I've been keeping track of Total Wine for over a year, and I see them constantly raising their prices. I paid $180 for my Bunna 18 shipped to my door from Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh a few months ago; Total Wine wants $360 for it in my area. The Bunna 12 used to be $65; now it's almost $80 in a matter of a few months. The Bunna 12 CS used to be $89; now it's $109. Tamdhu Batch Strength was $99; now it's $125.
I picked up both the Bunnahabhain 18 & Ledaig 18 in an Oban Whisky Shop last November. Bunnahabhain was around $140 equivalent (w/ exchange rate.) I haven’t really explored it or it’s cask strength 12 sibling much yet. I may actually prefer the Tomatin 18 or Speyburn 18 initially, although none of those bottles have really opened up yet. I tried a couple bar pours of Bunnahabhain 12 CS 2022 batch in a Glasgow pub. Good lord! I wish I could go back in time & procure a case of those. Nothing wrong with latest batch But 2022 CS was next level. Thanks for the review. Cheers.
Hi Brian I'm a new subscriber, and I love your reviews, I will be watching your future reviews, thanks for the great review on the bunnahabhain 18year old, cheers brother and keep up the great reviews !!!
I too found a dusty bottle of the Bunna 12. Should of bought more. Haven’t opened it yet to compare. Other old bottlings I’ve discovered was several of the late 90s Glenmorangie wood finishes. Also Scapa 16 and an old bottling of Longmorn 16 to mention some.
I'd choose this whisky over Dalmour (overrated! - could they add any more colour?!) and Maccallan (sometimes overrated) as well but I would never pay such a high rate for this particular scotch. It is amazing (a friend has shared some) but I won't be the person who capitulates to the insane costs that keep creeping up. There are amazing much older single malts that I search out and I will pull the trigger but it has to be a truly magnificent, very special scotch. This expression doesn't justify the cost and I have the money but I won't be a sucker who grabs whatever I want no matter how insane the price is. This price cannot be justified! There is more reasonable scotch that is fabulous and people aren't being extorted to buy it! I get some people have to get every desired expression. I don't! Interesting, enjoyable review! Cheers! I get you seem to be willing to drop whatever it takes to get what you want! Some people need to have their toys! Whisky can be this way where it gets outrageous! It's kind of sad when these prices are being justified. Maybe age and experience gives me a different perspective! I'd just make the reviews a bit shorter. They do drag on a bit. Most people do about 18 minutes and for a reason.
I am adding to the dust on those older bottles of both the 12 and the 18. Back when the price was $130 the rumor mill had us believing the older labels were better, so I got lucky to find one of each. I have a lot of respect for Bunnahabhain and the 12 does deserve all the love at $60. And it really helps keep Islay as a phenomenal whisky region. I just grabbed another indie Staoisha because Bunnahabhain does kickass peat also. The Ancnoc 18 just hit the shelf at over $200. Which makes the Bruichladdich a bargain at $169. Unfortunately my finances are shit now so unless you scored it a 10/10, I am sticking to a $100 max if I have to buy anything. I am disappointed that we are accepting and praising young whisky across the board so I am thrilled that you are doing this series.
Thank you so much for all of your supportive comments! I have tried some of their official peated bottlings and they have been good. Peated Bunna is definitely something I need to explore a bit more.
