Bunnahabhain12 year old Cask Strength: 2023 Edition, 70cl | 60.1% vol | Dark Fruits, Spiced, Toasted Nuts, Unpeated Islay Whisky | Islay Single Malt Whisky

Delivered in perfect condition 👌 looking forward to give these a go. 👍

I'm not going to pretend to be a Whisky connoisseur, I'll leave talk of hints of almond elevated by notes of Venus fly trap and paving slabs to others gifted with that kind of pallet.Two things came immediately to mind when I first opened the bottle, my nan's coffee which on winter afternoons would be "enhanced" with a generous shot of single malt, and tours of distilleries while touring Scotland on motorcycles with my dad in my late teens. Both warm and happy memories associated strongly in my mind with the unmistakable aroma of a good whisky.Neat I found it to initially have something of a bite that eases into a flood of flavour sensations when you inhale after swallowing, if I'm honest I found it to be a little too full for my tastes, not remotely unpleasant but a bit heavy on flavour.Mixed with a little mineral water (I never use tap or filtered water with spirits) and chilled with some whisky stones mellowed it nicely and I passed a very nice hour or so with a good book and a couple of glasses out in the garden of my building until I was joined by a my neighbours from across the hall so I fetched a couple of glasses & some more stones from the freezer and they joined me for one.Their overwhelming opinion agreed with mine, that this is well above the run of the mill single malt and better even than any of the common 12 year old single malts.The temptation to keep drinks like this for special occasions can be great, but I've always felt that's kind of missing the point. By all means buy a bottle of something a bit special to mark an occasion, but once it's open then take the opportunity to relive a little of that occasion now & then while doing more ordinary things like relaxing with a book or enjoying an evening in the garden after spending the day working on it.Too many opportunities to make time special are missed while we wait for a special time to come along.

I’m not a huge whiskey drinker but have reviews my fair share of them; enough to at least give a pretty good idea of what your everyday person would think to this.Firstly for the appearance of the product; it looks incredibly special in its protective casing; the bottle itself also looks really fancy and the labelling has all the information most people would like to know.The taste definitely stands out from others I’ve tried and not just because of the alcohol content. My Nan used to drink sherry years back and as this is sherried, you do get a subtle hint of that when drinking it. It’s a nice drink to be used sparingly and on special occasions.Smoothness: Definitely doesn’t feel smooth going down but adding a drop of water can make it feel smoother. Having said that, something with this % is always best served over ice to lower its temperature prior to consumption.Alcohol percentage: 60.1% so it’s very capable of intoxicating the drinker quickly - be responsible.In terms of value for money: This is the most expensive whiskey I’ve tasted and it also has by far the most amazing flavours. Considering the cost, it’s gonna be one for the celebration whiskey cupboard.As stated at the beginning of this reviews, I’m no wine or alcohol critic but just your average person that sometimes has a drink on an evening with friends. Just to note… said friends also liked this whiskey very much. They are more versed in alcohol than me.It does have a bit of a burn feeling when you’re drinking but that’s usually the case with high percentage alcohol.

This is a well presented single malt whisky, a little different from the heavily smokey varieties normally associated with the Western Isles. It is very strong in flavour and probably best with a little water to soften it, and I’m afraid I found it impossible to discern all the complex flavour hints that ‘experts’ seem to be able to taste. But I have the same problem with wine too. For me, it all gets a bit pretentious. But this is a quality single malt which will I’m sure be snapped up by serious whisky lovers who are prepared to pay the high retail price. Only a small amount of cask strength product is released each year so this one will be in demand, but it’s a bit too strong and fiery for my taste.

First impressions from the outer container and from the bottle once taking it out - and of course from reading about the whisky itself, were all of a super premium whisky. This is going to be one for a special day for most people as it has a premium price tag to match, notably it is very high in alcohol too at 60%! Once opening and decanting, you can see a lovely golden amber whisky and the smell has indeed notes of the spice, mostly of the alcohol (obviously, with it being 60%) and a little nuttiness. Once tasting the whisky these are all present too. Unlike some cheap spirits out there where you can only taste the alcohol, you really can taste the notes here, the spice is dominant but the nuttiness and then the more subtle sweet notes are all present, too. I would recommend a decent glass for this whisky and to savour it rather than rush it as it's from my opinion better as a slow mellow experience, do it with something you enjoy. No point getting a really premium whisky and then not taking it in as it deserved. Cannot find anything on which to fault it.