Bunnahabhain Stiùireadair review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- One of these days, Scotch whisky producers will run out of Gaelic names for their whiskys. And it's on that day, that we will once again be able to walk into an off-sales and ask for the whisky we want. Unlike with these offerings, where one can only gesture and tell the person behind the desk..."I want that one!"
Small rant over...that's what I think of the name, but what do I make of the juice in the bottle? Watch on and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
Enjoy.
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Single Malt: Whisk(e)y made by one distillery using malted barley.
Single Grain: Whisk(e)y made by one distillery using one or a selection of grains (usually corn, wheat, rye, etc.)
Blended Malt: Whisk(e)y made by blending single malts from one or more distilleries.
Blended Grain: Whisk(e)y made by blending single grains from one or more distilleries.
Blended Scotch: Whisky made by blending single malt and single grain (whiskies) from one or more distilleries.
N.A.S. Non age stated whisky. No age on bottle.
#thewhiskeynovice #Wednesdaywhiskyreview #KnowYourNASFromYourElbow
Cheers.
I have a bottle and I won’t be replacing it. It’s drinkable, but boring. I love the 12 & the Toiteach!
Never heard a whiskey described as "flaccid" before! But from your comments, it seems apt.
This whisky wouldn't raise a smile for me let alone anything else 😆
Cheers buddy.
@@WhiskeyNovice hahaha!
I absolutely love the Buna 12. Top end of my all-time faves... and competing hard with Deanston 18. I bought this (like you actually suggested people might in your vid) on the back of the Bunna 12... Shocked is all I can say. It has a Petroleum brine taste that is hard to take. Whispers of dried fruit on the periphery but tainted by a few of them being a bit rotten. Absolutely poor whisky and well done for your honesty in your review. You are spot on! I added water bit by bit to try to bring it on but in the end it was a watery mess. Even tried with coke and ice hoping as a mixer it would work. That went down the sink. Shocked they could make such superb whiskies and then launch this! Thumbs up and subscribed. Brave on ya.
I personally enjoyed this so much that I restocked.. heavy distillate driven and dark fruit notes... etc. But I guess as I havent had the 12, my expectations are low.
My bottle was very thin regardless of the ABV. If you held it in your mouth, it felt like there was a layer of water floating on top.
Don’t know if it was my batch or is typical of this.
IMO , too poor for the money.
Great review and keep up the good service to us poor hobbyists.
Should have watched this before purchasing.
Ah well, I’ll learn.
Just bought this as a present for my son, April 2023, who loves his Whisk(e)ys but not the overly peaty ones. On offer for £25 ($31). Thought that was pretty good? I'm sure he'll let me have a "Snifter" when I give it to him. You're not the first to say it's disappointing, however we'll have to make up our own minds and if it is that bad, I can always chuck it on some dessert?
Just shows it’s all down to personal taste. I love this whisky along with the 12 and think it’s a great NAS. It doesn’t mean I’m right and your wrong Jim and that’s the beauty of reviews in that you get differing opinions. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Howard. And totally agree...it's all down to personal opinion. Cheers.
Not Jim recommend so won’t pick this up then, 👍😅actually had this in the hand a few times. What I love from Bunnahabhain is a young, bourbon matured CS staoisha . Cheers for the review Jim and saving my money 😀, take care and Slàinte.
😄😄 cheers David. Remember...only ever an opinion on my behalf. You may well enjoy it.
Slàinte buddy.
Jim we got to stop disagreeing 🤣 I prefered the Stiùireadair over the 12 and found that to be super limp while the NAS was more bolstered. I will say the bottle of the 12 I got, the cork was completely rotten and fear it may be tainted. Great review as ever mate.
Cheers Jeff. Well...you can't be wrong all the time 🤣🤣
I think Bunna is just one of those whiskys that splits opinion. The comments would certainly suggest so anyway. It's a strange one for sure.
Thanks buddy.
Wow, Tim summarized for me... never bought this one since I love the 12 and assumed this inferior. You are a brave man saying Bunna lets you down, but you redeemed yourself with your later comments. Well said that they have some exceptional stuff. This is why I'm trying to spend my money on better whisky instead of buying just more bottles for my money. Great honest review, Jim. That is why we love your content.
