Bunnahabhain 40-year-old (D.1966, B.2006) Rare Auld Duncan Taylor / 40.6%/ 0.7l

Rare Auld (meaning "Old and Unique") is an extremely prestigious series from Duncan Taylor Ltd. comprising single malt and single grain whiskies released in their natural form in single cask versions.

These unique spirits come from distilleries all over Scotland and, while differing, sometimes significantly, from the official releases, they show the full spectrum of the producer’s potential. The Bunnahabhain presented here was distilled in June 1966, when the distillery belonged to the Highland Distillers Company and a few years after the installation of a second pair of stills. The whisky spent four long decades in cask no. 4877, and in October 2006 its contents amounted to just 146 bottles. Bunnahabhain (Gaelic for “river mouth”) has been producing whisky since 1881 and is the most northerly distillery on the Isle of Islay.

Nose : waxy and surprisingly fruity, pears, peaches, grapefruits, mango, white pepper, anise, salted nuts, hay, a bit of peat and light mineral tones.

Palate: strong fruity notes, apples, gooseberries, pears, peaches, lemongrass, pepper, licorice, vanilla, a bit of dry herbs, oak and traces of wax.

Finish: long with quite a strong oak note, vanilla, white pepper, lemongrass, traces of resin and citrus.