I recently bought a ardbeg uigeadail and Bunnahabhain 12 at the same time. Started with the Ardbeg and enjoyed it very much. Poured the Bunnahabhain for my 2nd and was blown away. Didn't expect it to leave the Ardbeg in the dust as much as that!
I've just started my whisky journey and I love tinkering with a couple of drops of water to see what difference it makes. I was sceptical at first, and then I found that yeah, maybe people do know what it is they spout off about. A couple of drops of water transforms whisky and I've been collecting any bottles I see on supermarket shelves OR from wines and spirits shops. One thing I do steer clear of though and that's the 'smokey' or 'fully peaty' whiskies. The Laphroaig in particular, it's like drinking liquid kippers. I've just bought another bottle of the Buynnahabhain 12 year old single malt, small batch whisky. This time I shall see if I pick up on all the flavours and aromas. Most of these are lost on me though, as a beginner I'm slowly getting there. AND I have learned what 25ml looks like in a Glencairn whisky glass, ever fallen up a stairs, I have, hic!
Bunna 12 always reminds me of Christmas in a log cabin. And you’re so right about its universal appeal. Ive never poured it for anyone…new or old to scotch…and had them not love it.
This was the first bottle of single malt I've ever bought and it's still one of my all time favourites. Every time I get it out I'm thinking 'man, this is good' 😂
I’d been drinking Laphroaig for over 40 years before I tried Bunnahabhain 12 and I LOVE IT! I appreciate that the sherry isn’t prominent. Never had the older version.
I had a glass of this one today and it was superb ❤ so many flavours 😮 the first pours was a bit mustardy but now a few weeks later it really kicks! 🎉😋👌
No matter what whiskey I buy recommended by any of you aficionados and connoisseurs, I almost always see a video right after (sometimes even from the same creator) calling it an entry level or beginner whiskey that’s good but not great. You literally put this on more than one top 5 list
I believe that the best value sherried scotch in the market is the Bunnah 12. Value aside, it’s on my top 3 under 15 year sherried as well. The first pours from the bottle are just unique! Great distillery, agreed. I do have an older bottling but I have not had it. Btw, the label “Entry Level” is often times mistaken for bottom tier of a core range. At times the entry level bottle is one of the best bottles in that range, if not the best depending on the make. This 12 has no peer at its price, it goes for $50, and frankly if they asked $75 it would be worth it.
Yes! Part of the reason I've bought this so much and so consistently over the years is just how great the bang-for-buck is! Even at USD $75, it wouldn't be a rip-off. Regardless of how you define “entry-level,” a whisky at an affordable price that hits above its weight in terms of quality is a rare and beautiful thing!
Wish I can see the bunnahabhain 12 here in Arkansas one day for 50$, but I get it soon at 70$ based on all of your opinions is worth it at a higher price, though at the 2 of the total wine in Miami Florida the price is 62$
Totally agree! Amazing whiskey, especially for the price! At whiskey tasting sessions I’m always blown away after I had other, very good quality scotches at how this still blows them away. Top notch quality, so tasty, zesty and delicious!
Totally agree here. Bunna 12 is just fantastic and along with the Port Charlotte 10 are the 2 best core range scotches on the planet in my opinion...These 2 whiskies made me fall in love with Scotch. Bunna was my first love though...
Great review as always! I love the Bunnahabhain 12 (bought my first one recently and loved it so much I had to buy an extra to stock). Strangly my friend who is into whisky as well (he has tested much more than me), did not like it very much when we had a tasting, which I found strange. So there is one example of not liking it I guess. In Sweden where I live we have the NAS Bunnahabhain Moíne peated whisky for the equivalent of about $40 (not sure which markets it are on now, but far from all), which I think is an extremely good somewhat young peated whisky (bought a second of that as well)! It takes you on a somewhat simple but fantastic journy through mouth coating sweetness, moving into peat and smoke (but keeping a sweet component), and then ending with some pepper, then again some peat and smoke for a long finish. Absolutely love it, and would love to see a review of that one if you could ever find it (the regular Moíne, not any special barrells).
That's pretty rare. I know some people who like the Bunna 12 less than I do, but I'm not sure I've ever met someone who outright disliked it. Fair enough, though, we like what we like! I'd be curious to try that Moine. I realize it's entry-level, but I do love a good peated Bunna! Cheers!
Bunna just delivers from the NAS to the age statements its just a robust oily sherried malty beast of a whiskey. Great distillery and history and review!!!
My whiskey buddy had a bottle of the old, so I went and bought the new bottle. We sat down to compare and he preferred his old style while I liked the newer one. One note, after we had a dram of each separate, we blended the two and WOW. It honestly just brought out the best of both styles and elevated them. If you have some of the old style left over, I'd say give it a shot.
I had a fortified wine called Brights 74 Tawny, and Bunnahabhain 12 has a note that reminds me of that tawny note. I like Bunnahabhain 12, as it is a different scotch and kind of funky compared to the few drams I've had. It would even be better with (more) some peat smoke. It was very interesting to discover a sort of petroleum note in it as well. This one is a learning experience and I am still learning from it. Thanks for reviewing this!
Would also like to say that tonight I will have a drink of this and try to find at least some of the notes you mentioned in this video. It is great to have some confirmation in a journey of learning and enjoying. Will write down the findings and then go back to this video to see if I found at least a few of the same notes you did. Thanks again for reviewing, and even helping guide our scotch journeys through these videos. Happy new year!
Hi. I'm a tour guide at the bunnahabhain distillery. We have generally nothing but positive reviews and comments about the 12yo. It's, as you say, an excellent entry level whisky that will challenge a lot of older bottles. Try it, you'll buy more. Great review btw
Thanks for the review! I've had my eye on this one and almost bought it last night but went with a Ledaig 10 which I haven't opened yet. I just might head out tomorrow and pick this one up and leave the Ledaig in the cellar for now.
This is making me certain that I have a dodgy bottle of Bunnahabhain 12. I get the mushroom but a lot more rancid flavours than any sherry notes and when arrived the cork was very much rotten. Great review mate.
Every time I go to the store to purchase this bottle, I end up leaving with a different one… lol the culprits have been green spot, springbank 10,12,15, classic laddie, lag 8 & 9, aberlour Abudah, ardbeg uigy, talisker storm and maybe 1 or 2 bourbons :D
I'm still very new in my whisky journey. Last year, a friend hosted a small gathering with a few whisky tastings. My favourite from the day was the Bunnahabhain 25 - superb whisky but obviously very expensive. This year when I started getting into the hobby more, I bought a Bunnahabhain 12 and it is likewise one of my favourites. Just love the flavour profile on it - very earthy to offset the sweet.
If you're into Bunnahabhain, you should grab the 18. A total stunner and my favourite from the range (I say that having never tried the 25... bet it's epic!).
@@Gwhisky Noted. Will put it on my wishlist :) Have been buying too many whiskies this week! Aberlour A'bunadh, Glendronach 15, Ardbeg Uigeadail arrived the last couple of days and expecting Westward Rum Cask and Glenlivet Single Cask Sherry Butt later in the week. But keen to try Bunna 18, given that I've loved the 12 and 25 so far.
Really good analysis of Bunnas rebranding and rebrandings in general! One exception to the rule of brands go backwards post-rebrand is Benromach (not after last rebrand but the one before) I think Bunnahabhain made the house style a tad thicker and more accessible with only a very small portion of complexity sacrificed like that sour cranberry note in the mid-palate (as well as that earthy note you mentioned)
Yeah for me the biggest change is the earthiness. It's certainly different, and maybe not QUITE as good, but still among the best entry-levels out there. Cheers!
For me, many sherry-based whiskies are often too straight-sweet, but Bunna style is like adding a dash of salt in the dessert, which makes its sweetness alive and satisfying! For 18yo, i prefer Bunna than Highland Park, but for 12yo, HP will be my choice.(all speaking of newest ver.) Looking forward to your review on classic HP12!
Excellent review as always. I must commend you for not, for any instant succumbing to the herd psychology and persisting with excellent unbiased reviews of some fantastic whiskies. Bunnahabain 12 never disappoints. It has always been one of my go to bottles ever since I began exploring the world of single malts. One of the discussions in the thread alludes to some unremarkable older bottlings. I have a bottle from 2008 (40%) and I recently did a side by side because a few of my friends and I had this exact same conversation. The older one was not as layered and complex and the higher ABV bottling. However, I would still choose a (40%) Bunna 12 over a Glenlivet 12 or Glenfiddich 12. The higher ABV, Bunnahabain is one off my most favorite (non cask strength) whiskies along with Kilkerran 12. It never disappoints and even those who avoid islay whiskies love this bottle. I distinctly remember my trip to the distillery and my conversation with the staff. The Bunna 12 has trace amounts of peat measured after malting (2-4ppm). Unless, one is endowed with a superhuman ability to detect baseline levels of peat, it is simply psychological. The perception of "peat", "smoke" and most flavors in whisky are extremely subjective as you mentioned and a lot of people associate them differently. Peat and smoke are not the same, at the same time a lot of people I know associate a mild alcohol burn as "smoke". I can easily see how 46.3% ABV can seem "smoky" or just because it is from Islay, immediately associate that with "peat". Additionally, charred barrels sometimes produce a flavor that can seem like smoke to many. Bottomline: Bunna 12 is not peated. There are many who might say there is a hint of smoke, that might be an artifact of the higher ABV. Regardless, it is a delicious dram and that is all that matters.
