Bunnahabhain 2002 Spanish Oak Finish (Fèis Ìle 2018)

The second of the two samples I bought at the Bunnahabhain distillery shop was a 2018 Feis Ile release named Spanish Oak Finish. Many people would call this a double maturation rather than a finish, as it was moved to Gran Reserva casks as far back as 2013 after initially aging in refill (presumably bourbon) casks since 2002. I couldn’t ascertain whether those Spanish casks held Rioja wine, brandy or something else, but what’s not in question is that they worked wonders. The nose is heavy with raisins, sultanas, a little cigar ash and a hint of struck match. In the mouth it’s thick with blackberry jam, figs, dark chocolate, cinnamon, salted caramel and blood orange. The finish is long and dry on blackberry, dark chocolate chips and tannins. As good as it is, Bunnahabhain overpriced it at 250 pounds and bottles are still available from its website five years later, despite it filling only 1,500. But ignore that price and keep an eye on the auctions, where it’s going for as little as half that. Indeed, there was one up for grabs as I was writing this, and a day later it was mine for 130 pounds.

Great stuff Nose: Pineapples, Plums, Raisins, Mangoes, Espresso, Milk Chocolate, Mocha, Papayas, Apricots, Sultanas, Fig Syrup Palate: Raisins, Milk Chocolate, Papayas, Honey, Peaches, Salted Caramel, Plums, Raspberries, Blackberries, Almonds Finish: Raisins, Grapefruits, Milk Chocolate, Toffee, Plums, Licorice, Nutmeg, Cinnamon

Dark smokey aroma, fried fruit. Sharp sweetness. Deep rich body, high ABV and fire. More dried fruit, apricot, savory. Alcohol kick is a little put of balance for the flavor, but still quite enjoyable.