ralfy review 823 - Bunnahabhain 12yo @ 46.3%vo: (2020)
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
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Here in the colonies, they made the switch from the (superior, imo) black box bottling to the current red and grey tube bottling about 3-5 years ago. Last summer, I happened upon a single very dusty black box in a small town liquor store that primarily sold Bud lite and Fireball. The clerk couldn't find it in the system because it had been there untouched for so long, so he shrugs and says, "I dunno. $25?".
I reached for my wallet so fast, I damn near put my shoulder out of socket!
Bradford Taylor Damn, nice find.
@@zombiTrout I'm pretty sure that's the closest I've ever come to robbing a liquor store.
thats exactly what happened. i miss that old stuff. as ralfy has said, it had older stuff in it. it just did. and now its younger and different. thank the lord jesus its still bunnahabhain
There's always the hope of a dusty bottle
Love when things like that happen!
I love Bunnahabhain, their basic 12 year old is great and their Single cask offerings are mind-blowing, and when you go to the distillery and it looks like a 1970's soviet industrial complex set in a wee coastal nook you find yourself grinning from ear to ear...
Proof that you don't need to pay a great deal of money to drink a truly enjoyable Whisky.
Unchillfiltered and natural color....pure single malt goodness...if only every distiller had the integrity to put out a spirit as good as Bunnahabhain 12yr old.
There would be less diversity then :D Different tastes, different needs, different products. It's only good that not everyone does a "craft" presentation of their whisky!
Mike Adams, and not 40%.
then the scotch world would be boring place and would also be filled with drink posers jacking off on how high the ABV is
@@dentboxhero1717 Get 'em
One of my favorites. Bunnahabhain 12 and Glenfarclas 12 are my salt and pepper.
Absolutely spot on love them both just can't keep them long.
So different from each other but both have similarities in that they both are a bit "feminine" with their perfumed aromas and a lack of smoke and peat though if i concentrate I can get some out of Bunna 12 with absolutely none in Glenfarclas 12.
I need to add an update to my earlier comment of them being so different from each other. Well....that was the case with my last bottle of Bunna 12 bought a few years ago. I just opened a brand new bottle of Bunna 12 inspired by this re-review (purchased within the past 6 months) and it is quite different. The first bottle blew me away but only did so once i was at least 1/3rd into it. The new bottle is decidedly different unfortunately as I was hoping for an exact replacement. The new bottle is a LOT closer to Glenfarclas 12 than my previous bottle was. It's more bitter with the astringent oak notes that Ralfy mentions and lacking some of balance, nuances and complexities of the previous bottle. It's also missing some of that fireworks or sulfur note that I eventually noticed as I made my way through that original bottle. Other things I noticed they changed from the last bottling to this one: The cork now fits better, and the blackened glass is less opaque and allows you to see the spirit level inside better. It's still very good but it's not the Bunna 12 from just a few years ago. I'll need to reserve judgement till i get through more of the bottle as the original seemed to improve as I made my way through it and made the greatest impression once I was about half through it but I wanted to provide an update. I use inert gas to reduce oxidation in my bottles but that last bottle had a poor cork seal so perhaps it still oxidized a bit which ironically improved it over time...
Hi ralfy
I just went down through memory lane, I started out in the u.s. army, and I couldn't afford any whiskey, making $48.00 dollars a month,and pay day came and a buddy of mine from Canada would go to the small bore club, which is for enlisted military (non officers club)and we would start our evening off with pitchers of beer ($1.00 dollar)each and after a couple of those we would go to the liquor store and buy a bottle of thunder bird 🐦 wine and after a bottle of thunder chicken we weren't feeling any pain, I will always remember those days, I went to Vietnam shortly after those days, my buddy and I went to Vietnam together and I lost track of him after that, and I was told that he was killed in action, so shortly after about a month I got the news I could escort his body back to the states, and I did so, a very bad time for me, as you can imagine, after taking the coffin home to his family, I went to the liquor store and bought a bottle of thunder bird and celebrated our friendship together, I'm now 71 years old and the memories will last forever in my life, we were soldiers just doing what our country asked us to do, I celebrate today with the bunnahabhain 12year old in his memory, thank you ralfy for taking me down memory lane, I watch all your videos and I thoroughly enjoy them, cheers 🍻 Sir, and God bless America 🇺🇸!!!