Oh no no no. I must have not made it clear. Bunnahabhain rebranded over 10 years ago (in 2010) when they transitioned from non-chill filtered and 40% to a craft presentation. This is NOT the rebranding I'm referencing (I can't imagine a world where I'd recommend a 40% over a 46+%). I'm talking about when they switched their labels around in 2018 or so. They updated their label, but made no formal announcement about a change in formula. However the formula WAS altered in favour of a more sherry-forward profile. It was great prior to 2018, and remains great after. THAT is the transition I'm referencing throughout the review. Yes, there are many people who have met representatives or who state that there are trace amounts of peat in Bunna. Others taste it based on personal opinion. I have never taken a stance here, but I see where those who claim to taste peat are coming from. I taste a distinct earthiness and maritime profile which may or may not be mildly “peaty” in its presentation. Regardless, I am less interested in being right one way or the other, and more interested in enjoying what I consider to be a timeless, top-tier 12 year old. I've been a huge fan for over a decade, and will continue to buy this affordable, naturally-presented, well-made, age-stated whisky well into the future. Thanks as always for your insightful opinion!
@@Gwhisky Oh okay. That makes more sense. I have personally noticed very little difference in the flavor profiles post rebranding. Perhaps an added nuttiness and a brewed tea/mulch note but I have noticed that varies depending on the day. And exactly my point. A debate regarding the presence or absence or peat is purely academic. Often enjoyed over this delicious dram. Cheers!
@@yoursinsincerely39 I know how annoyingly limited availability is in your area, but If you can manage to get your hands on a pre-2018 bottling, it might be worth grabbing (I vaulted two myself) for the purpose of a side-by-side. The older one is neither better nor worse than the newest iteration. For me, a direct comparison revealed more earthiness and a slightly less sherry-forward profile on the older one. A conversation I had on this very thread with a viewer who goes by alfocrown was an interesting (albeit speculative) discussion on the differences between the two bottlings. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky Yeah, I typically get my Bunna from NJ or order online. I have not seen a pre-2018 bottle recently, nor do I have one unopened to compare. I somehow had that really old bottle that I had preserved years ago. I wish I kept a pre-2018 bottle but I had no idea they would rebrand it. It would be really interesting to try a side by side.
Nice review of a quality whisky. Bunnahabhain is among my top three sherried standard bottlings. The only other 12 yo sherried malt which I consider a better value is the Glenallachie 12. And the only one better in quality is Edradour Caledonia. I haven't tasted older bottlings though I have one from 2011. Oddly enough I got it last year when I was out for a replacement bottle after I have finished one and the retailer had only this old bottle left. So I ended with a bottle of Bunnahabhain 12 from 2011 which I don't plan to open anytime soon and I'm looking forward to buy another one from the recent bottlings. The price of Bunna 12 is a little steep over here but there are special sales every now and then. The 18 yo on the other hand is outrageosly overpriced. I must part with almost twice the money I gave for the new Arran 18 costs. So, I'm giving it a pass for now despite the flattering feeback.
Agree, imo this is one of the best 12 year old expressions on the market. I'm also a HUGE fan of Caledonia. Like you, I think it's better still than the Bunna 12. Less of a fan of the Glenallachie 12, although I do like it. Of course, that's personal taste. 🥃 Man, whisky prices vary so much. Bunna 12 is extremely affordable where I live, so I come back to it often. The 18 is also reasonably priced here. It's about USD $10-15 more expensive than Arran, and it's one of my favourite 18 year olds. Sorry to hear it's that expensive where you live. I hope you can try it in a tasting or find it on sale at some point. Amazing stuff!
I haven't tasted the pre-2018, so I can't comment on that. I started my whisky journey, in earnest about 5 years ago. In that time, I've tasted about 100-125 different whiskies, so I can't claim to be experienced, but it's fair to say that I have a reasonable base. I've never tried anything super-expensive, but I've tried a few £200 bottles. Getting to the point. I've had whiskies that have created a bigger impression, but if I was stuck with one whisky expression for the rest of my life, I'd choose Bunnahabhain 12. High praise from me.
