I'll drink to that.
On 5/2/2016 3:34 AM, Larry Colen wrote:
Daniel J. Matyola wrote:
I know there are quite a few here who appreciate good whisky. I was
wondering if any have comments, pro or con, about Bunnhahabhain.
I have been long of the opinion that whisky is the king of spirits,
scotch the prince of whiskies, single malts the epitome of the
scotches, the Islays the ultimate single malts, and the "Peat
Monsters," Ardbeg, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig, the most intense and most
pleasing of the Islays.
Recently, a bought a bottled of Bunnhahabhain 12, largely because of
the favorable price. I was quite pleasantly surprised. It may not
have the bite of the Peat Monsters, but I find the aroma, flavor and
after-taste fully satisfying, complex and challenging.
Any thoughts?
It has been a while since I've done much serious tasting, so in order to
give Dan the best answer I could I pulled out a small assortment of
Islay malts, and forced Nicole to join me in my research.
Ardbeg 10yo, non chill-filtered, 46%
LRC: light peat, little smoke, kind of a high sharp taste.
NAJ: Very little peat/smoke, lighter, but complex flavor. I like.
Trader Joe's 18yo Bowmore 40%
LRC: Doesn't taste like Bowmore to me, not getting much peat or smoke. I
tend to think of Bowmore as Lagavulin's little brother. No sweetness.
NAJ:A little peat, but not a lot of flavor, really. Meh.
Bowmore Legend, 8yo
LRC: Had to try some other Bowmore to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.
It's more of what I expect, a bit more flavor, a bit more peat, somewhat
mediciney.
NAJ: Definitely more peat than the the TJ's, but I don't get a strong
taste of it
Bruichladdich 10yo 43%
LRC: Very sweet nose, almost as if it had been aged in sherry casks.
Fairly flavorful, but not brutishly overbearing in the stereotypical
Islay malt way.
NAJ:Nice but not strong flavor, bit of sweetness. Thumbs up.
Bunnahabhain 12 yo, 43%
LRC: Very similar nose and initial taste to the Bruichladdich. A bit
more of a chemical taste on the back of the tongue, and an interesting
aftertaste that conjures up imagery of mouldering gym socks.
NAJ:A little sweet, not too strong, but with some aftertaste. Tastes
good to start, but aftertaste sort of ruins it for me.
Caol Ila 12yo un-chillfiltered
LRC: When it comes to Islay malts, I think of Caol Ila as the creative
nerdy friend who doesn't just march to the beat of his own drummer, he
has his own drum circle of stoned dead heads. Be that as it may, on the
nose, it is a bit more stereotypically Islay malt than the others so
far. It tastes a bit "hot" (alcohol not picante), the flavor has an
interesting complexity that might be reminiscent of a food fight in an
organic chemistry lab.
NAJ:I cannot convey the taste of this one in words. It is the drinking
equivalent of being poked in the eye. Blech.
Lagavulin 16yo 43%
LRC: As you can tell by it being the only one whose name does not start
with A, B or C, it is the control. I consider it the canonical Islay
malt, bigger in flavor than Laphraoig,yet more subtle and complex. The
smell was a comforting return to familiarity. The nose is fairly sweet,
the flavor a surprisingly pleasant cross between vanilla ice cream and
an ash tray.
NAJ:The flavor is not unpleasant, but a bit heavy for my taste.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ellarsee/sets/72157667785323456
Dan Matyola
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola
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