Line Up #2 : Bunnahabhain, an exploration

6 May 2021.

 

 

 

 

A bit of history. (those who are familiar with it can skip this part)

The distillery's imposing, austere building was erected in 1881. The architect who designed it was famous for having built many prisons, which is why it is often said to resemble one. But above all, it is a typical example of Victorian architecture, renowned for its severity.

The owner at the time was The Islay Distillery Company, formed in 1879 specifically to establish a new distillery on the island. The company was run by James Ford, James Watson Greenlees, and William A. Robertson, all of whom were well-known players in the spirits industry.

The site is located in the north-east corner of the island, which was initially sparsely populated. There was only one road linking the distillery to the rest of the world, but water sources were abundant, both the River Margadale and nearby Loch Staoisha.

The first distillation took place in October 1882, but full production was not achieved until 1883, at just over 1 million litres a year.

Following the recession of 1887, a new company was created, Highland Distillers, a conglomerate of The Islay Distillery Company and William Grant & C°. In addition to Bunnahabhain, this new company acquired Glenglassaugh, Tamdhu and Highland Park.

Until the 1960s, Bunnahabhain whisky was peaty, at least as much as Caol Ila and Lagavulin, that is 35 to 40 ppm. It began distilling a very lightly peated whisky (2 to 5 ppm), which would become the brand's hallmark, for use in the blends The Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and later The Black Bottle. It was in 1963 that Bunnahabhain entered the modern world of whisky, doubling its production capacity to 2.5 million litres of alcohol a year. The number of stills was also doubled and 6 washbacks were built. However, on-site malting was abandoned.

It was only in the early 1970s that the distillery dared to release its first bottles of Single Malt. The famous 12-year-old dates from this period, and should logically have been released in 1975. In 1991, the distillery experimented again with the production of peated whisky, first with exceptional batches, mostly destined for independent bottlers, and then with expressions included in the regular range, such as Toiteach in 2008.

In 1999, Highlands Distillers was taken over by Erdrington Compagny, who then sold the distillery to Burn Stewart Distillers four years later. The latter, who also owned Tobermory and Deanston, decided to develop peated whisky production. Peat now accounts for 20% of the juice produced on site. They also had the good idea of raising the alcohol content of all the expressions to 46.3°, and above all to abandon cold filtration and caramel colouring. For me, this was a turning point in the history of the distillery, as these three measures began to be applied in 2010, making it a major player on the Isle of Islay, whereas until then it had been relegated to a secondary role.

In 2017, Burn Stewart was taken over by its own distributor, Distell, which fortunately did not change the current portfolio and instead developed new peaty products, such as Toiteach à Dhà. Today, the Master Blender is Julianne Fernandez and the Master Distiller is Stephen Woodcock, both under the supervision of Distillery Manager Andrew Brown. I hope that their only ambition is to maintain the current quality.

The Line Up Project. 

It's not just a question of discovering the Bunnahabhain profile, but of establishing its strengths and any weaknesses, in an enlightened cartography, so as to know where it stands and where it's heading. This is a distillery that has evolved considerably over the last few decades, and it would be a good idea to define its hallmarks so that it can continue to thrive over the long term.

Obviously, I don't have all the current expressions available. Toiteach, Darach Ur and Ceobanach, which ceased production between 2013 and 2017, are now difficult to find. Eirigh Na Greine and Cruach Mhona, published only for travel companies, are also hard to obtain. I'm still waiting to get hold of them. As for the 30-year-old, it's obviously the price that's the problem! I've also put aside the Moine, which seems to me to be a minor edition of little interest, and which I have neglected to repurchase. 

 

The Tasting.

Bunnahabhain Stiùireadair : I start with this NAS launched in 2017, and which was heavily criticised for fear that it would replace the 12 year old, despite a rather different profile.

I find here a Sherry counterbalanced by some bourbon casks it seems. Gingerbread. A hint of honey at times. Cane syrup, apricots. Apple crumble. Quite sweet. On the palate, honey and spices, marzipan. Pleasant plum finish. Score: 86

Bunnahabhain 12 yo  : This is followed by Bunnahabhain's best-known expression, the one that put it on the map and earned it its reputation, although it has changed a lot over time.
The Sherry is smooth, with a touch of fresh and salty iodine, heavy, slightly fermented fruits. On the palate, the red fruits stand out, with lovely spices and a hint of honey, it's mellow on the tongue. The finish is powerful and long. Score: 87

Bunnahabhain 18 yo  : Next up is the 18-year-old, which is a bit like the big brother of the previous one, with a similar profile but much more complex and nuanced.

The juice here is very round, with a hint of earth and honey. Lots of fruit: damsons, grapes, blackcurrants, blackberries and blueberries. On the palate, it's savoury, woody, earthy, but still very fruity, and the finish is very long. Very pleasant. Score : 89

Bunnahabhain XXV 25 yo : Things are starting to get interesting with this 25-year-old, whose profile is a little more dominated by bourbon than the previous two.
I find here a real breadth of nose, fruits, wood, and a touch of bourbon. Vanilla, mirabelle plum. Rum baba, amarena, dried raisins. Mountain honey, pine cones. Iodine. Delicate palate, almond, chocolate-covered pear, a few spices. Pastry cream. Very long finish, just the right amount of aggression, woody, liquorice, damson, blackcurrant. Endless. Juniper. Score : 91  

Bunnahabhain 1987 Archives The Fishes of Samoa 25 yo :This is truly sublime. Archives is one of my favourite bottlers, and this is a single cask in cask strength, so the conditions are just right to create something absolutely exceptional.