@@bongson691 thank you for your service and all you endured! Cheers
Bunna 12 is in my top 3 Scotch's. Its phenomenal IMO and will always be represented in my collection. High integrity scotch making! Thank you Bunnahabhain for not compromising.
What are your other two favorite scotch ? . Thanks for recommendations. Cheers.
Bunna 12 is one of the greatest in the 12 year old single malt range. An absolute joy.
This review brings back a lot of mamories from the early 2000s.I remember myself, studying in Edinburgh and sharing a tiny flat in Grindlay strt with a flatmate from Spain, his name was Jorge. Both of us enjoyed sipping quality spirits and at no time we became malt mates. Together, we explored the network of pubs surrounding us and the single malts they had to offer ( the real ale was exceptional as well), Key' s Bar, Bennet's, The Oxford, Cloisters, The Blue Blazer, The Bow Bar, Burlington Berties...just to name a few of our favorites. The place was right, the time was right and the prices were right too . I will always remember a misty evening when i shared with Jorge a nip of macallan 18 years (35ml) for 8 pounds in the Bow Bar, because we could'n t afford to get one for each - its funny how expensive it looked back then and how outrageously cheap it looks now. And how can i forget a Saturday night, when a friend of us who worked as a waiter for the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society, sneaked us in for free in an event ( we had no membership) and served us some really amazing drams. Bunnahabhain 12 years old will always have a very special place in my heart as it was the first bottle me and my flatmate bought together from Royal Mile Whiskeys, for keeping in the flat as our Christmas dram,the first year we moved to Edinburgh ..... Saddly, these days are long gone..
Those days might be past but you can bring back a memory with a familiar dram, get yourself a bottle in and sip the nostalgia
Good old Jorge....he sounds like a real man's man!! A killer...
First ever malt that 'wow-ed' me as as a novice. Absolutely love it!
Ralfy, I'm so pleased as to how you explain to us the "sciences" of the trees and how the wood used (dry log vs sappy wood log) will affect the oiliness/dryness and taste characteristics of the dram (another great example is review #533- Old Pulteney 12). Barely no other Whisky channels does this. Therefore, thanks for the knowledge pass on to us.....which is why we're all Mad Malt Maltes Machine Marauders Motorcycles :)
Mmmmmmm-mums....;- )
My first favorite, without the sentimentality. Aberlour 12 , Auchentoshan 3 Wood snd Bunnahabhain 12, I’ll never be without them.
As a long time Bourbon lover, it was this Scotch that opened my eyes to just how good it can be. I'm never without a bottle.
This and Springbank are the two biggest joys you’ve introduced me to, Ralfy. Very grateful for your influence. Though they come from different regions I really enjoy pouring a dram of Bunnahabhain 12 next to the Springbank 12 CS @ 57.1%. They really reinforce the exquisite qualities of one another. Malt heaven! From California- Thanks, amigo!
Malt Mention: Melodiously Malty Mucilaginous Mollusks!
Bought a bottle after watching your review. Came home, poured a glass, re-watched it as I was sipping. You've described it so well. Adding a splash of water does change it quite a bit. After 12-15 minutes is perfect. Thank you
I’ve been through more bottles of this than any other malt. So good
One of the best stuff in your reviews is the priceless knowledge that you provide. Today you surprised me with spring and autumn casks. Very interesting. Thank you for sharing it with us, sensei Ralfy.
Loved this review and I don't even drink alcohol, not for any other reason than I've never enjoyed the taste. I envy anyone who enjoys their spirit, wine or beer. The time flew past as I sat and watched this review and made me miss the atmosphere in my local with good friends. Thanks to one of those odd out of the blue UA-cam recommendations I'm hooked and subscribed to your channel and looking at that old unopened bottle of whisky left after my father died. Dare I!!!!!
