SMWS Bunnahabhain (Bottle Keep) Review - Southside Whisky Club

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The Southside Whisky Club

SMWS Bunnahabhain (Bottle Keep) | 55.8% | Islay

157

Fruity

Savoury

Sweet

Distillery Info

Bunnahabhain Distillery, Scotland founded: 1881 | active
For more detailed mapping of the distilleries in the area from our whisky map page, use this link.

Meet Deets

Meet #74 | 13/05/16 | Hosted by Phil
A bottle of Bunnahabhain kept in a cupboard at the Vaults, for SSWC members to try as they please - for some, it meant some repeat sampling!

Smells

Dates, prunes. Tinny. Burning brandy on Christmas pudding. Really fruity. Gunpowder. Stewed fruits, limes. Dark rum, raisins. Rich sweetness, bit of vanilla, honey glazed ham. Fruit being steeped for a Christmas pudding. Very rich. Varnish, syrup & a lil pump.

Tastes

Bouncy like rubber. Caramel above the tang. Dry-cured ham, honey-coated crackling. Smokey. Rubbery. Stewed fruits...raisins, plums, apples, a bit buttery. Damp washing. Earthy. Can't pinpoint the flavours. Very burny. Golden syrup, tangerine & mint.

Meet 74 | In storage at the Vaults for 6 months, would this be a grower? (1 photo)

Finishes

Fierce crackle. Tacky-textured. Meaty & dry. Cloved oranges. The medicinal herby warmth of jagermeister (or similar), bit rubbery, quite dry on the finish. Woody. Tingly with a wee bit of sulphur.

Comments

A little watery? I'd like a little more depth. Most interesting dram of the night (with 10 drams). A very odd one. Flavours only properly come out after easing in with a few drams. Interesting. Not something I'd probably chose but I find it very interesting.

Cost

~£70 (70cl)

WhiskyBase

https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/74380/bunnahabhain-1998-smws-1085

Rating

88 / 100

AliN/A Ali GN/A Anna6.5 Christina4.5 Giles8 HamishN/A Huw7 Iain8 Jamie5.5 Liz7.4 LucyN/A Martin8.2 Phil7.2 RussellN/A Saskia6.6 Shelley6.7 Will GN/A Avg.7.5