Cadenhead’s Bunnahabhain 9yo
Natural Strength Red Wine Cask Matured | 58% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something Special.
TL;DR
Whisky as a respite, an oasis, and common ground
Whisky as a tonic
This is not a political commentary. This is putting voice to reflection, emotion, and appreciation. And hope.
October 7th was a very tough day. My wife and I were in the midst of our trip to England when I learned of the commencement of atrocities in Israel. The following days, it was a struggle to compartmentalise and shut away the thoughts of what was happening in the Middle East as we did our best to enjoy our trip. Quite a contrast. It was an effort.
On October 11th, my wife and I made our way into London, having first spent time in the Cotswolds and then several days in Dorset by the Channel. We made our way via The Tube to our accommodation which was a few blocks above the northeastern corner of Hyde Park. When we looked at our phones, we saw the news feeds and heard rallies and counter-rallies and the renewed ancient vitriol and tropes. Our hearts sank, and apprehension and angst festered.
We walked through the city center on the 12th, and there were, at times, some clearly felt tensions. Getting into any venue was an issue. Long queues had formed due to security check points covered by police with long guns drawn. We couldn’t enter St. Paul’s Cathedral as admission was strictly limited to parishioners who were there for services. We had done the city center because my better half had never been to London, and seeing some of the obligatory sights was on the menu. On the 13th, we (as per our usual habit) decided to go off the beaten path. We decided to do a good amount of walking in various places, away from the high points listed in Frommer’s books and brochures. At the end of the day, there were two places that stuck out as oases. Oases at a time, in a city that, at certain instances/places, felt on edge.
The first oasis was discovered during a walk the first full evening in London as we searched for a place for dinner. I have previously talked about “following the bumble” (just head in a direction, follow your gut, and good things come up), and we did just that. We walked north and west from our hotel. After walking up and down blocks in the Connaught Square/Hyde Park Estate section of London, our bumble yielded an amazing jewel of a dining spot. We came upon a restaurant called “Salt Whisky Bar and Dining Room” on Seymour Street. Amazing Indian cuisine is wonderful enough, but they also carried more than 200 bottles of whisky on their shelves. Perhaps the best fish curry I have had. Mrs. Shaw raved about their Dal Makahni. And, we were amazed by, and kept reading through, their whisky menu that spanned eight pages. Magnificent. If you are ever on or close to Seymour Street, this is a must.
The next day brought the second oasis. We decided to walk north and east from our hotel. After meandering for fifteen minutes we found ourselves at Cadenhead’s. The whisky shop is located on Chiltern Street, not far from The Regent’s Park. We arrived at 11:00am, just about the same time they opened for business that day. I have read about Cadenhead’s for years. Immediately before we left on our trip, I also happened to see a YouTube video filmed in July from Whisky Mystery where Phil and Deepa visited the London Cadenhead’s. This was in the back of my mind as we set off on our trek for the day, and very glad we found our way to their door. Though I recall a comment in the video that the shop was a “wee shop”, I did not fully appreciate how small the shop really is. It certainly is very cozy. Lovely.
Despite the small store, it restored a sense of happiness, contentment, and it grounded me. I can’t explain it, but chatting with the store personnel, reviewing the bottles on the shelves with my wife, it was a bit of recalibrating magic.
This tonic also proved to have some tangible magic for me. Everything in that tiny shop was eye candy. As we walked into the store, my wife and I gawked at expressions in front of us that we never see anywhere near my home. I believe I spent several minutes reading the labels and imagining the flavor profiles of each of the bottles. After several minutes of silently drooling as I thought about those bottled cask strength flavors in front of me, Mrs. Shaw directed my attention to the left.