Thank you for sharing your story of your whisky awakening with us, Ralfy. For me, that first love was Caol Ila 12. The very first whisky I had ever tried was Auchentoshan 10, and that tasted like perfumed water to me back then. But at that point I had already begun to fall in love with Scotland, and then I found your channel, and I booked a trip to Islay - and the very first distillery I ever visited was Caol Ila. I’ll never forget that trip. That was in 2014 - I’ve been a malt mate for quite some time now!
Never get enough of your stories, Ralfy. This one is a classic indeed- Bunna is special on many levels.
This is the malt that my brother and I used to introduce our 80-something mother to scotch. She was an immediate convert. We now keep her well stocked. Cheers!
I scratch my head about all those who pontificate, “I taste dirt from South Alabama, Ah 30 miles east of Mobile.”
I just know what I like and I like this!
Really interesting about the sugar levels in oak through the seasons.
You are always entertaining but little snippets of info like that have kept me coming back to these videos for the last 3 years.
Fantastic review Ralfy! Bunnahabhain will always have a special place in my heart. This is the dram I share with those beginning their single malt journey. Complex without being pretentious and at a price point that is both accessible and more than fair in value. Take note single malt makers, there is much to learn from the practices of this fine distillery.
Simply the best whisky review ever. And, as a bonus, learned loads.
Aye- Down to earth and gritty !!
He even likes a Dark & Stormy or a my favourite a Black & Nasty ( 2 shots of Goslings ).
I found this in January and since then I've bought a second bottle, easily my current favourite dram. I've poured one to have as I watch this review!
what does dram mean?
One of the few whisky's I buy over and over again Damn good one for the price👌
True. And it seems to get better every year😋.
My other every day drams are Talisker and Highland park. Both of those seem to get (ever so slightly) worse every year.
For me that very special first whisky was Laphroaig. I was in Scotland in 2006 and bought 'some' whisky without knowing anything about it. It did taste however exactly as I imagined whisky to taste. Years later when I dove into a more serious whisky journey I rediscovered Laphroaig and the fact that this had actually been my first bottle. While these days I prefer non-peated whisky and from the peated whiskies I prefer Talisker and Ardbeg, Laphroaig will always have a special place in my heart.
And regarding the Bunnahabhain 12yo, I had it a few years ago in the older bottling. At first I was a little disappointed, but it really grew on me and will certainly be buying that again!
Mine is Ballantine's Finest Blended. I was somewhere around 5 to 7 years old when my grandpa handed me his glass. It was like gravity. It drew me in I liked it so much. What I liked about it was that undeniable flavor that to me now defines scotch's matrix. Scotch is a conglomerate rock where the matrix is that flavor that only scotch has, and the clasts of the conglomerate are the differing notes. Yes in my so far amateur scotch journey the above is what I have gathered up and defined scotch as for myself thanks to Grandpa and Grandma and their Ballantine's, my tastings of easy to drink scotches so far, and reviews like this. Thanks for reviewing scotch!
Bought my first of this on a visit to the distillery some years ago, an eye opener it was to someone who only knew the famous South Coast Islays, this along with Caol Ila woke me up to the variety of Islay whisky. Slainte ralfy,
For me, Ralfy - you were my bottle. My love for this started with you and your videos. I've since traveled to the UK and visited both Glengoyne and Deanston's distilleries. Love the hobby so much.
Big fan of Bunnahabhain 12yo! A staple in my collection.
For me that one bottle when I started drinking whisky was a wilson & morgan blended islay malt. That blend tasted so much medicinical and smokey, I couldn't stand it first, but started to love it after a cpl of glasses. Since then I'm in love with heavily peated malts from Islay.
Absolutely loved the explanation of spring and autumn harvested oak!
"Ambient satisfaction" is a lovely phrase and I'm stealing it.
What a lucky coincidence! I bought a bottle a few days ago and I’m cracking it open tonight!
Ralfy you have the patience of a saint I couldn’t keep a bottle that long fair play matey!
