Bunnahabhain 30-year-old (D.1989, B.2020) Connoisseurs Choice / 46.9% / 0.7l

Bunnahabhain Distillery is located in the north of Islay, near Port Askaig. Its name translates from the Gaelic for “river mouth” (the Margadale stream flows a few hundred metres from the distillery).

Since 2003, the plant has belonged to Burn Stewart Distilleries, which bought it from the Edrington Group along with the Black Bottle brand for £10 million (10 years later, Burn Stewart's assets were taken over by the Distell Group from South Africa). Year by year, Bunnahabhain single malt is gaining in popularity, as well as prestige. The single cask edition presented here is a proposal from Gordon & MacPhail in the Connoisseurs Choice series. The whisky distilled in 1989 spent three decades in a refill hogshead cask (no. 5704). Bottled at cask strength (46.9% abv) on January 10, 2020 in an edition of 146 bottles.

Aroma : fruity with a subtle spiciness, pears, peaches, honeydew melon, banana cake, vanilla, honey, pepper, lemongrass, oak and a pinch of salt.

Taste: milk chocolate, vanilla, marzipan, nectarines, pepper, a touch of ginger, a mixture of dry herbs, roasted nuts and oak.

Finish : quite long, with notes of vanilla, salted caramel, lemon peel, pepper, nutmeg and oak.