I’ve had a mixed relationship with peat. Once it was something I really enjoyed, then, largely in the heat of India, I found it less and less appealing. With the move to Europe, I then rediscovered in cooler climates just how perfect a good peaty dram can be!
This is why I knew my 2nd day at the Schottland Whisky Forum weekend getaway in October would close with an exploration of Islay drams.
Now, before you assume Islay automatically equals peat, let me remind you that both Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich have ranges that do not use (much) peat. In fact, the bottle I brought was from Islay – a special Chorlton peaty release from Bunnahabhain. Spotting a few other Bunna’s, I decided that is exactly where my Islay journey should begin!
When given a choice, I often like to start with a distillery’s Official Bottling (OB) before moving into special Independent Bottlers, especially cask strength options.
Bunnahabhain Stiùireadair 46.3%
- Nose – Clear sherry influence, yet not overwhelming. Joined by some maritime saline, then vanilla, spice, and fruits
- Palate – Juicy dark fruits, some mocha, nuts, salty caramel
- Finish – Spicy with dried fruits
Overall I quite enjoyed this. Like many of the milder and gentler Bunna’s this one did not have any major peat element. It was simply a lovely lightly sherry dram with a briney coastal tinge.
I then moved on to a Signatory…
Bunnahabhain / Staoisha 7 year (11 Sep 2013 / 26 May 2021) Dechar / Rechar Hogsheads 900186 + 900187 46% bottle 278 (Signatory)
- Nose – Quite sweet, some citrus then peat, fresh with a subtle maritime sea spray and white pepper. The more it aired, the more pronounced the peat element was… interesting
- Palate – Sweet peat with smoked meats, some oak
- Finish – A nice cinnamon sweet peat finish
Bringing this down to 46% was perfect for this expression. It was full of character without being too forceful or harsh. It was also rather well received by my tasting companions.
Saving what I hoped would be the best for last, we switched gears to the cask-strength Staoisha from Chorlton… Just in case you didn’t figure it out from the earlier Signatory which uses BOTH names, Staoisha signals it is a heavily peated Bunnahabhain. Something we are starting to see more and more of – which isn’t such a bad thing.
Staoisha 8 year (2021) 59.9% (Chorlton)
- Nose – Red delicious apple skins, sweetgrass
- Palate – Dry, ashy yet for all its strength, it wasn’t overpowering
- Finish – Pink peppercorns
I knew it would pack a punch – and that it did! My companions were not impressed – found it a bit too ashy for their taste. I knew I would have a chance to revisit it, so was happy to move on to the next dram and bring the bottle home for further consideration.
Overall what this reminded me is to NOT dismiss Bunnahabhain. Increasingly I’ve heard from more whisky adventurers that there are things going on at Bunna that belies its previous “granny” reputation. In fact, our Whisky Ladies in Mumbai recently spent an evening devoted just to Bunnahabhain!
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