Bunnahabhain Darach Úr Batch 8 46.3% NV

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (78)

It seems that this bottling was fully matured in new oak barrels from the United States (but the border between full maturing and finishing can be quite fuzzy in some marketeers' blurb) so we’re expecting an explosion of vanilla. It’s a travel retail exclusive.

Colour: full gold.

Nose: the opposite of the 1980 as far as complexity is concerned, this one is straight and rather ‘full’ but certainly not too oaky/gingery. Starts on notes of banana skin and cut grass (make that hay), something like overripe apples (faint sourness), then hints of old rancio (unexpected in a new oak matured whisky) and butter and finally something like a vanilla sauce indeed. In any case, not one of these dreaded ‘new style vanilla bombs’. Alas, gets a little ‘plankish’ after fifteen minutes (sawdust).

Mouth: well, I don’t think it works too well now. Big oaky notes, ginger, nutmeg and white pepper, with just hints of Bunnahabhain’s usual character. Too many spices from the wood for our taste.

Finish: long but drying and chalky. Comments: not unpleasant at all but you have to like these big, modern oaky notes that more or less hide the distillery’s markers. As always, a matter of taste I guess, I'm sure many whisky lovers will, err, love this. We tried to add water, it got even oakier on the nose but nicely fruity on the palate – only very simple. Oh, and we really believe this was finished in new oak, not fully matured.