All the recent SMWS bottlings from Bunna have fallen into either the Peated or Oily & Coastal Profiles, but not this one! A 10 year old matured in a refill ex-bourbon barrel. Spicy & Dry profile.
Nose: Bright an crisp with apricots, lime juice and waffles coming together with coastal minerality – rainwater, wet rocks, damp piers and a lovely hint of salted caramel. Water emphasises the underlying fruitiness of the distillate – gentle red berries and reduced apricots.
Taste: Rich, tangy and salty. Opening with toffee, burnt honeycomb, toast and a healthy shake of salt, this moves steadily into more fruity territory with tinned mangos and plenty of tangy lime juice. In the mid-palate, creamy chocolate transforms into texturally to become more chalky. In the back-palate, this chalkiness translates directly into minerality – rock pools, limestone and slate. The addition of water freshens the fruits from tinned to ripe, as well as providing even further salty evidence of the coastal location of this distillery.
Finish: Medium, dry and with a chalky powdered texture consisting of creamy toffee, salted caramel and zesty lime.
A deliciously fruity, but distinctively coastal Bunnahabhain. Well-balanced and very accessible – particularly for those who like their sweet-teeth moderated with some sodium chloride.