Sounds like you have plenty of experience! I feel similarly. A great casual sipper. Not the most dramatic or impressive whisky out there, but extremely delicious and always reliable. Cheers!
Great review as usual! Splendid stuff that as you say can not only hang with the big boys but I would hazard would best some of them in blind tastings. I challenge anyone to name a more complex, nuanced 12 year old single malt at this price. Cheers.
@@Gwhisky Also want to thank for the recommend on Craigallachie 13. Really digging it actually! Just ordered two more bottles on sale in AB at a steal at $53. Has some of those savoury umami notes like Mortlach and Edradour. Worm tubs!
Bunny 12 has a kicked its way to a 'refill' status in my selection. When it goes empty, it will be replaced by another of the same. I've never discerned the peat, but that's fine, I don't need it. They do indeed know what they are doing.
Hi Geoff, enjoyed the review and the enthusiasm :) Picked up yesterday a bottle of "Stiuireadair" - my first encounter with Bunnahabhain and I must say I'm quite impressed. very tasty whisky with specially nice nutty notes. now I'm definitely intrigued and will pick up tomorrow a bottle of the 12yo, which I imagine might be similar to the Stiuireadair but with added maturity-complexity. Have you tried the Stiuireadair? Cheers & a fine weekend to you!
I haven't tried it myself, but from what I've heard it's just that... a slightly less mature 12 with some good flavours. If you liked the Stiuireadair I'm sure you'll enjoy this one. An absolute classic. Cheers Kushi!
Unfortunately I have never tried bunnahabhain, I always here positive things about it, and I see that you taste a good sherry in it, to me whenever I want to have some sherried whisky I get glendronach 12 or glenmorangie 14 port cask, they cost in NW Arkansas 57$ and bunnahabhain 12 is 70$, here. But it I think that bunnahabhain 12 is a better sherried scotch than glendronach 12 , I would probably pay the extra to try it, great review as always, thank 😎👍🥃 cheers
For me this is a different league of whisky than the Dronach 12 or Glenmo 14. I do like those whiskies, but I would suggest spending a bit more on the Bunna 12. For me, it's a substantial bump in quality, and I hope you agree if/when you get the chance to try it.
@@Gwhisky on a sort of related thread, any chance of a review of the Glenmo 14 Quinta Ruban and how that compares to the old 12? I was a big fan of the 12. Not tried the 14 yet. Cheers.
@@ianhorjus9507 I suspect I'll get around to a review of the Glenmo 14 at some point, although a comparison might be difficult. I tried the old one several times, but wasn't enamoured. I believe I've only ever owned one bottle of it, and I don't remember much about it.
Bunnahabhain 12 has 3 ppm.👍 Also I live bunnahabhain to have great scotch(es) for a decent price. I like all there stuff. But to be fair I like Bruichladdich unpeated stuff too like the classic laddie. Edit: Also the new talisker 10 is a little better than the old one for example.. Well imo at least..
I agree with all of that, although I haven't traditionally been a huge fan of unpeated Bruichladdich stuff. Something I should come back to... Love the new Talisker! 🥃
@@Gwhisky The new tallisker is very good imo too. And I would give the Classic laddie another chance. But yeah tbf I like bunnahabhain's unpeated stuf also more than Bruichladdich's unpeated scotches. Also thanks for saying Kilchoman is a good distillery because I really like there stuff. Lagavulin, Ardbeg and especially Laphroaig is going down a lot imo. Also why does America get 43 and we only 40%, abv for Laphroaig 10? It literally tastes, like water imo. While the CS is such good quality and yes I know batch 12 and 13 where better than batch 14 but still I wasn't disappointed with it. Cheers mate 🥃
Great review of a great whisky. My very favorite standard 12 yo on the market, but I have to respectfully disagree about the new versus old version, I absolutely love the new version but was fairly indifferent about the older bottling. And yes, it's perhaps the best value going. The "smoke" connection with Bunnahabhain 12 (and other unpeated Bunnahabhains) is pretty persistent and 100% wrong; and that's not an opinion; it's not there. I think simpletons (my opinion) just presume just because it's a Islay whisky, it must be smokey, and even when they are told by the distillery itself that it's unpeated, they defend their position out of embarrassment.
