Bunnahabhain 28 1989 Signatory Vintage

This is a special bottle as it’s a birth year distillation, so these notes are of the first pour from the bottle. I opened it on my 30th birthday and intend to have a wee dram each subsequent one so didn’t really have the opportunity to try a significant number of pours before reviewing. I’ll probably re-review/update in future years if I find any notable change from having been opened with more air in the bottle. Anyway, on to the review.

Bunnahabhain 28, 1989 Vintage, Signatory Vintage IB, Cask Strength Collection, Islay Single Cask, 48.4% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on October 23, 1989. Bottled on March 5, 2018. Opened and evaluated neat in a glencairn on June 30, 2019. Matured in a Hogshead, Cask No. 5795. Bottle number 207 of 215.

Color: Burnt gold.

Nose: Citrus. Wood. Herbal/earthy/vegetal. Medicinal, slightly. It smells like some kind of workshop, but I’m not sure what goes on there. There a scent of a nut that’s had something done to it, but I’m not familiar enough with what people do to nuts to know what.

Taste: Warm, spicy, peat. Thick/oily. Ginger. Some malt, you know it’s there but the other flavors speak more loudly. There’s a nutty transition into the finish.

Finish: Long, spicy oak. Traces of the palate.

I didn’t much care for Bunnahabhain 12 or 18. I had some concerns that the birth year bottle I bought might rub me the same way since I was unsure of whether it was peated (and to what degree if it was) as I believe that’s what was keeping the 12 and 18 from finding a place in my heart. I figured if I had a chance to try the 25 I would, but I wouldn’t seek it out given the cost and would stick to trying to taste the peated expressions from this distillery. Having tried this one, I no longer have any apprehension about trying the 25. Age seems to do amazing things to the distillate produced by Bunnahabhain. This kind of made a journey of an experience, and my impression as I went from nose to palate to finish was: “This is a whisky” to “This is a special whisky” to “This is a memorable whisky.” And quite literally, I chose that word because the finish kept it on your mind well after having swallowed.

Score: 93