You know the drill, try something new but something I think I’ll like.  So I’m at the liquor store and looking for something new but something low risk.  My last adventure with McClellands Islay was not great.  Still touring Islay I see Bunnahabhain 12.  This is a possibility.  The cost was about 53$ for a 750ml bottle.

The color is very dark, probably the darkest of all the Islay scotches I’ve tried.

The nose is very strong and has a strong presence of smoke and some malt.

The taste is quite strong, burns a little more than other Islays.  The taste is smoky and a little spicy in my opinion, unless I’m just tasting ethanol.  I would describe the taste as a little rough compared to Bowmore.  But it’s very good, sometimes I like it rough.  I don’t taste peat or medicinal flavors as I would expect from an Islay scotch like Lagavulin or Ardbeg.  If I had to compare this to something I would almost say add a burning smoky spicy dimension to Macallan, Glenlevit or Balvenie and you have this flavor.  This makes it stand out compared to other Islays.  Well done.  A few ice cubes really tames the flavor making it smooth and with that malt becomes more apparent.

I enjoyed this scotch very much but ironically it didn’t taste like the typical Islay scotch I am used to.  Like Bowmore I would recommend Bunnahabhain to friends of mine who like highland scotches and don’t typically go for Ardbeg, Lagavulin or Laphroaig.

copyright 2014 David R Bergman