Brian, I really appreciate your observations, and insight on these reviews. The price increase situation is making it a lot more challenging in terms of where to spend the cash. $400 for a Bunna 18 is a bit obscene. With that said I have a UK source that has it for $135 USD, but you need to buy two bottles from that site to dollar cost average the shipping to be $25 a bottle. So I’d be looking at this in the $160 price point. Still over 3x the Bunna 12 🤔 For me it is definitely worth it, as Springbank 10 is now going for $140 to $150, and for me Bunna 18 is well worth the $20 or $10 over that SB10. We are really looking at two things when it comes to price. Enjoyment level and what it costs to produce. From enjoyment level perspective. Bunna 12 is the better purchase because you can buy 3 bottles for the same price if Bunna 18 and the enjoyment level is not that far off between the two. They are not the same experience, but enjoyment is very close. Now considering how expensive it is not only to not buy the Sherry casks, but tor maintenance and care for those casks a total 18 yrs, 6 more years than the B12. Now that’s when value scale shifts with 18 and older bottles. For me, the reality is global inflation is real and the prices are going to price out a lot of consumers I tend to go with $10 per yr for bottles aged 18 and over is acceptable. So 18s that are $180 or less. And $210 or less on 21 yr olds. Unfortunately 21 yr olds are now pushing $250 to $400 range so I can’t even rely on that pricing scale anymore. 🤷🏻♂️ IMO Bunna 18 is still worth the sub $200 pricing but no doubt affordability is indeed slipping away. The whisky exchange is hit or miss because their $65 shipping to USA for 1 bottle makes purchasing cost prohibitive I have German sources that offer $43 for up to two bottles, and other UK sources that offer $50 for up to two, with $12 each additional. From those sites I have to plan purchases for multi bottles to dollar cost the shipping to be less than $20 a bottle. The things we have to do to cut costs. Can’t wait for the rest of your 18s in this series. Great job here!
It's more than obscene! It's insane. There are outstanding single malts out there and you don't have to pay an extortionist price to get it. At a certain point it becomes difficult to justify certain charges. Maybe Brian has to get whatever expressions he desires but even with the money to buy whatever I want (I buy very old expressions, L25 years and up - but they are extraordinary) I won't be a sucker and pay this cost for so many expressions these days. As long as people do it? The charges will increase.
There is a UK shop that offers FREE shipping to USA when you spend £500. Yeah, it’s a big order but I do this every 2-3 months and get many whiskies absolutely unavailable in my state, and at great prices.
Thank you so much for the detailed response! That seems to be the way to go these days when it comes to buying scotch in the US. Between the dwindling selection and high premiums, I have been buying most of my scotch from overseas or from K&L here is CA as they usually do a good job with affordable IBs.
You know one thing I miss, make it two. One is Master of Malts not shipping to the states anymore, that just floored me. The combination of the bottle selection and shipping prices were unbeatable, period. The other is the shipping on the Auction sites. Good lord it’s become prohibitive ! I miss buying on auction. SWA is an example. Also I agree with the prices slipping out of control. Soon the 15 yr olds will be the new 18s if they aren’t already. Price wise. In south Florida the selection used to be relatively good. You could find anything from Springbank to Scapa. Although the IBs were never a thing here. Nowadays , after 2020, the selection is piss poor. Only Total Wine has some selection and is horribly overpriced.
With 18 year old Scotches I'm collecting various ones I can afford. I'm doing the best to keep it at $10-$15 per year. Once I get the Springbank 18 year I think I'll call it. I'm not paying the $300+ some 18 year old scotches are commanding. If I can get some decent Independent Bottlings I'll get those as well.
I was lucky to stock up a few bunna 18 for $135 and the old 12 for $50 3-4 yrs ago. Its crazy how much the 18 is selling right now. Don't think its worth buying at those prices.
Crikey - this is still £125 in the UK at quite a few places if you look around, i think at Master of Malt and Amazon….someone is indeed taking the piss.
I’m north of the border and this just popped up again for a little over $200 CAD (paid $180 two years ago). Not a chance I’d pay $400…Sounds like a bargain now 😂
I've been keeping track of Total Wine for over a year, and I see them constantly raising their prices. I paid $180 for my Bunna 18 shipped to my door from Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh a few months ago; Total Wine wants $360 for it in my area. The Bunna 12 used to be $65; now it's almost $80 in a matter of a few months. The Bunna 12 CS used to be $89; now it's $109. Tamdhu Batch Strength was $99; now it's $125.
They do seem to be creeping up above retail on some bottles. Definitely something to keep an eye on!