Really enjoyed watching this review whilst sipping the Bunna 12. One of the best.
"Westering home la la la la la".......Like having Moira Anderson actually in the room!!
Hi Ralfy
I bought 2 bottles 🍼 of the bunnahabhain 12 year old and when I first opened one of the bottle 's I was thoroughly disappointed with it, but as you have said before, don't judge a whiskey by a neck pour, and in just one week this whiskey turned from a ugly duckling to a quit pleasurable dram, money 💰 well worth the price of admission, I would recommend this 12year old to anybody who is on a budget, I simply love this whiskey, and glad I made the purchase, thanks ralfy for your review on this whiskey, cheers 🍻 Sir and may you post another great whiskey for us to try !!!
Gorgeous whisky. Lovely creamy finish and very affordable.
amazing how tastes can change. i bought this 4 months ago and after first taste couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. gave it another shot this week and can’t put it down. as a relatively new scotch drinker it’s hard to pick out all that’s going on but for me this is like drinking salt water taffy. which is both delicious and brings me back to my childhood. a steal at $50
Amazing review. Thank you for the info about the oak and how it differs with the harvesting in different seasons. That was truly incredible. I love your channel and your reviews.
This was my first scotch and the one that started a love of true malts. It will always have a special spot on my shelf.
Excellent point Ralphy! The lack of hangovers that comes with single malts! I remember my first Glenfiddich 12
Just finished my first bottle of Bunna. Wow! I am on my way to the store for another. Excellent, nuanced, so much flavor.
You are the real deal Ralfy. Sipping a dram of Bunna while listening to you and you are spot on. Seems so simple and straightforward but I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own besides the very basic. Oily, resinous, dry is as far as I would dare to say.
Laphroaig 10 yo cask strength was the whisky that blew my mind...early 2000's.
My first Scotch was Auchentoshan 12, so it holds a special place in my heart. Still love it. I ALWAYS eye Bunnahabhain when in the liquor store. Such a great malt.
Just finished a bottle of this. It's bloody brilliant!
Just going through the peated version of this malt. And it's very interesting as well!
@Clemens Kupsch Hope you enjoy it!
Glenfiddich 15 was my first whisky that got me into whiskys...and drinking responsibly
Love bunna 12 also
Absolutely one of my favorite 12 year bottles.
That was quite a gift your father gave you Ralfy. A gift of love and a gift that led to an adventure of growth. A beautiful thing for a father to give to his grown son!
Great dram!
Just throwing this out there...
3/4 Bunna to 1/4 Four Roses Small batch Select ...
Sounds crazy but let it set for about 15 minutes. A few drops of water.
Delicious!!!
I love that you admit to drinking Thunderbird.
Yeah, I wasn't expecting to hear him say that. Funny
What's the word? Thunderbird.
What's the price? Thirty twice.
Never thought about that seasonal effect of the wood. Interesting! These are things I watch Ralfie for!
Oddly, my first single malt that I enjoyed was exactly this, bunnahabhain 12 yr old. My mrs heard me talk of it fondly so she bought me a bottle last year...both didn’t like it much at the time of opening. Tried it again after it sat for a few months...my mrs fell in love with it too haha. I think it’ll hold a place in my memory forever
Glad to see you re-reviewed one of my and yours favorite. I recently found a store with the older bottle before this new version. For a steal. $44 . Can’t wait to compare them.
Watching your channel makes me think about one of my grandpas, which was an old sailor, when I was a skinny young boy, sitting next to a stove with him, listening his story. I didn’t particularly understand what he said, and barely remember, but the warm feeling of those moments…I remember.
. . . many people will never remember, because they never have those moments.
@@thewhiskybothy bloody auto spelling correction…good laugh though.
Excellent review as always. Many thanks Ralfy. Your advice is priceless. Having watched your video I just could not resist opening two bottles of the 12yo right away. The current 2019/20 version and an older bottling of the 12yo from around 2016. Same ABV 46,3%. I've been always very fond if the Bunna 12 since I had my first encounter with it and consider it one of the best 12yo malts around. I had the chance to try the new version as soon as it was on the market. Noticed a difference but no evident quality decrease then - just a slightly different profile while nosing and tasting.
