Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Gradation: 47.5%ABV
Ageing cask: Ex-Sherry butt
Chillfiltered: No
Additional coloring: No
Owner: Morrison Distillers
Average price: € 80.00
Official website: www.morrisondistillers.com
Vote: 85/100
When a bottler with a gun meets a whisky man with a gun… No, let’s start again. When a bottler with a gun meets a whisky man with a gun… No, that’s no good either. When an experienced bottler meets a top whisky… Now, that sounds right!
Protagonists: in the role of the bottler, Càrn Mòr, the Morrison Distillers label of independent bottlings, and in that of the whisky, Bunnahabhain of which we have never tasted anything less than good.
Ending with the modest introductory cinephile slapstick, today’s single malt comes from a 2012 distillate that rested for 9 years in two former Sherry butts, before being bottled in 2021 at 47.5% ABV, with no added colouring or chillfiltration, in 1016 bottles, now difficult to find.
Tasting notes
We are off to a good start, because the bronze colour is truly spectacular.
On the nose, the first predictable encounter is with an evident vinous effluvium that reminds us of the cask imprinting, followed by notes of caramel and milk chocolate. A balsamic scent that can be traced back to liquorice mitigates the gluttony by adding freshness. The spicy side initially aligns pepper and nutmeg and later, when the glass is empty, rosemary and marjoram. An impression of resin rests on a bed of jasmine, while sultanas bring us back to the sherried matrix.
On the palate, we are greeted by a lively spiciness that enlivens a pleasant but somewhat more predictable picture of caramel and milk chocolate, with hints of malaga and cappuccino in the background. There is also a hint of polished wood, which adds an unusual twist to the drink.
The medium-long finish tastes of spices and caramel, but also of dried fruit.
An uncompromising whisky for fans of Sherry maturation. It is a pity that certain subtleties typical of the Bunnahabhain distillate are somewhat lost, although in the context of a very pleasant dram to which no substantial objections can be made.