I picked up both the Bunnahabhain 18 & Ledaig 18 in an Oban Whisky Shop last November. Bunnahabhain was around $140 equivalent (w/ exchange rate.) I haven’t really explored it or it’s cask strength 12 sibling much yet. I may actually prefer the Tomatin 18 or Speyburn 18 initially, although none of those bottles have really opened up yet. I tried a couple bar pours of Bunnahabhain 12 CS 2022 batch in a Glasgow pub. Good lord! I wish I could go back in time & procure a case of those. Nothing wrong with latest batch But 2022 CS was next level. Thanks for the review. Cheers.
Yeah, I'm with you on the 2022 CS Bunna. Definitely wish I had jumped on that one sooner.
Hi Brian
I'm a new subscriber, and I love your reviews, I will be watching your future reviews, thanks for the great review on the bunnahabhain 18year old, cheers brother and keep up the great reviews !!!
Awesome, thank you for the sub and welcome aboard!
Thank you for providing context and additional thoughts! Really enjoy the more in depth look than just a few minute review. Cheers!
My pleasure!
I too found a dusty bottle of the Bunna 12. Should of bought more. Haven’t opened it yet to compare. Other old bottlings I’ve discovered was several of the late 90s Glenmorangie wood finishes. Also Scapa 16 and an old bottling of Longmorn 16 to mention some.
I'd choose this whisky over Dalmour (overrated! - could they add any more colour?!) and Maccallan (sometimes overrated) as well but I would never pay such a high rate for this particular scotch. It is amazing (a friend has shared some) but I won't be the person who capitulates to the insane costs that keep creeping up. There are amazing much older single malts that I search out and I will pull the trigger but it has to be a truly magnificent, very special scotch. This expression doesn't justify the cost and I have the money but I won't be a sucker who grabs whatever I want no matter how insane the price is. This price cannot be justified! There is more reasonable scotch that is fabulous and people aren't being extorted to buy it! I get some people have to get every desired expression. I don't! Interesting, enjoyable review! Cheers! I get you seem to be willing to drop whatever it takes to get what you want! Some people need to have their toys! Whisky can be this way where it gets outrageous! It's kind of sad when these prices are being justified. Maybe age and experience gives me a different perspective! I'd just make the reviews a bit shorter. They do drag on a bit. Most people do about 18 minutes and for a reason.
Thanks for the feedback! At the moment I am working on creating a more conversational channel so my Monday reviews will be longer for the time being.
I am adding to the dust on those older bottles of both the 12 and the 18.
Back when the price was $130 the rumor mill had us believing the older labels were better, so I got lucky to find one of each.
I have a lot of respect for Bunnahabhain and the 12 does deserve all the love at $60. And it really helps keep Islay as a phenomenal whisky region. I just grabbed another indie Staoisha because Bunnahabhain does kickass peat also.
The Ancnoc 18 just hit the shelf at over $200. Which makes the Bruichladdich a bargain at $169. Unfortunately my finances are shit now so unless you scored it a 10/10, I am sticking to a $100 max if I have to buy anything.
I am disappointed that we are accepting and praising young whisky across the board so I am thrilled that you are doing this series.
Thank you so much for all of your supportive comments! I have tried some of their official peated bottlings and they have been good. Peated Bunna is definitely something I need to explore a bit more.
Brian, I really appreciate your observations, and insight on these reviews. The price increase situation is making it a lot more challenging in terms of where to spend the cash. $400 for a Bunna 18 is a bit obscene.
With that said I have a UK source that has it for $135 USD, but you need to buy two bottles from that site to dollar cost average the shipping to be $25 a bottle. So I’d be looking at this in the $160 price point. Still over 3x the Bunna 12 🤔
For me it is definitely worth it, as Springbank 10 is now going for $140 to $150, and for me Bunna 18 is well worth the $20 or $10 over that SB10.
We are really looking at two things when it comes to price.
Enjoyment level and what it costs to produce.
