Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1989 Signatory #5811+5812 56.2% vs Bunnahabhain 24 yo 1990 Highland Laird 47.2% vs Driftwood 1997 Wemyss Malt 46% (Peated Bunnahabhain)
Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1989 Signatory #5811 + 5812 45.2%
Full and weighty whisky with big oily, buttery, malty, nutty notes. Very typical for Bunnahabhain. Salt air, crushed spinach, honeyed cloves, damp wood and mulch. But its all somewhat undecided though and tends to whisper where it should shout. Right it’s also got a bit of that peculiar lactic tang on the palate, not for me though some people may love this curdled quality. I don’t find this too convincing, the foundations were laid but the project abandoned. 83 pts
Bunnahabhain 24 yo 1990 Highland Laird 47.2%
This one is about the soil. Damp earth, the rich aroma of composting browns and faded greens, moldy corners of warehouses and mushrooms sprouting on dead wood. Also quite some old nuts, musty honey and wet tea bags lying forgotten behind the dish rack. Great if you love compost baths. Genuinely interesting. 85 pts
Driftwood 1997 Wemyss Malt 46% (Peated Bunnahabhain)
Good stuff. Earthy, with lots of peaty notes like salted ropes, hot ash, burnt seaweed, seared meat on hot grills. It also leans towards petrochemicals like tar, hot asphalt, lit coals and sooty rags. Salty without being freshly coastal nor medicinal. Frankly a good peated whisky. Perhaps they should make more of it than the single month (?) a year. 87 pts
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