Bunnahabhain 12 year old Cask Strength
March 31, 2024
The Isle of Islay is renowned for its smoky, peaty spirits but it’s also home to some amazing non-peated whiskies, and this time I’m reviewing just such a beast. It’s the Bunnahabhain 12 year old Cask Strength release, distilled at the Bunnahabhain Distillery, technically located in the village of Bunnahabhain - which they built - but generally accepted to be a part of the larger village of Port Asking, along the northeast coast of Islay, in Argyll and Bute Council, Scotland.
The name is pronounced buh-nah-HAV-enn and its Gaelic translation is “foot of the river.” I had a great time doing a warehouse tasting at Bunnahabhain last year and if you get the chance to travel to Islay, I can’t recommend it enough. The distillery is slightly isolated from the more easily accessible ones on the island but that puts it in a very quiet and lovely spot where they create some unique spirits.
Bunnahabhain was established in 1881 and while its original whiskies were mostly peated expressions, starting in the 1960s they began focusing on non-peated releases so that now only about one-third of what Bunnahabhain bottles is peated.
Bunnahabhain’s core range of whiskies has been anchored by the 12 year old for decades but in 2021 they began releasing a limited 12 year old cask strength edition. This one is the 2023 version and it is absolutely one of the non-peated ones.
The cask maturation appears to be ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks and it is bottled at 60.1 percent ABV. Bunnahabhain is historically great about letting us know, very clearly, that this whisky has been delivered to us without any chill filtering or added color.
Visuals:
It’s got a burnished, pale brown color to it and there is some definite oiliness going on here, with entertainingly slow legs creeping down the glass.
Nose:
I get a very pleasant smell of raspberry jam, followed by a lovely whiff of chocolate. If you’ve ever had Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream then you’ll understand what I’m picking up next on the nose. This is followed by the scent of lemon PineSol. Which I kind of like. And orange blossoms.
Palate:
There is an initial zingy spice that hits the tongue. I liken it to a sticky toffee pudding. Then there’s a full-bodied deep, rich fruit attack, like a Merlot mulled wine. Some black licorice is noticeable. I also pick up something akin to a fruit cake with a balsamic glaze. Not necessarily what I’d want to eat but it smells fascinating. And, finally, a pan full of over-reduced prunes.
Because this whisky is over 60 percent ABV, there will be some water added.
Nose + Water:
With a few drops of water, I pick up apples on the nose, kind of like a holiday apple pie. In addition, there’s a touch of vanilla.
Palate + Water:
The water releases even more spices, like allspice. There’s some honey-infused caramel. I get the unlikely but specific taste of beer nuts. This is followed by a tiny bit of butter.
Finish:
The finish is moderate in length. At first, there’s a lingering sweetness on the lips. Then on the tongue I get honey, burnt sugar, dried cocoa powder, and almond butter.
Rating:
When thinking about how to rank this one I did a quick side-by-side with the core Bunnahabhain 12 year old. To be honest, the regular 12 is an exceptional pour, filled with its own defining sweet fruits and spice. In my opinion, the biggest difference between this and the 2023 Cask Strength bottling is that the cask strength is a bit more amplified with the sweet fruit tastes, which tend to be deeper, richer, and oilier, while the regular 12 is topped off with a very nice smoky texture to balance things out a little.
But that doesn’t take anything away from the Cask Strength. This is only the third one they’ve bottled but the profile they’ve pulled out of those casks over 12 years delivers a penetrating, luxurious mouthful of flavor. It’s sweet but this is absolutely not a sherry bomb. It’s just an influence. It is a limited edition so you may have to scramble to find it but when you do, you will be rewarded. I’m giving the 2023 Bunnahabhain 12 year old Cask Strength release a nine finger pour.
Age Statement: 12 years
ABV: 60.1%
Chill Filtered: no
E150a caramel coloring added: no
Average Price (750ml): $100 (US)
https://bunnahabhain.com/en-us/products/12-year-old-cask-strength-2023-edition