From enjoyment level perspective. Bunna 12 is the better purchase because you can buy 3 bottles for the same price if Bunna 18 and the enjoyment level is not that far off between the two. They are not the same experience, but enjoyment is very close.
Now considering how expensive it is not only to not buy the Sherry casks, but tor maintenance and care for those casks a total 18 yrs, 6 more years than the B12. Now that’s when value scale shifts with 18 and older bottles.
For me, the reality is global inflation is real and the prices are going to price out a lot of consumers
I tend to go with $10 per yr for bottles aged 18 and over is acceptable.
So 18s that are $180 or less. And $210 or less on 21 yr olds.
Unfortunately 21 yr olds are now pushing $250 to $400 range so I can’t even rely on that pricing scale anymore. 🤷🏻♂️
IMO Bunna 18 is still worth the sub $200 pricing but no doubt affordability is indeed slipping away.
The whisky exchange is hit or miss because their $65 shipping to USA for 1 bottle makes purchasing cost prohibitive
I have German sources that offer $43 for up to two bottles, and other UK sources that offer $50 for up to two, with $12 each additional.
From those sites I have to plan purchases for multi bottles to dollar cost the shipping to be less than $20 a bottle.
The things we have to do to cut costs.
Can’t wait for the rest of your 18s in this series. Great job here!
It's more than obscene! It's insane. There are outstanding single malts out there and you don't have to pay an extortionist price to get it. At a certain point it becomes difficult to justify certain charges. Maybe Brian has to get whatever expressions he desires but even with the money to buy whatever I want (I buy very old expressions, L25 years and up - but they are extraordinary) I won't be a sucker and pay this cost for so many expressions these days. As long as people do it? The charges will increase.
There is a UK shop that offers FREE shipping to USA when you spend £500. Yeah, it’s a big order but I do this every 2-3 months and get many whiskies absolutely unavailable in my state, and at great prices.
Thank you so much for the detailed response! That seems to be the way to go these days when it comes to buying scotch in the US. Between the dwindling selection and high premiums, I have been buying most of my scotch from overseas or from K&L here is CA as they usually do a good job with affordable IBs.
You know one thing I miss, make it two. One is Master of Malts not shipping to the states anymore, that just floored me. The combination of the bottle selection and shipping prices were unbeatable, period. The other is the shipping on the Auction sites. Good lord it’s become prohibitive ! I miss buying on auction. SWA is an example.
Also I agree with the prices slipping out of control. Soon the 15 yr olds will be the new 18s if they aren’t already. Price wise. In south Florida the selection used to be relatively good. You could find anything from Springbank to Scapa. Although the IBs were never a thing here. Nowadays , after 2020, the selection is piss poor. Only Total Wine has some selection and is horribly overpriced.
With 18 year old Scotches I'm collecting various ones I can afford. I'm doing the best to keep it at $10-$15 per year. Once I get the Springbank 18 year I think I'll call it. I'm not paying the $300+ some 18 year old scotches are commanding. If I can get some decent Independent Bottlings I'll get those as well.
I got these for 160 USD a couple of years ago and bunkered them. I'm done with the Bunna 18. It's good but not $335 plus tax good in my area.
If you're looking for a 10-yr-old that warrants an 8/10 or higher, then try Port Charlotte 10. Pheee-nom-nom-inal!
I should be reviewing that one soon!
I was lucky to stock up a few bunna 18 for $135 and the old 12 for $50 3-4 yrs ago. Its crazy how much the 18 is selling right now. Don't think its worth buying at those prices.
At $135 this would be a great value!
Crikey - this is still £125 in the UK at quite a few places if you look around, i think at Master of Malt and Amazon….someone is indeed taking the piss.
That's good to know. Hopefully the prices stay "stable" in the UK!
I’m north of the border and this just popped up again for a little over $200 CAD (paid $180 two years ago). Not a chance I’d pay $400…Sounds like a bargain now 😂
Yeah, I am not sure who is buying at that price! Cheers!