[WHISKY REVIEW #39] An Exclusive Bottle From The Annual Fèis ìle Festival 🥃

We're back on the isle of Islay; this time on the rugged northeastern coast near the picturesque village of Port Askaig, where the Bunnahabhain distillery is located. Bunnahabhain, which means river mouth in Gaelic, was founded in 1881 by William Robertson and brothers William and James Greenless. The rest of its history can be read in my article on the Bunnahabhain Cruach Mhòna.

The bottle we have in front of us today is a rather rare single-cask bottle that can normally only be bought on the private dramming sessions in Warehouse 9 during the Fèis ìle festival. I was lucky to pick it up on eBay a tenner cheaper than it's usually sold for. The beautiful little 20cl bottle that looks like something out of a doctor's bag from the 19th century, was hand filled by Sarah Ferguson (whom I guess is/was the warehouse manager) who also hand signed it. It was put on cask on the 14th of February 2005 and bottled 12 years later on the 27th of February 2017. The cask (no. 332) used for maturation was a Manzanilla Sherry Butt from González Byass, one of Spain's most well-known sherry bodegas. Manzanilla is a type of fino-sherry that is only allowed to come from a tiny area around the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in the province of Cádiz in Andalusia. This type of sherry is known for its light, dry and fresh character with a salty flavor and notes that resemble chamomile tea. This is the first time I try a whisky that has been matured on a Manzanilla cask, so it will be interesting to see if any of those flavors are reflected in the whisky.

Bunnahabhain - Warehouse 9 - Hand Filled Exclusive

ABV: 52.4%
Age: 12 years old
Region: Islay
Vintage: 14.02.2005
Cask type: Manzanilla Sherry Butt (Gonzalez Byass)
Cask No: 332
Price: Around ~55 USD / 0.2L
Natural color & non-chill filtered

Appearance: Amber.

Nose: Fudge with raisins, French nougat and brown sugar together with countering medicinal phenols and faint smoke. Really puts a smile on my face this one.

Palate: First a lovely note of salty toffee on the tip of the tongue. Then grilled bananas with brown sugar, popcorn kernels, smoky and sweet strawberries with mint leaves, overripe papaya, english breakfast tea and milk chocolate. After 30 minutes in the glass I pick up notes of dried coconut flakes. No bitterness whatsoever. Super complex stuff.

Finish: Exceptionally long with deep notes of sherry, sultanas, funky white grapes and leather.

Conclusion: A true masterpiece with endless complexity and the best dram of the year so far for me. Despite the abundance of aromas, they never crash and all the components go extremely well together. My only complaint is that they don't make 70cl bottles of this one. A real sipping whisky that demands your time. 98 points out of 100.

 @SteemSwede

If you have any whisky related questions don't be afraid of asking! I'll do my best to answer them. Cheers, or as they say in Scotland: Sláinte!

You can find my other whisky reviews here:

Springbank 15
Glendronach Peated
Glenmorangie Bacalta
Talisker 10
Kilkerran WIP 6 (Sherry)
Amrut Fusion
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Arran - The Bothy
Stronachie 18
Lagavulin 16
Highland Park 12
Arran 10
Arran Sauternes Cask Finish
Glenlivet Nàdurra
Laphroaig 15 (200th Anniversary Edition)
Highland Park 15
Bowmore 12
Springbank 10
Ardbeg TEN
The Macallan Amber
Glenmorangie 10
Bunnahabhain Cruach Mhòna
Linkwood 21 yo, Signatory
Bowmore Black Rock
Glenfarclas, Christmas Edition, 1995
Old Pulteney 21
Glenfiddich 12
Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique, 2016
Caol Ila 12 yo
Linkwood 26 yo
Glenfarclas 105
Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or
Glenlivet 18 yo
Talisker 18 yo
anCnoc Rascan
Glenfarclas 17 yo
Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1
Octomore 5.1 & 6.2