Why thank you Bud 🙏. That is truly humbling my friend.
Yeah, it has taken me some time to realise that, it's easy just to keep spending money and filling the cabinet but, when I reach for something...it's something of a higher quality that I'm reaching for. You live and learn I guess. But hey...if I hadn't bought and reviewed these, sub-par, half-assed whiskys...then you guys might have been tempted 😆😆😆
Thanks mate.
Absolutely agree with you Jim. In fact I think you have been kind in your review. Better supermarket whiskies out dare I say, even to a novice like me.
Thank you. Cheers.
So tempting..,as always you can't drink low price. No matter how often I try, the delicious tasting notes don't transfer from the receipt to the pallet.
To me this still has, on paper, the sound of a good 'un. I think it may be its youth and/or average casks that bring it down. But, when the 12yr old costs little more...it's easier to bypass this one completely.
Cheers Matt.
@@WhiskeyNovice I'll tell you. I was drinking some very young Waterford Irish single malt last night. Lots of water, and a big splash of overly sherried Colorado malt.
I think I got it good by the end of the dram.
I didn't totally love the Bunna12 but I did score an older version of both the 12 and the 18. In the box instead of the tube. Someday I'll get in there. I also have an American exclusive, 13 year old with a marsala finish, 46.3%.
So much whisky, so little time.
😄😄 so true!
You're bang on with this Jim. I've recently started yet another bottle and you seem to have hit the feeling for me on the head. The nose does disappoint and is one dimensional; slightly sweet / hint of sherry and perhaps grassy. However, I too get that bitterness that follows on the palate and an indefinable something that I can't put my finger on - could be that 'sick' note you mentioned. Being on a tight budget, I've opted for a couple of these Bunnas thinking the integrity elements would hold it together, but I'm afraid this is going to my last one. The only good thing I know from past bottles is that it does improve with air - the end third being the best. Yes.....the Bunna 12 is the benchmark and the one to go for in future.
I'm no snob when it comes to NAS whiskies, I have enjoyed a few. This time though the the helmsman is heading for port for the last time.
Well put Dave. Cheers.
@@WhiskeyNovice Discovered a good way to actually enjoy the Stiuiredair Jim: blend 50/50 with another NAS; that being Cotswolds single malt (also no-colour/non-chill filtered and decent strength). It makes for a palatable and nose friendly dram with more dimension that the naked version 😁.
It's my understanding that they released this because they were worried about running low on the 12 ? Never considered buying it as the price is very close to the 12 where I am.
I hear that a lot Tim. That the prices are quite similar. It wouldn't cross my mind to buy this as an alternative to the 12 knowing that this pales in comparison. It simply needs more flavour.
Cheers buddy.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one disappointed in Bunnas. In fairness I thought this one no worse than the 12 which has to be the most over rated Islay to me...( Why is there a red laser dot on my chest?..).The 18 has something but not enough to warrant the price. Moine I liked.
😄😄 price on our heads now.
Yeah, I think Bunnas can sometimes be held in such high regard that people are scared to say bad things. Don't get me wrong, I have one of their Feis Ile offerings from this year and it's absolutely incredible. This one...just didn't do it for me.
Cheers buddy.
It somehow wasn't just the rant that made me think you weren't a fan - and you know I never rant😂 For me, this is a far cry from the 12 - far, far away. I don't mind it, but there's no way I'd pick it up a full price. The 12 wins all day long. But I do like this one a bit more than you do - just a bit. Cheers ya big hairy hallion.
😄😄 cheers Al ya big, angry, Hawaiian 🤔🤔🤔....aww hell I just love ya too much 😄
Great review, Jim. Thanks.
I've wondered before why distilleries (or is it just plain marketing department?) use certain expressions as their entry level. When I started drinking Bunnahabhain the 12yo was the entry level and that really hooked me onto Bunnahabhain. In my opinion an entry level has to show at least a decent glimpse of what a brand has to offer. The 12yo does that. This Stiùireadair... not so much. My suggestion: straight on to the 12yo as your first step into the worlc of Bunnahabhain.
