Bunnahabhain 2007 - Signatory Vintage - 58,2%
Picture taken somewhere in Stuttgart
Due to the significant costs it doesn't happen so often that you find malts that were fully matured in first fill sherry casks. That being said we actually prefer second or third fill casks, because first fill very often results in a dark raisin juice that makes you forget that whisky is actually the heart of the matter.
Nose
Even the non-peated Bunnahs cannot deny their maritime origins. The first sniff hits you with a super salty wave of seaspray, iodine and fresh oxygen. The fresh continues with sour apples, almond paste, tahin and crushed grape seeds. It's a very hearty and 'bright' bouquet if it may be called so. After a while in the glass it developps and reveals an idea of vanilla and raspberry ice cream. So far, we love it!
Palate
Forget what we just said. On the palate it starts quite agressively with a strong sweet/sourness of those aforementioned apples and grape seeds, some scandinavian Aquavit and a few drops of golden grappa. Pretty simple and quite sharp. Interestingly there's absolutely no sherry on the horizon.
Finish
Let's settle on a medium length, with an austerity of grape and apple seeds.
Rating
If we were forced to describe this whisky with one attribute, 'ambivalence' would be the keyword. The freshness of the nose was really exciting and whetted the appetite for more. With it's sharpness, the palate couldn't stand it's ground. At all. It's the first time ever that a Signatory Vintage manages to disappoint us. Nabocklish, there's a first time for everything.
