North Star Spirits Bunnahabhain 1990 (26 year old) 51.1%
Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: 1990 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Nov 2016
Deep and malty with plenty of mature baked fruit, subtle dusty, coffee’d spice and an almost refill sherry herbal character. Vibrant and citric with late notes of hyacinth and honeysuckle. Superbly balanced.
The palate wonderfully soft, opening with the toffee coated mature baked fruit and hints of sawdusty oak, vanilla and gentle spices along with a touch of almond skin, peanut and dark honey. Fabulously complex with a touch of fragrant herbs and light smoke. Stunning, spicy finish with lingering herbs, vanilla, baked fruit and a little coffee’d wood tannins.
North Star Spirits Bunnahabhain 1986 (30 year old) 52.5%
Bourbon Hogshead/ Dist: Nov 1986 Btl: May 2017/ Tasted: Jun 2017
Beautifully tropical (apricot, banana, kiwi, green grape) in that mature way and exuberantly honeyed. Hints of citrus and rock salt balance the sweetness and although the oak is quite subtle, it does become buttery with time. Aromatic and musky with barley husks, Demerara sugar, treacle and cinnamon.
Wow! Now that’s a palate and a halt. Opens with molten honey, barley and buttery oak, followed by gentle tropical fruit, salt and citrus. The oak displays a lovely, mature sawdusty character and it really fills out on the middle. Wonderfully salty and citric finish with lingering lemon, apricot, kiwi and honey. A little drying at the death but the honey hangs on in there and offsets.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 