After a long hiatus due to COVID-19 mood and because things got busy at work it’s time to resume some whisky writing besides posting some news on the Facebook page.

I was in the midst of writing the second Bunnahabhain Feis Ie 2020 review so let’s complete it and then resume normal bog operation (with the Laphroaig bottling waiting for a future special Laphroaig project).

This Bunnahabhain was the older (and more expensive) botting available before the open day (when the distillery released a third whisky, expensive and super premium). It’s a 17-18 Year old unpeated whisky, finished in Madeira casks.

Bunnahabhain 2002 Madeira Finish Fèis Ìle 2020 (53%, £199, 1164 bottles)

Nose: Oily, sweet pungent, dunnage warehouse, honey and flower petals, milk chocolate, cranberries and peaches, almonds, cookies dough, clearly distinct roses petal, oily did we say? also quite heavy, marzipan. After a while there’s more chocolate, the floral side get stronger, darker honeyed fruits and pastries. There’s depth and complexity here.

Palate: Starts very spicy with a heavy dose of white pepper and all-spice. Pungent, dunnage warehouse, marzipan, honey, dark honeyed fruits, peaches leads the way and then apricots, oily and heavy, floral, cookies dough and drying towards the end.

Finish: Medium length, almonds, peaches and a bit of apricot, dark honey, oily, roses petals and white pepper.

Thoughts: This is a very good and solid Bunnahabhain. Heavy and oily with good madeira influence but personally I liked the Moine offering a bit more as it was a bit more lively.