Ralfy explains it perfectly. The old version has an extra dimension the new one lacks. Call it old school style. Smell and tastewise. Something you can't find in the new version anymore. Don't get me wrong. I ain't complaining. Some other "new versions" of famous standard bottlings could not match the former quality imho. HP 18, Glendronach 15, Benriach 12 Sherry, just to mention some.
The new one improves with some drops of water significantly. The 2016 version does not need water but can handle some drops to enhance its full potential and tops the new version with or without any water. I always had it neat in the past. The 2016 version is a little darker than the current bottling.
Summing it up, the new Bunna 12 is still a good dram. Just poured my 3rd dram each. My verdict remains. If Ralfy gives 88 points to the new one, the 2016 version deserves at least 90 points. The older bottling is missed dearly. Worth looking out for. Grab it while you can. BTW: The older 25yo in the wooden box is sublime. Slainte!
Thanks Ralfy !! Thank you for sharing about the oak felled trees. Very insightful!! Cheers!
Bunnahabhain used to be a somewhat under the radar until they started bottling unchilfiltered and at 46.3% which was when people really started taking notice. Ditto for Tobermory and Deanston who had the same owners.
I'm fascinated by the oak effect & appreciated the information about cask wood from different season harvesting dates - presumably stave drying - naturally dried or kiln dried - will have an impact too? Good information to have - thanks Ralfy 👍
Thank you for this review. I think this is a whisky for beginners and experts too
One of my all-time favorites and a steel. I can buy it for $50 consistently. The first time I tried it I did not think it was anything special however I tried it again and again and I absolutely loved it. I must add that this was the first Scotch I tried after not having any for over five years. Go ahead and say that I am crazy but I am happy to take this scotch over others that cost twice as much!
It’s this that got me back into single malt scotch. And funnily enough I had one tonight. The first bottle I had was that original 90s bottling you showed, but I only bought it two years ago here in Canada.
I've never had the 12. I had the 18 maybe four or five years ago and what a whiskey that was. Amazing stuff. The same could be said about Highland Park. The 18 about seven years ago. It blew me away. Nice, informative review, Ralfy. Take care.
-Alex
Ralfy, thanks for this review. I've loved Bunna 12 for many years. Usually have a bottle (or two) in the cabinet at any time. But I've noticed that it seems different now. Not bad, just different. Am I getting jaded or are my tastes are changing? Not sure. But your insights helped me understand that things never stay the same (should've know that, but...), especially single malts. Today's Bunna 12 isn't the same as I had a decade ago. It's still great but different. Thanks for confirming my impressions. That being said, at 46.3% ABV, un-chill fitered and un-colored, it's a stand out! Thanks
Ralfy...just received your book and I am ENTHRALLED by it. Wonderfully done. (The dram here isn’t so bad either 😉). Cheers to you from a very “Scotland-like” rural New York at the moment.
. . . thanks for buying my book, glad you enjoyed it.
By Scotland-like do you mean the protests remind you of Braveheart?
@michael James more the weather but yes good point....😔
What brilliant knowledge, loved that video. Such a great story and such great info especially the autumn v summer oak
Ralfy dear, what marvelously mellifluous (and not-at-all meretricious) malty moments these are! I was on my third (?) dram of this lovely liquid when I chanced upon your latest review - serendipity! It must have been your 2010 review that inspired me to buy my first bottle (older version). I kept the pamphlet that came with it, in which are printed the lyrics of "Westering Home", and which are possibly also in your pamphlet? If not (and with your indulgence), I quote them: "Westering home, and a song in the air, / Light in the eye, and it's goodbye to care; / Laughter o' love, and a welcoming there; / Isle of my heart, my own one! ... Tell me o' lands o' the Orient gay! / Speak o' the riches and joys o' Cathay! / Eh, but it's grand to be wakin' ilk day / To find yourself nearer to Isla ... Where are the folk like the folk o' the west? / Canty and couthy, and kindly, the best; / There I would hie me, and there I would rest / At haim wi' my ain folk in Isla."
