Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Cask Strength (2025 Edition) & Ardnahoe 6yo Aqvavitae Small Batch

Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Cask Strength (2025 Edition)

Region: Islay

ABV: 56.4%

Price: £84.95

Bottled in 2025, this unpeated annual cask strength release was drawn predominantly from second fill Oloroso sherry casks, with a small proportion of first fill and refill casks.

Nose

The nose opens with fizzy cherry gummy sweets, some cocoa butter and something reminiscent of forest floor in autumn, a vegetal, leafy aroma. There's also strawberry laces, candied pecans, crisp red apple flesh and browned butter. The alcohol is relatively well balanced, there's a bit of a prickle in the background but overall it's well integrated, and with time and air we're starting to find some star anise, dusty furniture, and shortbread fingers.

Palate

The palate opens with some earthy, slightly muddy flavours, moving into dark chocolate, a little singed toffee, and richer, darker sugars. There's more upfront spice than the nose led on, there's quite a bit of pepperiness that lingers into the finish. Going back, we're also finding an oxidised, old school type of sherry cask, lots of nutty flavours, rich caramels and dark chocolate - not as sweet as expected, more drying but with quite a depth of flavour. The mouthfeel is decent, there's a bit of texture here, and as we keep sipping, we're getting a little more citrus in the form of lime and grapefruit peels coming through.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has more of a dunnage-y aroma, we're transported back to Warehouse #9, there's more red fruit and berries coming through and it feels a little sweeter too. It's a mixture of dunnage earthiness and fresh ripe fruits now, perhaps a little less complex but really quite pleasant.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate follows the reduced nose - more fruit, lighter, but still with an earthy, slightly vegetal quality. The alcohol is still a bit peppery and the mouthfeel is still lighter than we'd like, but now it feels a bit more balanced. There's still some grapefruit and lime on the finish. 

Conclusion

An earthy, dry, rich sherried Bunnah, no peat but still maintains a slightly dirty character. The nose is lovely, lots going on, quite complex. The palate is a bit more punchy, slightly less interesting and loses a bit of complexity for us. Overall it's a pleasant dram, we've missed the last few releases of this so can't compare but we'd happily drink a dram or two. 

Score: 7/10

Value

We do wish this was a little cheaper, but it’s a 12yo cask strength Islay so we’re hardly surprised by the price.

Ardnahoe 6yo Aqvavitae Small Batch

Region: Islay

ABV: 55.0%

Price: £85.00

Distilled in February 2019 and fully matured in bourbon barrels, this small batch Ardnahoe was drawn from three casks and bottled in August 2025 at six years old, with an outturn of 762 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with much more of a soft gentle peat smoke than we were expecting, but it's mixed nicely with sweet vanilla cream, a little stale sponge cake, a touch of antiseptic, lemon balm, and a little cigarette ash. The alcohol is really well integrated, barely noticeable even when you're deep into the glass. Time and air reveals a mixture of fruits, pineapple, ripe apricot, and lime cordial, along with sweetened white bread and a little pear skin too. 

Palate

The palate opens with a sweet crumbly biscuitiness, more citrus in the form of lemon water, some green herbaceousness, perhaps a little rosemary, and a background of earthy, vegetal peat which lingers into the good length finish. The alcohol is a tad more prominent now, a bit of black pepper spice that tingles the tongue, but it's still well integrated and balanced. The mouthfeel is good, it's got a syrupy texture, and we're getting some more salinity, lots of citrus and some fresh dirt on the second sip. As the finish develops, more of a menthol quality starts to appear. There's not as much fruit as we experienced on the nose, but there's a bit of fleshy yellow apple that comes through as we revisit. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose brings a bit more sourness alongside the sweet vanilla fondant and ripe fruits, and accentuates some of the breadier aromas. The smoke has mellowed somewhat, and overall the dram feels a little less complex, however there's still a lot going on. There's a certain paperiness that's appeared too. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate hasn't changed too much for us, slightly drier and earthier as the palate develops, but also more of those butterscotch and brown sugar flavours start to appear on the latter palate. The upfront peat hit has mellowed but it's just as punchy as the finish develops. It's got a bit more of younger whisky feel now, or should we say, it's drinking more around its actual age.

Conclusion

A lovely inviting nose that presents older than it is, and a palate that is punchier but maintains a balance and poise of a mature Islay whisky. It's a really well done small batch Ardnahoe, a spirit we're finding that shows massive potential. Great whisky, no complaints from us.

Score: 8/10

Value

The price is in line with the distillery’s other cask strength releases.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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