Bunnahabhain XXV 25 years 43% NV

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (87)

Last time I tried the 25 that was in 2006 and I thought it was a bit underwhelming (WF80) while the 18 was much more to my liking. Time to try a newer batch, don’t you think?

Colour: full gold.

Nose: niiice! Much smokier than I remembered and fully on the distillery’s markers in my opinion, that is to say light roasted honey, nuts, barley sugar and various stewed fruits such as peaches and apples (compote). The whole is fresh and very clean, although there’s a faint farminess in the background (bonfire and wet grains here.) Extremely easy and appealing, I like this ‘global nuttiness’.

Mouth: rounded and soft but not dull at all, starting with a good dose of sherry and something of an old golden rum. More cane sugar than barley sugar? Also liquorice, orange marmalade, molasses, roasted peanuts, crystallised oranges… Rather perfect mouth feel and good body at 43% vol.

Finish: rather long, drier now, more roasted and malty. Some oak but not too much and a slight smokiness in the aftertaste. Maybe even a little salt. Comments: way better than I remembered. I’m sure they improved the vatting.

Gal Granov (90)

Nose : A lot of sweet sherry up front. Loads of sherry, then some soot and heaps of dried fruit. Sultana,dates and prunes. Hints of rubber old wood and vinegar, as well as ripe orange / tangerine , as well as leather. It’s a bit sweeter than I had anticipated, not sure about how balanced it is, but it feels well rounded, and there’s not much oak at all if that is something that bothers you in old(er) whiskies (not that 25 is THAT old).

Palate: Sweet sherry with light peat and smoke. Marinated meat and rubber. Lots of dried fruit too - mainly prunes and raisin.A few hints of rubber and sulfur too. quite creamy.

Finish: Sweet sherry. Smoke. Soot. Drying. Wood.

Bottom line:

This is an excellent whisky, very likeable with all that sweet, sherried notes. Makes you want to reach out for another dram, and another one. It’s not the best 25 year old out there, but it’s surely a dram I’d love to return to. very soothing and rewarding. A bit too much sherry IMHO. I wouldn’t mind a bottle, though :) If it were a bit more focused, and the sherry was not so prominent (and the wood more prominent), it would score in the mid 90’s. Don’t expect much peat, as this one almost has none, just so you know… (It’s not a bad thing…)

BOW (89)

World Whisky Awards 2019 Best Scotch Islay Single Malt 21 Years & Over

"Dense, mature Armagnac-like, sherry, treacle, tar and dried fruit. Quite herbal with balancing astringent coastal notes. Late wood smoke, marzipan and coffee. Slightly drying tannins and a touch of wood spice. Beautifully weighted and balanced."