Love your whisky reviews 🥃 and I also appreciate the other information and detail(s) that you go into. I find it rather interesting 👍
Wan thing tho' that's buggin' me tae ask ye! Whae's Fanny & Boab?? 🐶🐕
For me it was lagavulin 16.....first drank it in 1994... Then many bottles over time with my dad. He i now 90 and sadly not himself at all....but I will always have an emotional attachment to the stuff...and Its pretty damn good too... good things to look back on.
This was available at my local shop in Colorado today in a gift pack with a couple of whiskey snifters for $65.
That's the best value per dram that I've purchased in a very long time, maybe ever.
I first tried Bunn 12 about 3 years ago, maybe 4 years ago, but WOW... an awesome batch it was/is... I liked its uniquely different, and interesting flavor that I sought out and aquired a case and a half. The bottling I am talking about came in a square cardboard box, with a gold band trim at the top of box, mostly black and gold lable with a red number 12.
facinatic story about when you was young in the 80s and how affordable Bunnahabhain was . now in USA is a $ 55 a bottle .750 ml . that is why my favor single malt all around is Glenmorangie at $ 39.
Saw the title of your video... so I poured a dram of Bunna, went and mowed the grass, then sat down to appreciate the malt and see what you had to say about it this time around. I've got to say, it's getting really good now that the bottle's been opened for about a month and a half now. Lovely stuff. Thanks for another informative session, malt mate! Slainte
I agree with what you said about the bottle that kicked off the "whisky experience" for so many. Mine was "Laphroaig Quarter Cask". It blew me away. I realized what I had been missing for so many years. "Quarter Cask" led to me discovering other Single Malts (and the occasional blend). "Quarter Cask" is still my favorite, though. And, Ralfy, you have been a great guide into this wonderful world.
. . . happy to help with the malt-moments !
Just got my first bottle today after many recommendations. It's a goody. Definitely a dash of water makes things more interesting. So far my favourite out of Glenmo 10, Quinta Ruban, Glenlivet 12, is Glengoyne 12. Such a good drop for the price. Bunna being a close second.
One of my all time favorites! Thanks to you Ralfy.
This was the first non chill-filtered malt that I had ever tried, around 8 years ago.
It has changed over the years, or at least I think it it has. Maybe my palate has changed, but I feel that back in the day the flavors were more concentrated. Now it’s a bit thinner and not as nuttier. I always used to pick up raw almonds. Not so much nowadays.
Just bought a bottle.
Reminds me very much of Balvenie 12.
If I was blind tasting this I'd never guess it was an Islay. Absolutely no peat, I can't note any saltiness either.
I added 5ml of water to 30ml whisky and it was perfect. Highly reccomend it if you like sherried whiskies.
For me personally:
Aberlour 12 >glenfarclas 12>bunnahabhain 12>Balvenie 12>Glendronach 12
Just happened upon your channel, you are such a pleasure to listen to. Great storytelling.
Bunnahabhain 12yo was my "eye-opener" too when it comes to whisky. Smells and tastes like the ocean. Love it.
Have my first bottle of this arriving on Tuesday. Really glad I watched this review before receiving it! I feel like I've been handed a set of instructions on how to work this particular one, and I'll be keeping an eye (tongue/nose) on the oak. Cheers, Ralfy!
Back in the day, Thunderbird fortified wine had a radio commercial that went, "What's the word? Thunderbird! What's the price? Forty twice!" A bottle sold for 0.80¢ US, which was cheap as chips, as you might say. We drank it to get high, and it did its' job well. Glad to see you've gone up in the world. You've got a world of experience under your belt.
I always make sure I have a bottle on hand. And, it's very affordable here in the US. I love it. And.. I needed to add, that I never knew this about the oak. Fascinating. At least to me.
Another masterclass. Keep up the good work, I'm enjoying these new brands that you advocate and avoiding the others. Thank you.