Hah, well I guess I'm a bit more diplomatic than you. I don't get peat, but I get a coastal character combined with a distinct earthiness, and I can see how people could interpret it for being gently peated, especially as it's an Islay whisky. Psychological associations and all that... But yeah, regardless, it's also one of my all-time favourite 12 year olds. Regarding the old vs new, I'm not sure if you've done a side-by-side, but its worth trying. As I said in the review, they're different, but imo your preference will boil down to taste, not a disparity in quality between the two bottles. I have a friend (who's more experienced than me) who agrees with you that the new one is better. I like the more pronounced earthy notes in the older one. Matter of taste.
Ben Luening from whisky.de/whisky.com have a video from Bunnahabhain distillery tour. He also took an interview with distillery representative who said that although Bunnahabhain 12 was "virtually non peated" there was actual phenolic content in it. I cant recall the actual PPM figure but it is very small. I made my bottle last for a little over 6 months and I was able to detect distict although very subtle peat smoke note in it only twice. Both occasions were at fill level below 1/4 of the bottle. The only thing I'm not sure about is where this peat smoke notes come from. I'm willing to bet that it is either actual peated malt in the mashbill or it is phenolic residue from previous peated malt batches left on the equipment.
@@Gwhisky I've not done a side-by-side, and I don't have access to the old bottling, but when it was available it just wasn't one of my favorites and I didn't buy it often (was it 40%?). Today I can't get enough of the stuff and recommend it to everyone. I strongly suggest trying, if you haven't already, Gordon Graham's Black Bottle Blended, it's from Burn Stewart, 43%, peated, under $20, and Bunnahabhain features heavily in the mix. Lovely stuff.
@@Nikolay_Nikolov Thanks, I've seen it. The PPM is about 1%, a level that is undetectable outside of a lab and is because of cross-contact with equipment that makes peated whisky.
@@MrChristopherMolloy The OLD OLD Bunna was lower abv and chill-filtered, I believe. I think around 2010-2011 or so they switched over to a natural presentation. The bottle prior to the current release had the same abv and was non-chill filtered. No formal announcement was made with regards to a change in formula of the whisky when the latest label came out, but the differences are quite clear in a side-by-side.
Recently found a bottle of old label 12yo and 18yo, i feel old 12yo contain some refill cask older than 12, like 15 or even 18, but new one contain first fill/active 12yo cask.
Interesting! There's more sherry-forward notes in the new one (which I love), but the old one had more earthy (and possibly older) subtle cask notes that I really enjoyed. I never considered that the old ones used a higher proportion of older casks and the new ones more first-fill, but that's very possible. It definitely fits the profiles!
Bunnahabhain 12 was always my favorite whisky. But now I bought a bottle that didn't have the quality I'm used to. I hope this is an incident and that the next bottle will be better..
They're very different.. I prefer the Bunna distillery profile and I think it has a really good and unique character. The GlenAllachie has very active sherry casks, and the newer batches are pretty much sherry bombs (which is also good). Tough call but I'd say Bunna is the better whisky imo.
In every review I watch, people refer to everything as beginners whisky. I wonder what I need to try in order for it to not be beginners whisky? I tried some samples of 18, 21, 25 year old whiskys and I don't taste that big of a difference. I tried barrel proof as well, but almost everyone reviewing them water them down anyway so that's not about "beginner or not beginner". What do you mean when you say beginners whisky, and what are some examples of none beginners whisky that I can try?
I can't speak for anyone else, but for me beginner whiskies are typically entry-level whiskies with very easy-access, rounded flavours. Whiskies like Glenlivet 12, Aberlour 12, or Dalwhinnie 15 are good examples. Good whiskies, but not especially challenging. Non-beginner entry-level whiskies would have more rugged, challenging, or intense flavours-stuff like Craigellachie 13 or Springbank 10. Older whiskies may or may not be intense or challenging, but they are likely to have more nuance and complexity. If you're new or new-ish to whisky, these are subtleties that are easy to miss. All subjective, of course, but that's what it means to me. 🥃
@@Gwhisky Thank's for the suggestions! It hasn't been my experience that spicy, a lot of taste or smoky whiskys is something you like after drinking a lot. From my experience, people that like a certain type liked it from the beginning. Not saying I have a representative experience, but I'm also not sure where people get that idea from. When it comes to almost anything else (tastewise), we wouldnt use that same logic. For example you have to eat a lot of candy to enjoy licorice, or something like that
@@mormorgranat Speaking personally, I can tell you that my tastes and preferences have shifted dramatically over the years. I think most people who've been into whisky for a long time would agree that their tastes aren't the same now as they were when they got started. Again, all subjective, and that might not be the case for you.
@@Gwhisky Yeah, not for me or anyone I know thus far (beside you now :)). For sure it changes when you get older, but that hasnt to do with drinking a lot. Again, different for everyone.
