BUNNAHABHAIN STAOISHA 5 YO 2014 COLLECTIVE 4.0

Islay Single Malt, 61.2%, 70cl — Small Batch of 3 casks, Refill Sherry Butt
Limited edition of 1740 bottles — LMDW Exclusive

Without being an exact copy, this Bunnahabhain unquestionably follows the same path as the “20 rue d’Anjou” bottling of our 2020 Creation Catalogue. And no-one’s complaining. The same subtle combination of refreshing expression and accomplished maturity inspires just as much emotion. The same richness and complexity drives every step of the tasting. Perhaps, with time, the peat and smoke might be more intense and the medicinal character even stronger. But one thing is sure, yellow fruits have taken the place of red fruits.

COLOUR
Bright gold

NOSE
Rich, concentrated. Animal (farmyard, smoked meat), mineral (hail, diesel), oily (olive), peaty – of course, earthy and rooty (ginseng), the first nose is also traversed by plumes of smoke from a powerful Havana cigar. Allowed to breathe, it becomes medicinal (mustard poultice, tiger balm), iodine (tincture) and heady (violet, hyacinth). Gradually, candied lemon, juicy pear and even roasted pineapple bring lots of freshness and light to an aromatic palette indisputably centred on the colour yellow.

PALATE
Dense, full. First, a fruity peat (William’s pear) creates a perfect link between the nose and palate. The particularly phenolic mid-palate is also medicinal (mustard) and spicy (clove, juniper). Then, irreversibly, liquorice stick coats the taste buds as aromatic plants (verbena, sorrel) help refresh the air.

FINISH
Long, warm. Staying close to the palate, the start of the finish is malty, peaty, smoky, fruity and spicy (black pepper, star anise). Gradually, the same candied lemon, pear and pineapple return in force to the front of the stage. On the retro-nasal olfaction, a refined note of tobacco enriches the ensemble with a beautiful vegetal sequence. The original empty glass is milky (coconut, vanilla flan), vegetable (green bean) and rubbery.