Slàinte mhath
I would agree totally Frank. The 12 is a great place to start with Bunna.
Slàinte my friend.
After this review there is no way in hell that I will buy this. I stopped on sickly……. The 12 is really nice. Cheers.
😄😄 just my opinion of course. Cheers.
So, you're saying this is like one of those Les Dawson off-key piano songs? :P Good for a beginner? I love the 12 ... such a great whisky. Gotta get me one for Christmas ... it's comin'! :)
Great description Rich 😄
Cheers mate.
There is nothing wrong with disliking a whisky It is down to personal taste Because you don't like a whisky does not mean it is a bad whisky
Hi! my first bunna was moine and i like sea spray whiskys so i bought stiu, toiteach, 12 and cruach mona 1litre, 50%, i've tasted ardberg 10 and lafroigh10, bunna cruach is my peated whisky now, ardberg 10 100 US $ in Brazil,bunna cruach 65 us$,thanks for the video!!and i agree whith your opinion,the 12 is superb.
Thank you.
Sometimes you’re just better off spending the extra 20-30. Cheers 🥃
Totally agree Antonio.
Cheers buddy.
I think it's ok but add a tiny drop of Staoisha.
Enjoyed your review Jim. I found this definitely less enjoyable than the 12yr (I guess many whiskies are for me...) but similar enough in some aspects that I liked it ok. I will say that the Cutty Sark Prohibiition you turned me onto feels like it is driven by this NAS flavor, though amped up a bit? Also got a chuckle out of your comment on having a target on ya... Guessing it may at least be on a non-lethal area and not between your eyes :)
😄😄 cheers Drew. Yeah that Cutty Sark really does have a heavy Bunna influence.
Thanks buddy.
The 12 is so much better than the NAS range. I think if they had an 8 year old with ex-Bourbon maturation it would be a far better addition than having a portfolio of mediocre NAS bottlings, but that may not appeal to supermarkets so c'est la vie! Good honest review as always.
Cheers Billy. Yeah I like the sounds of that.
8:10 "This is lacking in a lot of..... places." You're hilarious even when you're not really meaning to be.
😂😂😂 just being me mate 🤷♂️😊
Thanks Jim, for saving my money, lol, despite some were pushing me to buy it, I was always concerned with some negative reviews from reliable people but also my disappointed experiences about several nas or even age statements from core range....Like I said now a thousands times, for those 2 distilleries especially & since around 2010 (& Distell times), I mean LEDAIG & BUNNAHABHAIN, I prefer way more the independent bottlers' offers than the official ones (like you said except some limited editions) & this starts already at 5/6 years old believe me or not (even at 8 yo) & I have 4 brilliant examples in my collection (& one even at 41 yo, mind you !). I'm also critical towards current Bunna 12 yo (will do a review at some point), so I'm sticking to my idea...I know many disagree with me but I don't care..(that said, sure batch variations can possibly change downplay this reference & my opinion, as well as for other brands)....Cheers !
Cheers Greg. I've heard others say that the current 12yr old isn't as good as previous ones so you could definately be onto something. I know Bunnahabhain has a huge fan base, and I would be one of them but...it doesn't stretch (for me) to these cheaper offerings. Thanks buddy.
I have to agree with you for the most part. It's by a mile my least favourite Bunna out there. Tried this twice in a Bunna flight and it came out dead last. However, tried it again in a non Bunna blind flight a while back, and while still not great, it wasn't half bad either. It's just that there is nothing really exciting happening. It's an OK whisky, but imo rather middle of the road and pedestrian (isn't that a paradox?), and doesn't really do justice to what Bunnahabhain can be. Slainte
Middle of the road pedestrians are the worst 😄.
Cheers Menno. I could see how this whisky would probably stand up against some others. It may be a case of me expecting something much better considering the name 🤔
It's Flacid~!!!
It is. See my reply to Dram Fine Whiskey 😄
Couldn’t agree more. It’s not bad, it’s just… meh.
Cheers Phil.