Bunnahabhain 30-year-old The Kinship Hunter Laing / 52.8%/ 0.7l

The Kinship Collection debuted at the 2017 Fèis Ìle festival and celebrated the groundbreaking of Hunter Laing & Co.’s Ardnahoe Distillery.

It consisted of six single malts from Islay, and the casks were selected by Jim McEwan, appointed production director of the new distillery. The series labels refer to six aspects of whisky production – harvesting, malting, fermenting, distilling, maturing and bottling. The Bunnahabhain 30 year old presented here was released a year later, also at the festival. The whisky was from two sherry hogshead casks, and bottled at cask strength (52.8% abv) in an edition of 372 bottles. (Jim McEwan's tasting note.)

"A wonderful combination of sherry and malt enriched with the sweetness of sultanas, marzipan, oak and pieces of melon soaked in Oloroso sherry creates an aromatic combination from another dimension. A feeling of freshness caresses the palate; oak, toffee, ripe dark grapes, pomegranates and cranberries create a taste palette that captivates the common mortal. Another wave brings a sea breeze and subtle spicy notes that transport the taster to another dimension from which one does not want to return. Spanish oak completely unites with the island and plays a symphony with its culture, history, climate and the passion of its inhabitants. This whisky tastes best sipped late in the evening alone, by the smoldering fire in the fireplace, when our thoughts do not run into the future, enjoying a moment of solace."