Great review great 👍 lovely whisky and available to enjoy at an amazingly attractive price. The magic just happens 🥃
Brilliant review, this is my go to 12yr old Ralfy. Consistent quality, excellent price. Funnily enough, I actually opened up another bottle last night, came to your page today, and find you've just re-reviewed it.
This is interesting because, obviously any agricultural product will vary over the years, but I think we do as well. Our palettes change, and our recollections are viewed through hazy rose colored glasses. Pipe smokers experience this when an old blend is taken over by a new company. Nothing lasts forever, even the memories you have change
I was lost but now I'm found. Maybe. I've got this and five other offerings up to order. Deanston 12. Ledaig 10. Glencadam 10. Ardberg 10. Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Of course as you can tell I have a certain budget. I owe you and you alone for my choices. Wish me luck.
Well done Ralfy, a good review of a nice Whisky and many fun notes about Ralfy's journey.
Ralfy - loving your channel - just found this a few weeks back and I must say enjoying it all. I am new to single malts and learning so much from your scotch knowledge. I just purchased my first bottle - a Bunnahabhain 12yr that will go under the tree - so I can't actually try it until Christmas day - and I am looking forward to that. I have tried a few others for the first time just in the past two weeks - Talisker 10, Laphroaig 10, Aberlour 12 and Macallan 12... Your reviews helps me get an appreciation of these spirits. Now if I could get my hands on an Arran 10. Cheers.
. . . happy to help !
@@thewhiskybothy Thanks! Well last evening I was able to purchase an Arran, the Bodega. Not sure how it compares to an Arran 10, but I suspect anything from Arran is probably good. And also picked up a Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie in its fancy sea blue bottle. So I think Im all set to share a wee dram over the Christmas holiday. Cheers again to you.🥃
@@stevehutchings4339 . . . your welcome.
you got me at.. “engage in their clorophil stuff” :) this review was especially well done..
Here in Dec. 21 it's definitely one to go to. I'm so pleased I finally got around to this brand.
Thank you for an education in scotch and how the harvest of the wood affects taste .It settles an old argument .Spring maple,oak and chestnut,beech impart a totally different flavour than late fall or winter harvested wood .That's why some barrels smell just like baked bread when toasted .The sugars in the wood give off that vanilla and bread smell when toasted !
Thank you for sharing the kick-off malt. For me, I think it will be BenRiach 10 Curiositas 5-6 years ago. It was 46%, natural color, unchill filtered. The depth was impressive and so oily that when I shake the bottle, the oily mist came out. I bought another bottle 2 years ago, and it was a disappointment. Batch to batch difference, or just quality drop due to bad management. I learned later on that it was Billy Walker who made BenRiach the BenRiach that I know as my kick-off malt. And the timing of taste and flavor decline just matches to his departure. What a shame. I have more hope in Glenallachie now because I have faith in the person who manage it. From an interview of Billy Walker, I learned that they are trying the peated malt, and the results were fantastic. I look forward to have a bottle of peated Glenallachie in the future.
Thanks Ralfy, if you would do a review of the Stiuireadair, keeping in mind its price and how it stands against other similarly priced options such as Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and Glenmorangie.
I like sweet tastes, my first bottle was chivas regal. But for single malt, it was glenmorangie, greats stuff on budget. The one that convinced me was the balvenie. But I have since discovered lots of good scotches.
Just have Bunna 12 last night! Amazing Islay!
Just bought a bottle of this today from my local Waitrose, on offer at £30! I saw the un-chillfiltered no colouring on the label and the 46.3% and had to buy it. My sentimental bottle is Glenmorangie 10 year old. When I climbed Ben Nevis with my friends back in 2013 of them had brought a bottle of Glenmorangie 10 so we could have the all-around Scottish experience. Once we had conquered the mountain we had haggis, neeps and tatties, then back to the tent for a few drams of Glenmorangie. We didn't do the proper malt moment of sniffing and sipping, more like drinking and appreciating, but since that moment I was compelled to begin my malt journey.