Whisky: Bunnahabhain Moìne 12 Year (2009), Lady of the Glen

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 52.1%

Cask: Refill Hogshead

Age: 12 Year (Distilled 11 Feb. 2009, Bottled 19 March 2021)

Nose: Smoke, sea, and slate.  Heady notes of grey seas and weathered stony shores joined with the warm smoke of a driftwood campfire and shale.  Hints of tar, grass, smoked oysters, and dried kelp peeked out through the brine.

Palate: Medium-bodied and slightly oily with maritime, mineral, and spice. Briny seawater, sea shells, and oysters gave way to white pepper funk and peppercorn spice. Hints of bitter orange and grapefruit appeared on the mid-palate and were more potent after a few drops of water before refined white sugar, and sweet prunes appeared. At the end were notes of tobacco, peppery smoked whitefish, and grilled briny oysters.

Finish: Lingering tobacco, pepper, and maritime notes.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Anti-Scurvy Measures

Notes: Today, I think most people know that scurvy is caused by a deficiency in vitamin C— though not everyone knows this, and picky eaters, especially young men, still occasionally suffer bouts of scurvy. During the age of sail, scurvy was the bane of any ship forced to spend extended periods away from friendly ports. James Lind was one of the first to propose effective preventative measures against scurvy. In 1746, he noted that when oranges and lemons were added to sailors’ diet, they seemed much less likely to suffer from scurvy. Yet, Lind was not convinced that diet alone could prevent scurvy and concluded that the lack of ventilation on ships was chiefly responsible for the disease.

This belief was in keeping with the prevailing idea that the “purpura nautica” was due to a lack of elasticity in the air, which inhibited perspiration and the proper circulation of bodily fluids. Purveyors of this opinion pointed to the remarkable recovery of sailors as soon as they got to the cleaner atmosphere found ashore. The usefulness of citrus fruits was further complicated in 1795 when the British admiralty ordered that West Indian limes be issued to crews to prevent scurvy. The limes were much cheaper than Mediterranean lemons, yet, the limes were incredibly low in bioavailable vitamin C and did little to combat scurvy. All citrus, it appeared, was not created equal.

This Bunnahabhain had a lovely profile of citrus and storm-wracked sea shores. I loved the interplay of salt, smoke, spice, and citrus. The wife found the dram to be a tad sweet for her taste, but she enjoyed the aroma, and the initial brine hit on the palate. The pepper and citrus reminded me strongly of Talisker. A few drops of water cooled off some of the maritime notes and brought out more bitter citrus and pepper spice. The finish was nearly all pepper, and, again, I honestly would have thought it was Talisker. This was one of the more pure maritime Bunnahabhain I have ever had.

It did take some time to develop and open up properly. The first time I tried it, I was not super impressed, but after the bottle was open for a few months (and after I poured most of it to share with friends), I found that when I returned, the dram had opened up beautifully.

Image Credit: Nick’s Wine Merchants