In the new Archives ‘Fishes of Samoa’ series there’s this forty years old Bunnahabhain 1973.
I noticed Malts of Scotland already bottled a 1973 with the same cask number in 2011. Butts are big casks and 156 bottles indicates it could be part of a shared cask. But in this case my notes don’t match at all. So maybe this is another case of fake cask numbering, or the cask fundamentally changed (and gained alcohol) during those two extra years, which seems unlikely.
Bunnahabhain 40 yo 1973 (50,6%, Archives ‘Fishes of Samoa’ 2013, butt #3463, 156 btl.)
Bunnahabhain 40 yo 1973 (50,6%, Archives ‘Fishes of Samoa’ 2013, butt #3463, 156 btl.)Nose: very aromatic, fruity nose. Nectarine, pear and whitecurrant. Hinting towards tropical notes of mango and clementine. A little Malibu. Also nice candlewax notes, some dried grass and minerals. Pretty great.
Mouth: very fruity again, but hard to pin down individual aromas. A general ‘yellow’ fruitiness with a sweet marzipan and banana coating. Vanilla. Evolves towards the mineral and waxy notes again. Mild traces of triple beer. Ginger and salt. Grapefruit zest.
Finish: long, a tad hot at first but slowing down to sweet oak and zesty, grassy notes.
Very rounded, soft, fruity Bunnahbhain of a quality that is sadly becoming rare these days. Around € 245, available from Whiskybase.
Score: 92/100