Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old Scotch 750ml

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is lightly peated to approximately 3 phenol parts per million, and is matured in combination of used sherry and bourbon casks, before it is bottled without the use of chill filtration. As a result, the whisky has an aroma of honeyed nuts, wheat and salty tang. The aroma gives way to notes of sherried nuts, spices, toffee and rich leather on the palate, and fades into a long, slightly sweet and spicy finish. 

The Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old whisky earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2011 and 2012, and earned the Gold Medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. In addition, it earned a score of 94 points from the Whisky Bible, which called the whisky “Liquid Gold.”

In what will be seen as a positive move to whisky connoisseurs, Bunnahabhain have decided to bottle the 18 year old without chill-filtration and without colouring.

This is the relaunched version of Bunnahabhain 18yo, having ditched the caramel colouring and chill-filtration and upped the strength to 46.3%. A triumph for ‘naturalist’ whisky drinkers.

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old distillery was constructed in 1881 by the Greenlees brothers, and first opened its doors in 1883. It’s located on the island of Islay, with 11 employees and four massive stills – among the biggest in the industry, alongside Glenmorangie.

Nose:

Salted caramel leading to sticky toffee pudding sprinkled with nutmeg. With time a leathery quality emerges.

Palate:

Dense, rich sherried notes perked up with a coastal saltiness. On a second wave roast chestnuts emerge and gentle wood spice.

Finish:

Woodspice becomes mixed spice. The finish is warming and lengthy; salt and sherry towards the very end.

Overall:

Bunnahabhain without chill-filtration is dense and oily and shows off its sherried credentials with ease.