Bunnahabhaon 10 2012/2022 Cask 900779 (Signatory Cask Strength Collection)

Nose: Smells like nearly burnt caramel, raisins, dark malt, charred nuts, cocoa powder, and fruit toast that's almost burnt. It's a powerful aroma, packed with strong scents, but it lacks refinement. Palate (neat): Starts with espresso and dark chocolate, followed by a blast of alcohol. It has tingling spices and oak tannins, orange oil and zest, burnt almonds, and prunes. Palate (with water): Tastes like overcooked Christmas cake, chocolate, mocha, baking spices, and anise. Adding water makes the palate a bit more vibrant. Finish: Lasts a medium amount of time, with notes of clove, anise, espresso, and rancio. This is a substantial whisky that makes its presence known and demands attention. Unpeated Bunnahabhain is known to age beautifully in a good sherry cask without interference, but I'm not convinced this particular cask was among the best, or that the whisky aged in it for sufficient time. The alcohol level is extremely high, and I couldn't really appreciate it until I diluted it significantly. Once it started to open up, the profile was somewhat basic and predictable. It's definitely a strong sherry-influenced whisky, better than average, but in my opinion, not among the top tier, and certainly not a subtle one. Despite its boldness, it's missing complexity. PS – My apologies for the spelling mistake in the title of this write-up. I wish we had the ability to fix such errors. "Above Average": 82/100 (3.25 stars)