North Star Spirits is a relative newcomer, but in that short period of time this independent bottler has released some stellar whisky, most recently an absurdly well-priced 40-year-old blended malt.
Last year however, founder Iain Croucher (formerly from A.D. Rattray), made a big splash when he gave us an extremely well-received Bunnahabhain. And by that I mean 92 points well-received from Serge Valentin. You know that when he gives his stamp of approval, people take notice. Now, finally, I get to take a closer look at it myself.
Bunnahabhain 1986 30 Years Old (52,5%, North Star Spirits, 84 bts.)
Nose: Quite pungent. A tad lactic, accompanied by a rush of oak, before moving on to sour notes. Vinegar-y almost. Freshly squeezed lemons, a few apricots, and some honey as well. Somewhat spicy too, think chili peppers. Becomes sweeter when it breathes for a while.
Taste: This is where this Bunnahabhain shines. Mature, but never tired and always vibrant. Restrained oak, with a very soft note of ginger. There’s sweet honey, apple crumble, and apricots, as well as white grapes. Loving this, a lot!
Finish: Medium in length, somewhat dry, with sweet fruits.
Rating: 91
In my experience, it’s rare that the palate outperforms the nose, but that is the case here. I’d say the nose is just a bit too sour for my liking (still very good though), while the palate is just insanely pleasant.
Photo: Whiskybase