And I find here a stream of very fruity, deep sherry, some peanuts, fruits from the sun, winey hints and coffee on the palate, red fruits to burst your belly, a finish as long as it is delicious, on earth, wine, charcoal and dried fruits. Divine. Score: 92

Bunnahabhain An Cladach : The fall will be harder, with this NAS available for the travel trade, whose alcohol content is 50°, which is why I choose to taste it after the first five.
I find there a hint of sherry, vinous grapes and blackcurrants. The palate is spicy but suave on the tip of the tongue, with a hint of lavender honey. The finish is aggressive and a bit short, but not bad, with wood and blueberry. Still, a hard blow. Score: 83   

Bunnahabhain Toiteach a Dhà :We enter the peaty world with this expression that follows the Toiteach and blends with Sherry.

I find here a lovely smoky peat wrapped in a fairly deep Sherry. Nice balance between fruits and smoke. Blackcurrant, amarena. The palate follows the same pattern, peat and Sherry, lots of spices, tyre, coal, and a good, aggressive, long finish, earthy, caramel, ash. Score: 86

Bunnahabhain Moine 2011 The Ultimate Cask Strength 6 yo : The best quality Bunnahabhain peat is available from independent bottlers. The Ultimate collection regularly offers single cask expressions at very attractive prices. The bottles are very old school, and the inside is pure Peat Bomb, for enthusiasts only.

There's vanilla and lemon, and it's mellow, like white wine. As it's the end of the bottle, you can't really smell the peat any more. With the addition of water, it comes back, thick and ashy. The influence of bourbon remains strong. Yellow plum, greengage. On the palate, very pleasant vanilla, peat in the background, then spices. The finish is quite violent and very good, long and woody. Score: 88

Bunnahabhain Staoisha 2014 The Ultimate Cask Strength 5 yo : Peated Bunnahabhain can be divided into two groups, the Moine and the Staoisha. The Staoisha is made with water from Loch Staoisha, as the name suggests.

I found there a similar profile to the previous one, perhaps slightly more mineral. The peat is very well balanced with vanilla and yellow plum. On the palate, however, I don't think it's as good, as smooth and suave. You can feel the influence of bourbon, with vanilla and yellow plum. Very pleasant finish, but again not as strong, not as long. Score: 87

 

What I gain from it. 

• The distillate is, of course, dominated by Sherry. Like Glendronach and Glenfarclas, the distillery's name is inevitably associated with Sherry cask ageing.
  
• The distillery's hallmarks are therefore everything to do with Sherry, but also a rocky, charcoal and salty iodine imprint that is immediately recognisable. The very light, almost undetectable peat gives it a certain depth. It adds an austerity, but also a depth and complexity that enriches and sublimates the Sherry. 
  
• There's something that happens around 25 years of ageing, between the distillate and the Sherry. Something that I haven't experienced elsewhere, and which produces absolutely fabulous things. It's as simple as an equation: Bunnahabhain + Sherry + 25 years = happiness.
  
• However, the Core Range is still a great choice. The 12-year-old and the 18-year-old are classics that should be in every self-respecting whisky cellar. The Toiteach a Dhà and the Stiùireadair are more than adequate for NAS.
  
• On the other hand, the peaty side of Bunnahabhain is less interesting. It's good, but not as good as the great classics of the genre. Apart from a few independent bottlings, the enlightened connoisseur will soon find better elsewhere. The peat is certainly specific (very smoky, and very maritime, with salt and fish), but not very seductive. It's harsh and austere. The island's great peaty expressions are fruitier and more nuanced. On this point, Bunnahabhain is still far from competitive.   
  

In conclusion, this distillery is for my taste one of the best in the current landscape, and certainly the best in the field of very little/no peat (0 to 5 ppm). It has more character than Glendronach or Hazelburn, and is more approachable than Tobermory. Bruichladdich does very nice things, but the value for money is less interesting, and it's not as deep.

Many old whisky lovers say they miss the old Bunnahabhain, which produced a cleaner, less dirty and iodised distillate. I don't agree with this analysis at all. On the contrary, by abandoning colouring and cold filtration, it has become a great distillery, with a recognisable character and a real identity. It is now supplanting many non-peated distilleries, which are often too smooth, or even consensual.

When it comes to peat, on the other hand, they really have to do better, because the competition is fierce. An Islay distillery cannot be satisfied with producing such a simple distillate. The Toiteach à Dhà is not bad, but they need to go further by launching an aged peaty spirit (8 years?), very salty and iodised, which could rival the Port Charlotte 10 year old, or at least the Caol Ila 12 year old.

Bunnahabhain still has work to do to become as remarkable in all its experiments, as Tobermory, which makes a magnificent Ledaig, or Springbank, Bruichladdich. But the good news is that she's not that far away, and it could happen in the next few years.