Some drams are easy to forget, even when you are still drinking them. Some leave an indelible mark on your conscience. There are many reasons for this, sometimes it is the location, the day that you drink them, sometimes the quality of the spirit, some is that mighty combination of all three.
2016 was a year that some would like to forget for all the bizarre political decisions and people that left us through out the year.
For me however it was a great year. Family life has been settled and joyous. My wife and I have watched our little munchkin blossom at nursery and turn into even more of a fantastic little character. I have been lucky to make some great new friends, who I am convinced I will know for a very long time to come. Lastly, I have had the flexibility and time to drink some great drams, eat some great food and hang out in some brilliant places.
Number one on my list of holidays, fun times, ace places and drams combined was my tour of Bunnahabhain and drinking the fantastic whisky, that I will do my best to do justice to in this review, through a few random words shoddily assembled into paragraphs. It will live long in the memory and I am very thankful for it.
Price: Only available at the warehouse – Get your trip to Islay booked for 2017 now. I am planning my return as we speak.
Appearance: Rich, dark brown, somewhere in between the crumble of sugar and the crack of oaken branches.
Aroma: Sweet, fruity raisins, mingle with ginger spice and mellow wooden notes.
Taste: The first notes of this dram are silky smooth and sweet. They remind me of eating Jamaican Ginger cake as a child on a long and arduous walk. Not only is this dram smooth, but it feels like a real treat.
Then here in the middle of this dram is where I get lost. It has an old, maritime feeling to it, where salty notes, combine with rich fruit and dark brown of molasses. Somehow my mind gets drawn to oak casks, washed up from the wreck of a pirate ship, hidden quietly in rocky, hidden Scottish coves.
The finish is smooth, there is spice, but only minimal and this is always balanced by sweetness of fruit that rounds, widens and opens this spice into more of the cakey notes from earlier. The spice sits on the tongue, moves to the top of the palate and then descends backwards down the throat, warming and entrancing.
Mouthfeel: Light, sweet and unbelievably drinkable for a whisky that is bottled at 52.5% ABV.
Overall: This is a dram that you will force you into a decision. Either you can accept my word that it is bloody brilliant, or you can start packing your bags and booking your tickets to Islay. So is it destination blind ignorance or Islay? The choice is yours, make it wisely.
Real Dram Factor: 8.9
Source: Sample from the Distillery.
More Information: Get to Bunnahbhain, book the Warehouse Tour and say we sent you!
Buy Online: Not a chance.