This expression is yet another display of the quality of casks Distell’s Burn Stewart Distiller’s is enjoying. This whisky was transferred into these French Brandy casks for two and a half years, after spending eight years in ex-bourbon casks.
Photo Credit: Bjarne Henning Kvaal
Bunnahabhain is currently in the midst of a major upgrade, with Distell allocating £10.5 million ($14 million) for a refurbishment of the distillery, which will remain operational throughout this period.
Derek Scott, brand director for malts at Distell International, referring to the upgrade, said:
“Our investment programme, here at Bunnahabhain, is about improving the operational side of our distillery for the long term future. We are restoring our buildings to their former glory and providing a visitor experience where we don’t just welcome visitors, after the long winding journey to get here, we help them enjoy a piece of Bunnahabhain life. The plans aim to make the navigation of the site much easier for the visitor and to, in simple terms, declutter it. This will ensure the buildings are more efficient from a storage point of view and located in better suited, more accessible locations to the production buildings. Furthermore, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of the works. The whisky industry is starting to be more environmentally aware and our achievement of recycling over 99% of materials shows, with a little bit of extra effort, it is remarkable what we can achieve. Bunnahabhain has a special place in Islay’s whisky heritage and we are committed to retaining this by turning Bunnahabhain Bay into a world-class whisky destination of choice. As the most remote and northerly distillery on the island, our transformation will give those who have made the journey time to pause, forget about the rest of the world and enjoy the serene surroundings.”
I’ll mention that a two year refurbishment at Tobermory has ended last year, but those works had the distillery closed for that period.
Photo Credit: thewhiskyexchange.com
Bunnahabhain 2007, 11 Year Old French Brandy Finish, Distell 2019 Limited Edition, 2764 Bottles (52.5% ABV, NCF, NC)
Appearance: Bronze, leaving a thin necklace releasing really slow legs.
Nose: Sweet green fruit and sour yellow plums, fermented apple and hints of Sultana raisins and pears.
Palate: A wash of honey is followed by some bitter grapefruit rind. The palate is earthy and dry with notes of bitter almonds.
Linger: Bitter citrus rind, bitter almonds and a hint of cinnamon and green cardamom.
Conclusion
With all this lovely fruity and nutty bitterness, time is your friend both in the bottle after opening and in the glass.