Cadenheads Bunnahabhain 12yo Authentic Collection August 2024 & Cadenheads Caol Ila 16yo Authentic Collection August 2024

Cadenheads Bunnahabhain 12yo Authentic Collection August 2024

Region: Islay

ABV: 64.2%

Price: £70.00

Distilled in 2012 and matured in a bourbon hogshead, this whisky was bottled in August 2024. A total of 270 bottles were released.

Nose

The nose starts off a bit restrained, but with time, it unfolds to reveal raspberries, followed by bright citrus notes of lemons and grapefruit. There's a grainy quality too, reminiscent of oats and crusty white rolls. Revisiting brings out more aromas of pistachio sorbet, accompanied by ginger spice and lavender, corn, green apples and melons. There’s a hint of ethanol which isn’t surprising given the ABV.

Palate

On the palate, this whisky starts similarly to the nose but has a sweeter dimension, featuring toffee apple, dark and lime fondant creams. We also get taste notes of grapefruit, chocolate orange, a touch of tobacco and ginger spice. The spice is quite prominent and outlasts the sweetness, leading into a good length finish that's a bit hot for our preference. The mouthfeel is decent; however, the spice is a bit distracting.

Nose (with water)

With dilution, the nose morphs, revealing notes of warehouse funk and replacing the bright citrus aromas with stewed apples and apple crumble. The spice is noticeably dampened, allowing for notes like burnt toffee, a hint of honey, and sour cherry to come through. There's also a note that reminds us of burnt cinnamon bagels. This feels a little simpler than the pre diluted nose. With water, the palate remains quite spicy, although the sweetness is somewhat diminished, highlighting simpler notes like white sugar, orange juice, and apple.

Palate (with water)

Like the nose, the palate becomes less complex and more straightforward. The mouthfeel remains relatively unchanged as does the length of the finish.

Conclusion

Given the reputation of the spirit and the bottler, expectations were high for this. Unfortunately, it seems to miss the mark—it's too hot and spicy without water, and becomes too simplistic when diluted.

Score: 6.5/10

Value

It's hard to complain about getting cask strength Bunnahabhain for £70.

Cadenheads Caol Ila 16yo Authentic Collection August 2024

Region: Islay

ABV: 53.4%

Price: £115.00

Distilled in 2007 and matured in a bourbon hogshead, this whisky was bottled in August 2024. A total of 263 bottles were released.

Nose

On the nose, this whisky offers a mix of warehouse funk, sweetness, sea spray with a good level of peat and ash. There's a distinctive sweetness akin to orange fruit pastilles, tobacco, dark chocolate, and tar. The alcohol integration is good, and with patience notes of strawberry laces and burnt wood emerge. Interestingly, there's also a herbal note reminiscent of Chartreuse. We’re not sure we’d have identified this as Caol Ila if nosed blind.

Palate

The palate opens with notes of s'mores, stroopwafels, lemon juice, and iodine. Like the nose the palate doesn’t immediately suggest Caol Ila to us. There’s a good amount of smoke and ash here that lingers with the sweeter notes into a satisfying finish. However, the mouthfeel is somewhat thin. Sitting with it we notice dark chocolate, and a little chilli spice.

Nose (with water)

Adding water to this whisky enhances the smokiness, while highlighting notes of rice crackers, vanilla beans, tarry ropes, and honey. The tobacco flavour persists, but the spice becomes more rounded and subdued. There's also an emergence of dried roasted peanuts. As the whisky sits and develops in the glass, its Caol Ila DNA becomes more noticeable.

Palate (with water)

When diluted, the palate becomes drier, featuring prominent notes of dried wood and hay. The mouthfeel is passable but tends toward the watery side. The addition of water seems to amplify the spiciness, particularly highlighting a raw ginger spice that dominates the finish. Fresh raspberries and a hint of cinnamon also emerge. However, the overall dryness of the palate is a little distracting.

Conclusion

This whisky finds itself in a somewhat disappointing middle ground: it's not young enough to deliver a robust wallop of peat, yet not aged enough for the cask to impart the complexity needed to compensate for the diminished peaty character.

Score: 6.5/10

Value

Feels a touch pricey even though this is 16 years old.

• 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.

If you like what you’ve read then check out our social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) to get notifications of when we post a new review or just to chat about whisky with us.