reaction score
- 98
Must be gaelic for beautiful, as this stuff is just that. I'm well aware of it's reputation for coming off as having a rubber-like taste, that actually put me off from trying it for a while. I think that analogy is misguided. I find warm winter spices, but not on a bright, sweet canvas that leaves a crisp presence on the palate. Instead the spices are deep, earthy, slightly subdued on a canvas that is dry rather than mouth watering from sugars. The initial mouth feel has some sweetness, but the finish becomes dry quite quickly, and the impression of the dominant flavor is of spicy musk and barley. Interestingly enough, after a short wait, the dry finish gives way to sweet again. I think the common notion of rubber is merely a sensory simplification of that dry/spice/musk dominant early finish. The extreme earthiness is mistaken, not recognized. I suppose it's offputting to those who like an immediately sweet impression, or a phenolic blast of peat.
This is an Islay through and through, even with the big peat presence lacking. Bunnahabhain 12 is so lightly peated that the peat smokiness only presents itself as a very mild afterthought, but it backs up and marries with the spice and earth beautifully. This is simply beautiful stuff, though I hesitate to use the word simple, as
it's pretty complex in it's layers of flavor. 46%, non chill filtered, no added color. Worth every penny!
There's magic coming from Islay, and Bunnahabhain ranks right up there with the big three of Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroig, even if it doesn't share the spotlight with them. I suspect it's just the fact that Bunnahabhain is not a peat bomb that keeps them from sharing the love. It certainly isn't the quality of the whisky that keeps them in the shadows.
Bunnahabhain 12 year! :cheers:
This is an Islay through and through, even with the big peat presence lacking. Bunnahabhain 12 is so lightly peated that the peat smokiness only presents itself as a very mild afterthought, but it backs up and marries with the spice and earth beautifully. This is simply beautiful stuff, though I hesitate to use the word simple, as
it's pretty complex in it's layers of flavor. 46%, non chill filtered, no added color. Worth every penny!
There's magic coming from Islay, and Bunnahabhain ranks right up there with the big three of Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroig, even if it doesn't share the spotlight with them. I suspect it's just the fact that Bunnahabhain is not a peat bomb that keeps them from sharing the love. It certainly isn't the quality of the whisky that keeps them in the shadows.
Bunnahabhain 12 year! :cheers: