Bunnahabhain 12 yo Cask Strength 2025 Edition

 

 

 

56,4°

Distillery : Bunnahabhain - Islay

1st Fill and Refill Oloroso Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Almost Unpeated 

 

 

 

This is the fourth edition of the 12 Year Old Cask Strength, a series that was launched in 2021. If the numbers don't add up, it's because there was none in 2024, for reasons that no one has explained. Either they ran out of stock, or the 2023 edition took a long time to sell, and they didn't want the new edition to come out before the previous ones were at least close to being sold out. In any case, I hope this collection will continue, I tasted the 2022 edition, which I talked about here, and I really liked it. I have the entire collection in my cupboard, waiting for the right occasion to open them.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A cascade of fruit, ripe plums, damsons and mirabelle plums, slightly fermented cherries, blueberries. Melting caramel and dates, dried figs, noble wood, crushed hazelnuts, Muscat grapes. A slight hint of iodine. Very smooth on the palate, chestnut cream, caramel, dried bananas, green apples, then strong spices, pepper, cloves, nutmeg. Fairly long finish, but not really explosive, mellow wood, warm chestnuts, cooked oranges, rich herbs, subtle touch of bitterness.

 

In Short, 

The 2022 edition is better, in my opinion. With this one, the nose is superb, but it's less successful afterwards, and the finish falls apart a little. But anyway, it's far from bad, it's still a very fine whisky, reserved for sherry lovers of course, but I find it better balanced and with more character than the A'bunadh or other 105s. What's more, the price is very reasonable, which is why I never fail to buy one. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Tinsley Ellis - In From the Cold

Daftmill 2011 Winter Batch Release 2024 12 yo

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Daftmill - Lowlands

1st Fill Bourbon Barrels 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

At Daftmill, whisky is only produced at certain times of the year, in the middle of summer and in winter. This distillery is first and foremost a farm, hence the words “Single Farm Estate” on the bottle, which means that in order to run the farm, it cannot focus solely on whisky. As a result, production is tiny, at around 100 casks per year. This bottling is therefore significant, as it is the product of 27 first-fill bourbon barrels, and 7,500 bottles were released for sale. Made with Publican barley, harvested in August 2009 and malted a year later, distillation took place in December 2011. The barrels were then stored on site before bottling in the summer of 2024. This is therefore a 12-year-old whisky. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is very airy, even ethereal, hints of the countryside, vanilla and hay, liquid honey and slices of lime, ripe Conference pears, white peaches, a few herbaceous notes and thick wax. Young wood, malted cereals, very subtle notes of candied fruit. On the palate, it is mellow, though a little less expressive, but with character, honey and butter biscuits, rustic wood, crushed banana, a few almonds, orchard fruits, pepper and cloves. Fairly long, powerful finish, liquorice stick, aniseed, still earthy roots, candied lemon, peppermint, white chocolate. 

 

In Short, 

It has personality and character, it is airy, woody, herbal, but above all fruity. It is very well made, under artisanal conditions, and deserves respect. Beautiful spring freshness, beautiful expressiveness on the palate, very decent finish despite the reduction. Really a bottling I could consider, but this bold manufacturing process involves a significant cost, which does not necessarily reflect the quality of the product. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Lucille Two - Suddenly

MacPhail's 30 yo 2024

 

 

 

46°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Speyside

Sherry Casks

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & MacPhail 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

This MacPhail's has been around for over 15 years, but in 2024, the bottle design was completely changed and the alcohol content increased to 46°, so this is a brand new product. I'm not sure if it's a limited edition, but the code on the bottle indicates a date (25/04/2024), which could suggest that there is only one batch. The name of the distillery is a complete secret, with not even a hint of a rumour or clue from the demonstrators, so we will have to content ourselves with tasting the beverage without any preconceived ideas.. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

On the nose, almond powder, brioche, shortbread and malted biscuits, brown sugar, ripe apricots, baked apples sprinkled with cinnamon, raisins and dates. Slightly rustic but still elegant wood, tanned leather. The palate is simpler but still very pleasant, creamy vanilla, melting caramel, toasted cereals, acacia honey, milk chocolate, woody notes. Distinctive spices, and a touch of mandarin. Long finish, moderately powerful, dried bananas, oak bark, tobacco crumbs, mint leaf, liquorice stick.  

