Bunnahabhain 32 1979 Berry Brothers & Rudd Berry’s Own Selection

Thanks to /u/Theslicknick6 for the sample.

Welcome to my new ongoing series, “Bunna-have you any more sir?”, in which I go through my backlog of way, WAY too many Bunnahabhains and review them.

Okay, so we’ve done young Bunnahabhains, 20 something Bunnahabhains, teenage Bunnahabhains, peated and unpeated ones. Also ounces in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry. Thus it’s time to move onto insane ex-bourbon casks that were lowered into extinct weasel pits.

Wait that one didn’t work out due to leakage from tiny teeth marks. We should move onto 30 year old while the poor cask managers get their shots.

Up first we have Bunnahabhain 32 1979 Berry Brothers & Rudd Berry’s Own Selection, a sherry cask matured Bunnahabhain that again comes to us from Berry Brothers and Rudd. I always assume either you come for Rudd or you assume he’s like Oates in Hall & Oates. Not the main attraction, in other words.

So what happens to Bunnahabhain after 3 decades? Let’s see, shall we?

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: Islay

Vintage: 1979

Bottled: 2011

Age: 32

Cask Type: Sherry Cask

Cask Number: 1793

Abv: 51.8%

Colour: 5Y 2/6

Nose: Black cherry, ginger, pumpkin flower, light maple syrup, cucumber yogurt, Mojito

Interesting jump between rich cherry flavours to lighter floral, creamy, and mint/lime notes.

I’d say that it starts bold, the black cherry is the one guy in the mosh pit who is 6’7″ (oh, wait… woman… sorry madam) and bashes about more than others. And it’s too bad, because the rest of the people (oh… sorry, sir… people and half-goat people) in the pit are fun and unique.

Taste: Currant, brine, herbal, savoury cherry sauce, cumin

Better balance on the taste, with that tease of rich notes bouncing back in. It’s reserved though. Water pulls out some heat and earth, though this isn’t too bombastic.

Time doesn’t really give me much of anything else.

Finish: Brine, tarragon, dry cranberry, cinnamon, orange bitters, almond paste

The Finish is too dry. It’s going for this deconstruction of cranberry sauce, with spice, orange, even some distinct cherry/nuttiness from almonds.

And it’s be great if that wasn’t followed up with ten tons of sand. I’m no Gene Belcher, so it’s not my thing (sorry for potential spoilers, however that’s season 3, so give me a break).

Conclusion: An interesting nose that gives you really unique, fun notes, albeit with black cherry screwing that up somewhat. A taste that tries, and really balances out sweets with savoury notes.

The finish should have been what really amped up the flavour to 11. And then it killed the drummer with too much dryness. Which is too bad.

However this may be the 30+ whisky for you. I’d say try before you buy.

83/100

Scotch review #879, Islay review #221, Whisky Network review #1400