An Outstanding Islay Value — 2005 Bunnahabhain 12-Year-Old at K&L California – Scotch Whisky News
A True Gem from and Underrated Islay Distillery
2005 Bunnahabhain 12-Year-Old “Old Particular” Whisky ($49.99)
“Pure unadulterated goodness.” – Andrew Whiteley, K&L Assistant Spirits Buyer
The newest edition to our “Old Particular” program hails from the long underrated Islay distillery Bunnahabhain. Bunnahabhain is a bit of an outlier which it comes to Islay malts, as unlike some of its neighbors, it doesn’t lean on an abundance of peat to get its point across. On the contrary, Bunnahabhain plays more on its subtle oiliness and sea-side influence. The resulting scotches are slyly seductive offering up delightful notes of stone fruit, fresh cereals, sea-salt, and vanilla. Today’s featured bottling, the 12-Year-Old “Old Particular” Single Barrel, is no exception with an elegant and graceful approach that belies cask strength potency.
For those who are inclined towards refinement above bombast, this 12 Year-Old is a sure-fire winner. As with all of the bottlings in our “Old Particular” program, the value here is pretty impressive. The standard Bunnahabhain 12-Year-Old will set you back over $50 and is watered down to 46.3% ABV. Our exclusive single cask version clocks in at an impressive 58.4% ABV and is priced at only $49.99. Add all this up and you have a value that will have scotch mavens running. When it comes to classically-styled Scotch that harkens to the days of old and shows the mild side of Islay, you won’t do much better than this delightful single malt.
Islay’s mysterious unpeated whisky (although peated versions do exist) is Bunnahabhain, the oft overlooked and underappreciated distillery just north of Caol Ila near Port Askaig. Having changed hands once again recently, now owned by the South African group Distell, Bunnahabhain has been long overdue for a makeover, but it appears that time is here with excited new releases like the 13 year old PX edition coming down the pike in 2018. We’re always on the hunt for a good cask of fruity, salty, easy-to-drink Bunnahabhain and when we can get 12 years of maturity at full proof for fifty bucks, we’re going to take that deal over and over again. Brimming with fresh stone fruit on the nose, pears and peaches, this light and airy malt packs plenty of punch on the palate at 58.4% ABV. The oak spices come through on the malty finish, bookending a classically flavored malt from front to back. The price and provenance should be enough for most malt lovers to take the plunge, but if you still need reassurance, let us help you: it’s really good!
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 22, 2018
Not a sherry bomb like the 14-Year-Old that blew us up earlier this year, but a fruit bomb instead. Classic malty notes and brimming with apples and stone fruits, this gem has it all for the bang up price of $49.99! This is the kind of deal that makes me excited to come to work everyday. There is an awesome honeyed complexity to this that makes the nose more intriguing than I would have expected for what seems like such a straight forward whisky. No peat on this Islay expression, just that lovely sea spray, a long finish thanks to the full throttle cask strength. Pure unadulterated goodness.
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 22, 2018
We bought this Bunnahabhain barrel when the pound/dollar ratio was a bit stronger than it is currently, hence why we can offer something from Islay at 12 years old, full proof, for a hair under fifty. Those looking for something smoky or out of the ordinary, this one’s not for you. There’s nothing more than classic Scotch whisky goodness to be had in this bottle, lots of creamy vanilla, fruity malt notes, and a lot of pop on the finish due to the bolder proof. The deal is what makes it so compelling. The regular Bunnahabhain 12 is over $50 when it’s watered down, so to get a full-throttle, single cask version for less is a rare treat indeed!
