Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me introduce you to the best new whisky I’ve tried in months and the most exciting release of 2018 thus far: the Bunnahabhain 14 year old Limited Release Pedro Ximenez Finish, bottled at 54.3%. Not only is it going to send sherry bomb addicts into a sugar-induced coma, it’s going to have Macallan and Glendronach drinkers scrambling into an all-out bunker war for who can acquire the largest stash. Aged in refill sherry butts, then finished for three years in PX sherry butts (the sweetest sherry of them all), you immediately get a toffee-laden mouthful of dripping wet suppleness, bolstered by the sea salt of the Bunnahabhain brine. Imagine a big salted caramel in whisky form, oozing across your palate and sliding ever slow slowly down your gullet with each sip. Sounds pretty amazing, right? Take into consideration that this is an official distillery release, limited in quantity, immense in quality, and clocking in at a fantastic 108.6 proof, all for a hundred bucks.

The question you should be asking yourself now is not whether to buy a bottle, but rather how many?

It’s awesome, to say the least. I’ve been sipping on it for five straight days now and I’ve yet to get tired of it. Staunch Islay fans may lament the lack of heavy peat, but there’s just the slightest hint of phenolic smoke on the finish, interlocked with all the dried fruits, sweet syrup, and creamy malt character. They only made 5900 bottles of this for the world and I’ve already drained two of them, so they’re disappearing as fast as I can drink them.

If you even remotely like sherry-matured single malt, you’re going to want at least one bottle. However, if you’re a serious sherry head I would strongly advocate for multiples. I can promise you you’ll be kicking yourself down the road. The level of saturation and sweetness, coupled with the proof creates quite the harmonious balance. This is the type of whisky that got me excited about single malt in the first place more than a decade ago. If you haven’t guessed already, I really, really like it. Bravo Bunnahabhain!

– David Driscoll, K&L Assistant Head Buyer

Bunnahabhain 14 Year Old PX Sherry Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($99.99)

Destined to be one of the most talked about bottles of 2018, this limited distillery edition of Bunnahabhain comes in at 54.3% ABV and packs gobs of sweet, supple, toffee-laden Pedro Ximenez sherry character into a rich, dark, and mouthcoating edition that combines the salt and sea of Islay with the unctuous and raisiny character of a malt like Glendronach. Using only first-fill PX butts for the finishing process, the finish seduces the palate with notes of honey, chocolate, and spice cake that take decadence to a whole new level. The higher proof ensures balance to all that hedonistic splendor, never allowing the weight to become too cloying or sticky. Sherry heads will go absolutely bananas for this, but fans of single malt whisky in general should not miss this. Finding unique and interesting new whiskies that are 1) from Islay, 2) sherry matured, 3) over 100 proof, and 4) with an actual age statement for $100 or less is a rare treat in today’s market. What a great way to start 2018!

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 16, 2018

I have to be honest, it’s been a little while since I’ve been truly excited by a distillery release of Bunnahabhain. Yes the distillery consistently offers awesome whisky thru their standard line up, but nothing we’ve gotten in the recent memory has truly moved the needle like this special little whisky. I also have to note that I was a bit skeptical of lovely delicate Bunnah in big sweet PX, but oh god was I wrong. This has such an incredible balance, I struggle to think of another PX finished Scotch that was so well integrated. The nose wafts from the glass immediately I think salt water taffy. Then into crunchy toffee, butterscotch, pecan butter, salted dried plums and even a some chocolatey malt! The palate is absolutely bonkers. Straight up chocolate covered raisins. The texture is perfect, full, mouth coating, but not cloying. That salty Bunnah malt peaking out through the rich fruit, coco and honey crisps. The finish is long and lifted with that one crucial element reigning over all others, BALANCE! They must be using some pretty high quality sherry here. An absolute dream to drink. No wonder this stuff is sold out nearly everywhere else in the world.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 16, 2018

I didn’t know this existed until David brought it to my attention and thankfully he brought it into K&L! This is a limited release from the famed Bunnahabhain distillery. It is a true sherry bomb. Grown up in second fill sherry casks for many years and then transferred for 3 additional years into first fill PX casks for a sticky, sweet, toffee, coffee, nutty, figgy, beautifully sherried whisky. All done at a full cask strength of 54.3% and sliding in under the $100 mark. What’s not to love? The supple texture and boundless richness of this will knock your socks off.