Bunnahabhain 1968 (Malts of Scotland)

This is one of the other old Bunnahabhain that were released in the past few weeks, a 41 years old Bunnahabhain 1968 bottled by Malts of Scotland. It was matured in an ex-bourbon cask this time.

Belgium is currently the only region where they are distributing it (contrary to a widely available Bunnahabhain 1967 bottled at the same time), but I’ve heard that part of the available stock will go to other countries in the future.

Bunnahabhain 41 yo 1968 (40%, Malts of Scotland 2010, bourbon hogshead #12291, 164 btl.)

Nose: very tropical right from the start. Ripe mango, banana, tangerine, juicy pears, plums… very warm. Lots of vanilla and coconut cream as well. Nice floral touches. Little oak but after a while, some spices come out (cinnamon, hints of nutmeg). Beeswax and honey. Still the whole is really dominated by the fruits (not a bad thing of course). Impressive how vividly fruity this is after 40+ years.

Mouth: enough weight despite the low alcohol volume, a bit more oily now, the sweet fruitiness seems to be dimmed as soon as it appears. In the middle, the tropical side is struggling a bit to get past the oaky notes and spices. But it wins and returns to peach, mango, grapefruit and a little mint.

Finish: medium length, with soft tannins.

Another great Bunnahabhain to recommend.
A different style than yesterday’s Whisky Agency bottling, but just as good. Same pricing: about € 215.

Score: 93/100