 

In Short, 

It's very well made, but it's still a typical sherry that lacks a little originality and character. That said, I didn't detect any sulphur, contrary to what I've read here and there. It remains refined and subtle, fairly well balanced. Overall, I find it robust, woody, even rustic, reminiscent of Longmorn, but I'm certainly wrong about that. When I see the price, I find it incomprehensible. How can it be so expensive when it's reduced and not even a single cask? 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                       

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           The Necks - The Royal Family

Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength Committee Exclusive 2026 10 yo

 

 

 

61,7°

Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay

American Oak Ex-Bourbon Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 54 ppm

 

 

 

It is probably the first major release in the world of whisky in 2026. Many fans of the distillery, myself included, had long fantasised about a Ten Cask Strength, and they have finally agreed to make our dreams come true. This limited edition is therefore a replica of Ardbeg Ten, which has been around for over 25 years, but with a really high alcohol content. Personally, I think Ardbeg Ten is a total success, it is one of the very best bottlings still available for under E60, if not the best. So to have it in a Cask Strength version is truly an achievement. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is softer than the reduced version, the peat is less powerful than usual, iodine mingles with a fairly subtle vanilla, a zest of lemon, shovelfuls of salt and limestone, gravel, sleet. Plums and Conference pears. On the palate, however, it is something else entirely, oily, silky, very delicate, but with beautiful power. Vanilla Turkish delight, lychee juice, almond oil, then it becomes herbaceous, reeds, chives, lots of pepper and cloves. Violent finish, but not as much as I thought, mint, asparagus, vanilla icing, biscuit dough, a pinch of salt. White ashes.

 

In Short, 

It's better than I expected. Although the nose is a little subdued, it's very similar to the reduced version, but with less explosive peat. Then the palate is really delicious and subtle, leading to a powerful but not overly so finish, where once again the nuances prevail over the power. It reminds me more of the old Ardbegs than the recent ones, as the peat was much less strong and there was a more delicate and smooth profile. So there are significant differences with the reduced Ten, but fundamentally, it's the same DNA. The price is very attractive, provided you buy it in the right place, because on the secondary market it's just ridiculous. 

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Yndling - Some Things You Don't Get

Fettercairn 2007 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength 17 yo c. 17602205

 

 

 

58,4°

Distillery : Fettercairn - Highlands

Refill American Oak Hogshead 

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & MacPhail 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Gordon & MacPhail has currently released eight bottlings of Fettercairn distilled in 2007, including three in 2025, which are therefore the same age. While the other two were aged in sherry casks, this one spent 17 years and at least six months in a refill American oak hogshead. Exactly 299 bottles were produced.  

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

Wax and iodine, liquid paraffin, a fine pinch of salt, and yellow fruits. Mirabelle plum pulp, crushed bananas, Comice pears. Lemon slices, crispy malt biscuits, hazelnut, a dash of vanilla. Elegant woodiness. On the palate, candied citrus fruits, exotic fruits, papaya, a hint of mango, it's honeyed but smooth, rose water, floral overtones. Black pepper, cloves. Fairly long finish, woody, spicy, powerful, brown sugar, dried apricots and raisins, apple squares, almonds, cashews.  

 

In Short, 

This is my third Fettercairn, and it's the first one where I detect real character. There are mineral and waxy notes, after all the sea is only 11 miles from the distillery. But it's also very fruity, with a distinct pulpiness and juiciness. It reminds me a little of Clynelish, but without a trace of peat and with more fruitiness. This is definitely a bottling worth seeking out, provided you can find it at a reasonable price. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           HVOB - Home

Ledaig 2011 The Whisky Jury 13 yo

 

 

 

56°

Distillery : Tobermory - Islands

2d Fill Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By The Whisky Jury

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 37 ppm

 

 

 

It seems that The Whisky Jury released this one to celebrate its sixth anniversary. It is a very respectable bottling, aged for 13 years and 7 months in a second-fill Hogshead, which allows the distillate to express itself fully. There are 317 bottles on the market, which is not a bad way to mark another year. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Iodine and limestone, slightly dirty rocks, dotted with earth, beautiful maritime breadth, sea air, white chalk and vanilla, it's slightly woody, a dash of honey and exotic fruits. Salt stalactites, a zest of citrus, foam and sea spray. On the palate, it's oily, lychees, poached eggs, candied vanilla, oyster juice, white grapes. Then some spices, mirabelle plums, cumin, white pepper. Long and explosive finish, which opens like a flower, coconut, two or three strands of straw, pistachio and icing sugar. Vanilla icing, liquorice stick. Fennel.

 

In Short, 

A very nice bottling, very mineral and iodine-like, with the usual dirtiness, but that doesn't prevent the fruit from blossoming. You're rarely disappointed with Ledaig, and even less so with The Whisky Jury. What's more, the price isn't very high, so I'm starting to regret only buying a sample and not a whole bottle. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Flawed Mangoes - Surreal

Ardbeg Scorch Committee Release

 

 

 

51,7° 

Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay 

Heavily Charred Ex-Bourbon Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 54 ppm 

 

 

 

I had the opportunity to try the reduced version of this one, which I mentioned here. This one is the version reserved for members of the Committee Release, and it is cask strength. It is the special edition for Feis Ile 2021, a music and whisky festival held every year on the island of Islay. Heavily charred bourbon casks were used for the occasion, and it is said that these are the most heavily charred casks the distillery has ever used. Some even say that these are the Ardbeg Alligator casks that have actually been reused. If this is true, it allows us to estimate the approximate age of this Scorch, as the Alligator is the special edition for Feis Ile 2011, ten years earlier.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Good, rich limestone and iodine peat, with seaweed and fish scales, but also candied vanilla, lemon and grapefruit zest, lychees, parsley, thyme, and some very subtle floral notes. Sea breeze, dried seaweed and scallops. On the palate, it's more about almonds, orgeat, vanilla and pepper, cloves and cumin, but also cold ashes, charcoal and soot throughout. Very long and explosive finish, mineral, full of chalk, but also apples, and of course fuel oil, lignite, cola, a square of chocolate, coffee, dried figs.

 

In Short, 

It's very similar to the reduced version, just a few degrees stronger, which adds power and density, but otherwise the profile is exactly the same. It's surprising, given that the price is very different, I was expecting something significantly better, but that's not the case. That said, I've always thought it was one of Ardbeg's best limited editions, after Dark Cove and Ardbog, and my opinion hasn't changed. The only problem is that the price is ridiculously high. But if, like me, you have the opportunity to get your hands on half a bottle at a bargain price, don't hesitate. 

Score : 89  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Travo - Arrow of Motion

An Orkney Distillery 2005 The Dava Way 17 yo

 

 

 

60,3°

Distillery : Highland Park - Islands

Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By The Dava Way 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 20 ppm

 

 

 

The Dava Way is a 38 km (24 miles) long-distance path that mostly follows the route of the former Highland Railway between Grantown and Forres. It is also the name of this Scottish independent bottler which was created in 2022. To date, they have produced around fifteen bottlings, including this 17-year-old Orkney, which is actually a Highland Park, with an easily recognisable profile. Drawn from a single Hogshead, 300 bottles were filled. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

On the nose, light and grainy peat, citrus fruits rubbed with butter, beeswax, egg yolk, pineapple, lemon, mirabelle plums, wildflower honey. It is mellow, brioche, vanilla, and even coconut, lychee, almond paste, and a few very subtle mineral notes. Iodine freshness. On the palate, the honey is more intense, it's floral, gourmand, then peppery, warm, woody, liquorice, macerated grapes, cherries in brandy. Very long and powerful finish, melon, prickly pear, orange zest, olive oil. A pinch of salt. Sweet smoothness at the very end.

In Short, 

I was impressed by the nose, with its distinctive, buttery, honeyed character, which is very pleasant. The rest is very good, especially the finish, which seems to go on forever. This is a very good whisky that all Highland Park enthusiasts should get their hands on. Unfortunately, it is not available in France, and even elsewhere, it is almost impossible to find. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Ora Cogan - Division