Pronounced ‘Oon-ouch’ (Gaelic for union), the 10 year old limited edition Bunnahabhain Aonadh brings together port finished and fully sherry matured whisky. The spirits were blended after the maturation process.
Aonadh is part of a quartet of single malts that form this year’s limited edition range from Distill, alongside sherry casks from Tobermory and Deanston.
Bunnahabhain Aonadh 10 yo 2011 (56,2%, OB 2021, 14088 btl.)
Nose: a mix of leafy notes and coastal elements, with wild strawberries and blackberry jam, caramel and faint whiffs of peonies. Peppery notes. Dark hints of treacle in the background. Also roasted nuts and worn leather, as well as a subtle (not unpleasant) hint of matchstick heads.
Mouth: hot and peppery, quite hard to discover the rest. Bittersweet winey notes, musty wood and more of the roasted nuts. Hints of dark chocolate and grapes, mixed with hints of soy sauce and briney notes. Sweeter and slightly more balanced with a drop of water.
Finish: fairly long, peppery, with a sour edge and ilngering dark chocolate.
A whisky that is not entirely convincing, with a firm roasted fingerprint and an obvious winey side. Toning down the heat makes it a lot more enjoyable, but the price is too high in my opinion. Available from Bunnahabhain direct, The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt for instance.