Bunnahabhain Adelphi Liddesdale Islay Batch 8

Thanks to /u/Devoz for this one. And thanks to /u/stinkysauce for it too, in a roundabout way.

See, this should actually be named after the sample: Damn.You.For.Ruining.My.Original.Swap./u/StinkySauce .Mystery.Sample. However that seems wordy, and that’s my job, not the titles.

A bit of background: Wait, too long, let me condense: I got a sample from stink. It was something I was trading to Devoz. Devoz hunted him down, and ate him. I got this sample.

Also, just to make it fair, /u/Devoz let me pick 3 bottles, and this is one of them: So this is either Caol Ila 15 Unpeated, BenRiach 1996 Single Cask (#7176) 18yr PX Finished, or Bunnahabhain Adelphi Liddesdale Islay Batch 8.

Should be easy, right?

You’re fucking wrong. Let’s see how this tastes, shall we?

Price: N/A in Ontario

Region: Islay

Abv: 46%

Colour: 2.5Y 6/8

Nose: Pineapple, tannic, pepper, floral, brown sugar, honey, pear, lemon, butterscotch

Okay, no peat. That narrows it down to…. fuck, I know nothing of any of the three I’m reviewing.

Fruity. Okay, that narrows it down a little. Not too strong; That leads me to believe that it isn’t the Caol Ila, which I think is CS. Wait, aren’t all of them CS?

Dammit, my forced blanking of information has bit me in the ass! Damn my sweet sexy ass!

Taste: Butter, cereal, pepper, cream, ginger, lemon

No peat. So I’m saying it isn’t the Bunnahabhain, which has a little peat. So we’re down one.

Also a lack of sherry blast. I think the BenRiach is sherried. The Caol Ila isn’t though. But this isn’t strong enough to be Cask Strength. Unless it means to be smooth.

Still lost then.

Finish: Pepper, cream of wheat, zucchini, mint, dry

Alright. There’s a little pepper now. Which means it’s not the Caol Ila.

However I’m getting more dry notes. Don’t really think it’s a Bunnahabhain either, because they typically have these big flavours.

Or I’m still lost.

Conclusion: Yup, still really lost. Quite lost. Lost and can’t be found.

The nose is a big ole blast of fruit and nice flavours.

The taste is simple. Smooth, nice mouthfeel, but simple. Can’t be too old (editor’s note: I’m wrong here)

The finish is really, really dry. Not as simple as the taste. I like it, though I’ve had better finishes lately.

Suffice to say, I’m lost as fuck.

81/100

Guess: BenRiach 1996 Single Cask (#7176) 18yr PX Finished

Actually: Bunnahabhain Adelphi Liddesdale Islay Batch 8

Scotch review #415, Islay review #86, Whisky Network review #647