The near-obligatory monthly Bunna. This one takes a different approach to the most recent bottlings, having been finished in a 1st fill ex-oloroso hogshead after 7 years in refill bourbon. Oily & coastal profile.
Nose: Coastal – sea breeze, jagged rocks and slightly singed driftwood. Sherried – caramel, almonds, orange marmalade, raisins and sultanas. Reduced – some hazelnut nuttiness. Straight-forward.
Taste: Similar story. Coastal – rock pools, limestone and mineral dusty. Sherried – reduced and dried fruits (figs, raisins and damsons), ground ginger and allspice. Still straight-forward.
Finish: Medium with a touch of white pepper, clove and sea breeze.
Nothing particularly wrong with this sherry-finished Bunnahabhain – but no fireworks for me either. The combination of maritime spirit with sweet oloroso works well enough – and the length of finish hasn’t removed the underlying distillery character.