Bunnahabhain 9 Year; Lady of the Glen
Whisky : Bunnahabhain 9 Year; Lady of the Glen
Country/Region : Scotland/Islay
ABV : 66.7%
Cask : Oloroso Hogshead
Age : 9 Years (Distilled 11 Nov. 2010, Bottled 9 Jan. 2020)
Nose : Dark and rich: semi-sweetened chocolate chips, dark roasted coffee grinds, and poached orchard fruits. Malty sweet sugars come through with brown sugar, maple syrup, and pancakes. Blood orange and candied chocolate covered oranges build in the background along with old library books and leather chairs.
Palate : Thick, syrupy, and tannic— the wine influence covers this like a warm blanket. Dark chocolate, espresso beans, and gooey caramel remind me of rich coffee shop dessert drinks. Sweeter, almost floral, notes of orange oil, honeycomb, dried orchard fruits, and cinnamon sticks slowly emerge from the sherry blanket.
Finish : Lingering dry cocoa powder and coffee.
Score : 6
Mental Image : Chocolate Turtle Coffee Beverage.
Something Better : Springbank 19 Year Ex-Sherry (similar coffee, more cherry/spice)
Something Better : Glengoyne Teapot Dram; Batch 7 (similar chocolate/fruit, more spice/cream)
Something Similar : Westland K&L Single Cask 2479 (similar rich chocolate notes & light fruits)
Notes : If you love whisky that has been bludgeoned with a wine hammer and maybe you really love Kavalan, then this is right up your alley. It was comparable to many of the Soloist Oloroso Kavalans I have tasted, though at less than half the price. I am not usually a huge fan of a heavy wine influence on my whisky. My scores for refill casks tend to be much higher than first fill— yet, this was delicious. It had a rich and thick mouthfeel, while the tannic astringency of the wine played off the fruitier malt. The flavor profile had excellent depth and the notes lingered on the palate for a beautiful long finish. This was certainly not something I would grab off the shelf terribly often— but I would love to have a bottle like this ready for when the mood strikes me.
