Bunnahabhain 2008 Manzanilla Cask Matured

Nose: Crisp fresh apples, oak shavings, toasted walnuts, espresso and yeasty bread. There is a little too much alcohol presence on the neat nose for my preference but a dash of water fixes this and allows softer caramel and citrine aromas to appear. Palate: Spicy arrival – hot cinnamon, freshly grated root ginger, lemongrass and black pepper. There is an undercurrent of honey but it’s the flavor without the sweetness. Malt and treacle in the development, which takes a while to form after the forceful arrival. Kirsch and green tea show up a little later. The texture is not noteworthy and the overall impression is of tightness. When watered the palate becomes demure and considerably more relaxed. Finish: Medium/long. The heat and spicy notes slowly fade into a slightly brackish, sour finish with flavours reminiscent of sour-mash wort. That’s the dry sherry showing up in spades. With water the finish gains chocolate notes. A good whisky that is a little too tightly wrapped when neat, even though the abv is only just over 52%. I thought this was significantly improved by a dash of water, which rendered it much more expressive and less ernest. Overall I enjoyed it but I would not buy a whole bottle. Allowing it to stand for a while once watered worked further magic with both complexity and integration forming. Don’t hurry this one, and for pity’s sake – add water! The word manzanilla in the title should be your guide here – if you like dry sherry you’ll take to this straight away because the finish is prominent. If you prefer PX and dislike the astringency of dry sherry you will never become friends with this dram. Tasted from a distillery-bottled 50ml miniature “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose - (w/o water) Salted caramel, milk chocolate, raisins, golden raisins, honey roasted almonds & pecans, sweet pecans, pecan pie, dried apricots (w/ water) Salted caramel is reduced a bit, additional hints of Coke mixed with root beer/sarsaparilla Taste - (w/o water) Salted caramel, salted pretzels, milk chocolate, sweet pecans, raisins, candied orange peel, candied ginger spice/heat, almost like a salted pretzel with a rolo caramel candy topped with a roasted pecan half. (w/ water) Slightly less chocolate vibe, added notes of root beer along with everything else Finish - (w/o water) Lingering gentle warmth, dried fruits, light "dried fruit funk" similar to that of a dried papaya, lingering salted caramel vibe (w/ water) Fruit "funk" goes away, salted caramel remains, milk chocolate comes back Score - 94/100 Final Thoughts - This one was quite interesting in that I got such a strong salted caramel vibe from this one it was crazy. It was like a slightly fruity "turtles" candy on top of a pretzel, but in boozy liquid form. This wasn't overly sweet in anyway and was nicely balanced. The addition of a tiny bit of water really helps as it opens up a new dimension of Coke/root beer in the back ground & for me, it gets rid of this weird "dried fruit funk" I get with certain dried fruits. That being said, this is really good, but I think I'll have to be in the mood for a dram of this one as it is quite unique. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - Maybe if it was a bit cheaper NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

A masterful letdown.... Such high hopes for this one. The nose is complex and intriguing - enticing me to jump into the taste. The initial and mid palate are delightful making me eager for a spectacular finish especially since the abv is high.... Alas the finish is an off-putting bitter note reminiscent of a negroni (read the campari bitter note). Absolutely ruins the whisky for my palate. I am a big opponent of negronis due to this bitter note. To the point that I make my negronis with Aperol instead of Campari to reduce this bitterness and make it slightly more sweet. If not for the bitter finish this rating would have most likely been in the stratosphere but instead we have a rather pedestrian rating and a whisky that I will not seek out again.. Especially at $200

Very well done, honey, carmel and toffee. Long warm finish, but not over the top. Ice ruined it. Drink it neat, a very nice bottle! Nose: salted caramel, creamy berries, Rich Oak, honeyed cashew nuts, dried fruit and Spice. Palate: pleasing overtones of dried fruit and figs, tumbling With subtle notes of sweet malt, candied fruit, rich oak and coffee. Finish: dried fruit and carmel

Nose:Raisins, caramel, Body: sweet and sour, salty, caramel, dark berry Finish: Light, sweet Other notes: great starter scotch for anyone who likes salted caramel. Despite the ABV it tastes much close to a 40%

Du miel séché, un biscuit salé, des notes florales et une attaque épicée, puis une délicieuse finale avec du bois et bien des abricots séchés.