(한국어 시음기 밑에 있어요!)
Now for something entirely different. Today I'm going to review a single cask Scotch whisky that is so region exclusive that you can only find it on the Korean peninsula. It's not often that I can write a review about a whisky that practically no one else has covered in English, so I'm pretty excited about this one!
There is a whisky club in Korea and every now and again they get together and order a single cask of whisky from a Scottish distillery, have it bottled and then shipped to Korea for the members of the club. In 2019 the club ordered a 7 year old single cask (in Korean, a hantong) of one of the component whiskies that forms the core of Bunnahabhain's peated Moine.
Bunnahabhain is of course an Islay distillery but it is actually fairly unique for an Islay distillery in the sense that it rarely makes peated whisky, with it's mainline 12 year old offering being entirely unpeated. Any smoke notes found within that whisky comes from the residual phenols found in the water that supplies the distillery. The Moine is an exception, being one of the few peated releases by the distillery. The club were able to get their hands on a single cask of the core raw whisky that gives this whisky its distinctive peat smoke, and my god, it's truly something special!
Now, without further ado, let's look at this rare wee beastie from Bunnahabhain.
Vitals:
ABV: 58.5%
Colour: Pale straw.
Chill-filtered: No
Nose: Powerfully smoky and peaty with medicinal iodine and notes of band-aids and hand sanitizer. As that fades, a floral, honeyed aroma takes over, with some mild hints of vanilla and leather in the background. 22/25
Palate: Smoke carries through to the palate, increasing in intensity. Cigar ash, burning wood and a surprisingly strong wood spice are present in the initial sip. As the spice fades, it smoothens out and the smoke evolves an almost meaty complexity, reminiscent of German smoked sausages grilling over a campfire. On the second sip, the wood spice returns but it combines with the meaty smoke characteristic, taking thing on a very interesting direction as it undergoes a metamorphosis into a flavour akin to Spanish chorizo sausages. 25/25
Finish: Smoky with lots of charcoal, cigars and black tar. The meaty characteristic of the palate becomes more subdued as it transforms into a damp leathery note. Overall it's of moderate length. 17/25
Value*: Not exactly the cheapest of whiskies, but it is bottled at cask strength and there is only a limited supply of around 500 or so of them, with many of them having already been bought. When you consider the fact that it's a unique bottling of a quality product, it's not a bad price. 17/25
Conclusion:
Bunnahabhain may not be typically known for producing "typical" Islay single malts, but this single cask limited bottling is essentially them screaming from the rooftops "THIS IS ISLAY!"
Being a single cask whisky, it lacks some of the complexity that one might find in the original Moine release (as well as much of the sweetness!) and it's a heck of a lot more untamed and wild than any of the regular releases from any of the distilleries on the island. But being young and brutish certainly isn't a bad thing. What it lacks in complexity, it makes up for in its character! If you happen to be a peathead, then there is only one feeling that you will get from this whisky. Satisfaction.
I actually enjoyed this whisky so much that I did in fact buy a bottle and gift it to my father-in-law for the Korean New Year. Suffice to say, as a fellow peathead, he loved it.
Basic Rating: 85.3%
Price Adjusted Rating*: 81%
Daily Drinker: Too rare.
Possible pairing: The only thing that could stand up to this phenomenally smoky beast is aged cheese like old cheddar or old gouda.
Where to find in Korea: You have to know someone who knows someone ;)
TLDR Version:
N: Smoke, charred peat, iodine, band-aids and hand sanitizer. Flowery honey, vanilla and leather follow.
P: More smoke, cigars, burning wood and a wood spice. Very meaty with smoked sausages and spicy sausages.
F: Moderate length and smoky. Charcoal, cigars and black tar with a lingering damp leather note.
V: Not too bad in terms of value as it's a rare bottling, when all things are considered.
한국어 시음평:
N: 스모크 향, 숯불에 그을린 피트 향, 요오드, 반창고, 손 소독제. 그 다음으로 꽃 향이 가득한 꿀, 바닐라, 가죽 향이 따라와요.
P: 더 강한 스모크 향, 시가, 모닥불,매운 나무 맛(우드 스파이스). 훈제 소시지, 초리조 소시지, 페퍼로니 맛이 정말 강해요!
F: 스모크 향이 강하고 긴 여운이 남아서 좋아요. 숯, 시가, 타르, 젖은 가죽.
V: 희귀한 위스키이기 때문에 가격대가 적당하다고 생각해요.
Buy / Mooch / Pass: Mooch from a friend, or buy if you have the money.
Review by Glasgowhisky
2020/02/04
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