Review 71-74: Bunnahabhain 12, Bunnahabhain 10 Murray McDavid Port Finish, Bunnahabain Eirigh Na Greine, Exclusive Regions Islay

Bunnah, Bunnah, Bunnah rocking everywhere! I have not had a Bunnahabhain before, so tonight, besides the Exclusive Regions. The standard 12 is a ex bourbon and sherry mix. The Murray McDavid is a port finish, the Eirigh Na Greine is a red wine finished and the Exlcusive Regions is very young and very heavily peated.

Bunnahabhain 12

Islay - 12 Years - NCF - NCA - Sample ($60 at the local) - 46.3%

Color - Tawny

Nose - Apricots and cream, raisins, that strong lactic note disappeared after the first scent. Now it is fruit and lavender.

Taste - Nuts and fruit, orangish apples with a touch of chocolate

Finish - Medium - Nutty figs and a touch of smoke

Overall - 6 - This is a nice dram but doesn't really have a ton of personality to it. To me this tastes closer to the Highlands than to Islay. I knew this going in so I wasn't disappointed. This is a nice dram, simple, straight forward but with enough going on to not lose interest

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Bunnahabhain 10 Murray McDavid Port Finish

Islay - 10 Years - NCF - NCA - Sample (I'd guess $80 at the local) - 46.3%

Color - Auburn

Nose - Nail polish remover, plastic bucket, tar - wow, this is not what I expected. This is like a young Laga. There is some red current underlying all that funk.

Taste - Plastic bucket, NyQuil sweetener, strawberry and nuts

Finish - Medium - Tarragon, evergreen, tar, artificial cherry

Overall - 5 - Wow, I don't know if this was amazing or if it was disgusting. I was not aware this was a big peat bomb so it took me off guard. It is was more on the plastic end of the peat spectrum, which isn't my favorite. The peat overwhelms the wine port finish and throws off the balance. If you love a plastic peat bomb, this is right up your alley. I really hate trying to give a scotch like this a rating as I feel this takes more than a dram to really get to know. The nose was just too astringent for me to love this one.

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Bunnahabhain Eirigh Na Greine

Islay - 12 Years - NCF - NCA - Sample (I'd guess $80 at the local) - 46.3%

Color - Auburn

Nose - Fruit cake, apple, raisins, and vanilla strawberry

Taste - Spice, apricots, jammy fruits

Finish - - Vanilla, honey, strawberry and fruit

Overall - 7 - This was a fun dram. To me it tasted like Christmas, in fact, I would probably pour this after Christmas dinner. It is a red fruit bomb, but it is an enjoyable fruit bomb. It is also dangerously easy drinking.

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Exclusive Regions Islay Cask ref "MS" Cask #002

Islay - NAS - NCF - NCA - $50 - 50%

Color - Old gold

Nose - Plastic, evergreen, lapsang

Taste - lemons, apples, oily smoked fish

Finish - - Cigar ash, moss, and earth

Overall - 6 - This is a big peat bomb but has nothing else really going on. This was made for home blending. I mixed some of this with Glengoyne Cask Strength and it was pretty tasty.

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Rating system is price influenced as it is based on my shopping decisions when buying a bottle.

10 Best in Show

9 Great Dram for Special Occasions

8 Worthy of consistent spot in my collection

7 Worth picking up a bottle if in the mood

6 I would buy a bottle if it went on sale

5 I would drink it happily if offered

4 I would drink it if offered on the rocks

3 Maybe some soda will make this potable

2 I'll Pass

1 Toilet cleaner

Inclusive Ratings

Overall 6.1

Standard Deviation 0.94

Skew 0.66

Kurtosis -0.53

Islay 6.4 (25)