Bunnahabhain 12 y.o. Pride of Islay - Madeira Casks - Thompson Bros.

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46.1% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

An extended finish in Madeira barriques shapes this Bunnahabhain from the Pride of Islay range. Within its total maturation period of more than twelve years, the unpeated Single Malt spent over five years in these wine casks. Here, first-fill means that the barriques previously held Madeira wine and were then used for whisky maturation for the first time.

Thompson Bros. releases this whisky as a small batch. Its character brings together soft red berries, the richness of walnut oil and a restrained salty note. It is bottled at 46.1% in a 0.7-litre bottle, without chill filtration or added colouring.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, ripe red berries mingle with fresh citrus oils. A clear maritime, mineral note completes the aromas.
• Palate: On the palate, the sweetness of red fruits combines with rich walnut oil. The mouthfeel is full, with a coastal mineral note.
• Finish: Honeyed sweetness and warm baking spices gently give way to walnut oil in the long finish. The unpeated coastal character remains present throughout.

Distillery/Bottler:

Bunnahabhain lies in the remote north-east of the Scottish island of Islay. William Robertson founded the distillery in 1881 with brothers William and James Greenlees; production began in 1883. A settlement for employees and their families grew alongside the distillery. Its Gaelic name means river mouth. Water for production comes from the Margadale spring north of the distillery.

Thompson Bros. is run by Phil and Simon Thompson from Dornoch in the Scottish Highlands. Their work at the Dornoch Castle Hotel whisky bar led them to establish their own distillery, where whisky production began in 2017. While waiting for their own whisky to mature, they started releasing independent bottlings. Today, under the Thompson Bros. name, they source single-cask whiskies and small batches, mature them in their warehouse on Station Road and bottle them there. Every release in this bottling range is bottled without chill filtration or added colouring.

Facts: