Distillery visit and Warehouse 9 Tasting - Bunnahabhain August 2022
“Where would you like to go on holiday this year?” the family asked. My response was quick and simple “Islay”. That probably wasn’t much of a surprise as we’d spent the holiday last year on the Kintyre peninsula, from where I could see and spend time pining for another visit to the island. No disrespect meant to Kintyre, it’s a truly beautiful place with amazing wildlife and the wonderful Campbeltown distilleries, but for me there is just something very special about Islay.
Our summer holidays almost always coincide with my birthday and so it was this year. “So what would you like to do on your birthday?”. Again, no thought required whatsoever…“Bunnahabhain Warehouse 9 tasting session please”.
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| The ‘view from the verandah’. |
Bunnahabhain Distillery nestles on the shore of the Sound of Islay, with stunning views over to the Isle of Jura. The views from the new Visitor Centre and ‘verandah’ are probably the best of any distillery on Islay.
Much has changed since the last time we visited, in addition to a far more visitor-focused layout the distillery itself has recently had renovation work carried out which meant we were unable to do a full tour.
Our host for a quick look around and the tasting session was the one and only David Brodie (if you’re not following him on Twitter yet, do yourselves a favour and follow the link). Whilst the tour itself wasn’t possible, we did go into the central courtyard and manage to have a look into the Still Room and a peek at the new stills.
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| The stairs and door to the old visitor centre |
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| The new liquid yeast system |
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| The Still Room |
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| All that lovely, gleaming copper! |
From there it was on to the main event and the tasting session in Warehouse 9. The warehouse itself is the old floor maltings which were converted and now house quietly maturing casks of Bunnahabhain whisky.
Dram 1 was a 16 year old, 2006 distillate which has had a full maturation in a Gonzales Byass El Rocio Manzanilla Cask, and an abv of 58.6%.
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Pale gold, forms a thin line which falls as slow, thin legs.
Nose: Citrus fruit, honey and a musty, dunnage note.
Palate: Honeycomb, sultanas and old library books.
Finish: Drying tannic oak, coastal salt, ginger spice and more of that damp, musty note.
Summary: An interesting dram with some lovely notes but for me the musty note spoiled it a little. Interesting whisky nonetheless and proved popular among the group.
Dram 2 was a 2004 distillate which has undergone full maturation Gonzalez Byass Pedro Ximenez Noe cask and has an abv of 52%. Traditionally made with grapes allowed to dry in the sun, this is the sweetest Sherry in their range. PX Noe is part of their Very Old Solera range of sherries, having had at least 30 years working through a Solera system.
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Unusual for a PX cask in that the whisky was a pale amber colour. Whilst PX is a white grape that forms a deep coloured sherry, sometimes it will go pale as it matures. Forms a thick line which falls as thick, oily legs.
Nose: Dried fruit, citrus, stone fruits and honey.
Palate: Heather honey and rich sultanas, dark fruits, salted caramel chocolate, slightly drying.
Finish: Sweet with woody oak, just a hint of coastal brine and mild peppery warmth.
Summary: Sweet and rich, a well-made PX cask whisky with lovely balance. Lots of interest on the palate, the chocolate note adding another layer of complexity. A very impressive whisky, improved a little further with a few drops of water.
Dram 3 was something very unusual. An ex-Bourbon cask which had held bourbon for at least 12 years before being used by a rum house who held rum in it for at least 5 years. The cask was then filled with the peated Bunnahabhain Mòine spirit and left to mature for 17 years. The abv was 54.9%.
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Yellow gold, forms a thin line which breaks as thick, oily legs.
Nose: Candied fruit, particularly orange and pineapple. Unusually for a Mòine whisky, there was no noticeable smokiness.
Palate: Tropical fruit, honey and slightly drying oak.
Finish: Roasted pineapple with chilli.
Summary: A really enjoyable dram where the the cask really made it’s presence felt. The lack of that typical Mòine smoke was a little disappointing but perhaps the whisky wouldn’t have worked quite so well if it was a major player.
Dram 4 was a 17 year, full maturation Oloroso with an abv of 52.9%.
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Copper coloured, formed a thick line which fell as thick oily legs.
Nose: Marzipan, dried fruit, peat smoke, and sea spray.
Palate: Rich raisins and sultanas, dry peat smoke and a little woody oak.
Finish: The notes from the palate gradually fade to leave smoke and slightly drying oak.
Summary: A lovely dram with great balance, the sweet fruit and peat smoke working perfectly in tandem. My favourite of the tasting session, although the rum cask did run a very close second.
As I said earlier, the island of Islay, the people, the scenery, the wildlife, and of course the whisky, hold a very special place in my heart. I think the ‘unofficial anthem’ of Islay, Westering Home, captures it perfectly…
The only way to follow that was a trip to the visitor centre to try a few more drams, buy some incredible whiskies from the range available, and just relax admiring the view.
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| The Paps of Jura through a dram of the 34 year-old New Acquaintance |
Overall, a fantastic experience, and a huge thanks to everyone at Bunnahabhain for a great afternoon. Not only did we get to try some amazing whiskies, David really is the consummate host. Apart from his down-to-earth delivery and humour, his knowledge of sherry and it’s production provided an extra dimension to the typical tasting sessions we’ve been on. The addition the songs at the end made it a trip, and a birthday, I will always remember.
If you would like more information on the distillery or any of the range of Bunnahabhain whiskies, follow the link to their website.
