Bunnahabhain An Cladach

Another bottling from Bunnahabhain with a Gaelic name, An Cladach, meaning "The Shore." This is a travel retail exclusive offered in a 1-liter bottle at 50% ABV. It has a light amber-gold hue and an oily texture with slow-moving legs. The initial aroma is salty right after pouring. Waiting revealed subdued sherry notes, along with toffee and raisins. A subtle background of chocolate and coffee grounds was present, with hardly any detectable barrel influence. The high alcohol content is also very well concealed. The initial taste is bold with youthful spirit and a slight oaky roughness. The alcohol content sets the stage but then seems to vanish, leaving a well-balanced blend of sherry, roasted nuts, and salty sea air. A pleasant, briny quality, uncommon in Bunnahabhain, is noticeable. This was a bit of a surprise, despite the name hinting at it. The light, milk chocolate notes also soften the harsher finish enough to keep things in check. The finish is medium in length and slightly subdued, featuring the usual suspects: sherry sweetness, peppery oak, and some red berries with cream. The elevated alcohol content causes everything to dry out rather quickly, but it remains enjoyable. Considering the $66 price for a 1-liter bottle, this is a great value. Bunnahabhain has delivered another successful NAS formula, and many of these uniquely named releases are hitting the mark. They compensate for any lack of smoothness or complexity with value and innovation. This one is no exception. I'm awarding it 3.75 stars and a recommendation to buy. Enjoy.

Bunnahabhain is consistently a fine single malt to enjoy. Regardless of the expression, you'll typically find yourself on a 'salty chocolate' journey with this usually unpeated whisky. An Cladach, meaning 'Coastal shore' in Gaelic, is a travel retail exclusive that has been matured in sherry casks and bottled at 50% ABV. On the nose, it begins with hazelnut, figs, and burnt hay. Dry cherries and chocolate bar. Macadamia nut. It has a humid note, reminiscent of a wine cellar or an old closet. Cigar box and Raisinets (chocolate-covered raisins). On the palate, it is delicious. The characteristic Bunnahabhain chocolate is present, along with raisins and salt. Almonds and pepper. A second sip brought vanilla, barbecue salt, and olive oil. The aftertaste was a bit short and simple, but it works. Pepper, salt, and earthy notes. For such a sweet dram, this shorter finish seems appropriate to easily handle the 50% ABV, especially for a travel retail bottling intended for both whisky aficionados and less experienced drinkers. Overall, this was a delightful single malt, offering a good amount of pleasant sweet notes and a beautiful experience; however, it seems to fall slightly short of other, more complex expressions. That said, I truly enjoyed this one, awarding it a score of 87 out of 100.

Aroma - Very sweet & fruity, hint of syrupy golden raisins, hint of elderflower, sweet nuts, juicy red berries, hint of bitter dark chocolate. Taste - Sweet nutty/syrupy sherry, white pepper heat/spice/tingle, light metallic taste, sweet nuts, honey, sweet white grape juice, hint of ginger, light salt. Finish - Lingering white pepper spice, faint dry tannic bitterness, light metallic lingers, metallic white grape juice sweetness, hazelnut/almond skin, metallic salt. Score - 84/100 Final Thoughts - This one is a bit challenging. It has a pretty good aroma where you really get a nice fruity/nutty scent that does carry through to the palate, but then you're suddenly met with this odd metallic flavor. It's like it somehow was stored in a reactive metal tank or something. Difficult to explain, but it's comparable to that metallic taste found in some salts. Regardless, it's quite tasty, although I'm sure it's pretty young. I believe if it were aged a bit longer to somehow mellow out or eliminate the metallic notes, it would be much better. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - If it remains around the same price, yes.

Nose: Very subtle peat, with notes of apricot and almond, and sweetness from sherry. Palate: Sweet, almost juicy stone fruit flavors from the sherry cask, balanced by a slight saltiness. Hints of clove and baking spice. Finish: Spicy finish with more spice notes, along with pear and other subtle fruit flavors. Overall: A well-rounded whiskey featuring sweet and spicy elements. It has a light body and prominent sweet sherry notes, which are present initially and then reappear in the spicy finish. An enjoyable, easy-drinking whiskey.

Not a review! Also not a bad drink... at all! I can't quite comprehend the very low score this whisky received from the official review. Perhaps the reviewer received a faulty/sulphured batch, or perhaps our palates are just too ordinary... Who knows?! All I know is this whisky might be a bit young (as the aroma suggests), but it's good, with plenty of Sherry goodness and an amazing value! Glad I decided to purchase it anyway, despite the poor score.

Sea salt & minerals, toasted almonds, prunes, raisins, clove, thin English custard, biscoff, some graininess, nutty, toffee, cocoa, lemon curd. Significantly more sherry influence than the standard, which I believe is exclusively aged in bourbon casks, but I think it suffers a little from being NAS. Still, it's vibrant, and the cost is unbeatable, especially considering it's a liter and 100 proof.