Bunnahabhain 12 Years
Matured 75% in bourbon barrels and 25% in sherry casks, the Bunnahabhain 12 Years is bottled at a decent 46.3% ABV. Nice for a standard, by the way: no colouring or chill-filtering was used.
The panel
Mean 82.5 · spread 3
Value for money 4/5
- Distillery
- Bunnahabhain
- Type
- Single Malt
- Region
- Isle of Islay
- Country
- Scotland
- Age
- 12 years
- Strength
- 46.3% ABV
- Character
- delicate
Tasting
Nose
The single malt has very pleasant flavours. We smell a varied palette of fruits, such as Nashi pears and apricots, nectarines, quinces and mirabelle plums. This is followed by sweet brown sugar with a fine sherry fruit note. We think of plums and dates. The nose is rounded off with some oak and a hint of liquorice.
Palate
In the tasting, the somewhat more bitter flavours come to the fore. Baking cocoa, oat flakes and a good portion of oak open up. Vanilla, black tea, pear and something pleasantly sour - perhaps green apple - are found in the middle section. Later, the malt opens up further and brings orange peel and some cinnamon. Round, creamy and soft.
Finish
Pleasant and maritime, the whisky from the island of Islay remains long-lasting, warming and slightly peppery.
Verdicts
Marcel
A true delight for anyone who enjoys a fruity-spicy profile that's also well-rounded. The Bunnahabhain 12 delivers plenty of drinking pleasure without any pretension – perfect for relaxed evenings. Highly recommended, especially when you catch it on sale!
Sascha
Well-balanced and structured, this Islay malt reveals a harmonious blend of fruit, oak, and a subtle maritime note. At 46.3% ABV and non-chill filtered, the Bunnahabhain 12 offers solid value for money, even if its complexity might feel a bit restrained to some.
What it is worth
We do not yet hold bottle-level auction results — that sits behind Whisky Hunter’s authenticated feed. What follows is the market for Bunnahabhain as a whole, which sets the weather for this bottling without pricing it.
Latest mean bid £149 across 360 lots · 2024-08