This is one of three bottles Bunnahabhain offered for the Islay Festival this year, and the only Mòine:
- 2008 Bunnahabhain Mòine French Oak Finish (57.4%) – 1872 bottles.
- 2001 Bunnahabhain Sauternes Finish (54.2%) – 1188 bottles from Sauternes hogsheads where the whisky was finished for five years, coming from ex-bourbon casks.
- 1988 Bunnahabhain Champagne Cask Finish (45%) – 120 bottles.
This expression is a 2008 Mòine, matured In refill bourbon barrels for around 10 years, then finished in rejuvenated French oak hogsheads for 5 months.
It’s not really a secret that Bunnahabhain is very high on my favorite distillery list. In fact, Bunnahabhain 12 is my desert island entry level dram. I have also related previously that whisky produced by Burn Stewart populates more of my whisky cabinets then any other whisky producer except Glen Garioch. All three distilleries are non chill filtered with no colorants. They’re also on a strict 46.3% minimum bottling strength (for the most part, as I do have a sherry matured Deanston bottled for Taiwan at 40%). Add in the quality and variety of casks Distell is able to provide, and you get a beautiful range of whisky.
Photo Credit: https://www.whiskyauctioneer.com
Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2019, 11 Year Old Mòine French Oak Finish, 1872 Bottles (57.4% ABV, NCF, NC)
Appearance: Amber, Viscous with a lot of residue.
Nose: Creamy with a floral note, notes of bread and a little bit of smoke. There isn’t much depth in the nose. After some time, a little bit of sourness comes up, with some notes of coffee and high grade bittersweet chocolate.
Palate: The peat comes first, followed by a sweetness and a hit of brandy and citrus peel.
Linger: Very dry, with smoke and spice lingering in the gullet, and a bitter dryness on the tongue.
Conclusion
This seems to be the second use of the brandy casks from last year’s release. While this is by no means a complex dram, it’s pretty good, and the toasting gives it some gorgeous notes once you let the nose open.