I turned, and gazed upon what appeared to be the Campbeltown section. Some small cages on the wall with bottles of Longrow, Kilkerran, and Hazelburn. And, to my great astonishment, were four bottles of Springbank 10. Price noted for a bottle was £52. For years, I have soaked in the conversations and read the articles about Springbank. For years. I have an indelible appreciation for that distillery even though, believe it or not, good ol’ Ogilvie had never had a drop of Springbank until the evening prior at the Salt Whisky Bar and Dining Room. (And, yes, the reality lived up to the hype.) If Springbank 10 ever appears near where I live, it is at a huge nationwide retailer that is an hour from my home. There (again, if it is ever in stock) it is close to $100, and that has deterred me for the one or two times I have ever seen a bottle in the wild. Clearly, all I needed to do to remedy this was to book a trip to the U.K. to find a bottle – and a $30 savings, at that! Needless to say, I grabbed a bottle and held it near.
I am not reviewing the Springbank 10. No, a second bottle caught my eyes. As we walked back to the center of the store, I was drawn to a certain bottle. Being a Bunnahabhain fan, this kept my attention. I did not grab it as quickly as the Springbank, as this bottle noted the whisky was red wine cask matured.
Red wine casks are usually, for me, hit or miss regardless of the spirit. But, my eager hand finally reached out and grabbed the bottle as I thought to myself; Cadenheads IB bottling + Bunnahabhain stock should = happy and satisfied Ogilvie.
Hoping my formulaic math to be spot on, that bottle was wrapped up along with my Springbank.
Review
Bunnahabhain 9yo, Cadenhead’s Natural Strength Red Wine Cask Matured Bunnahabhain, 58% ABV
$70 USD (£56) & availability
Limited release. One of 228 bottles. Non-chill filtered. Natural colour.
Score: 8/10
Something Special.
TL;DR
A barbecue blessing
Nose
Candied bacon that I used to prepare for my kids. Rich and savory. Wafts of smoke caused by barbecued meat drippings on hot coals. Spices interwoven. Cloves and light pepper. Brown sugar. Hints of mulled wine.
Palate
Good Lord, thank you for this blessing. The barbecue/camp fire notes from the nose envelope the tongue. Envelops but is not overpowering or biting or edgy in any way. Rich. Sweet and savory smoke, spices, and a touch of fruit. Savory and slightly viscous. Spiced rubbed meats that have been on a low and slow rotisserie for nine hours. There is a slight hint of the mulled wine from the nose – clearly, to me, from the red wine cask. It is faint, in no way obtrusive; but ever so complimentary. The finish is long. Wonderfully spiced and sweet smoke tails off into flavors of red chilli jelly, bacon renderings, and a touch of spicy pad thai. Gorgeous.
The Dregs
This whisky from Cadenhead’s is an all natural single cask, cask strength whisky. Bottled in autumn 2023 and aged nine years old, this is one of 228 bottles available. I am lucky to have this bottle, and extraordinarily glad I picked it up. And at this price, I feel as if this is a steal. An absolute steal.
I appreciate going through official bottlings – as mentioned in another review, I have a collection of empty bottles of whisky. The collection is one from each expression I have drained. When I look at my collection, it is nice to see a representative bottle from, for example, Loch Lomond 12, Bruichladdich’s Classic Laddie, or Balcones Texas 1 Single Malt (each of which I have gone through multiple bottles). But there is something more special about the single cask IB expressions on my shelf. These are truly the one-in-a-lifetime bottles. I will never see them again. They were unicorns, more than likely at cask strength and naturally presented. These are the flavor bombs that I have cherished. There is a wonderfully reminiscent feeling I have when I remember the enjoyment from each. When this Cadenhead’s Bunnahabhain is drained, I will have the same wistful thoughts when I see it on my shelf.
This bottle – while a limited release and not widely available – is still listed on the Cadenhead’s website (presumably demonstrating its present availability, though it does not appear that you can purchase through the website) and, most likely, still in some of the Cadenhead’s shops. If you can find this, do not hesitate to pick it up if you are any sort of fan of peat. This peated dram reminds me of a combination of the best parts of a Lagavulin 16, a Kilchoman Sanaig, and an Laphroaig cask strength. The Bunnahabhain in my glass is beautiful. The red wine cask works beautifully with the distillate – it is noticeable but not in any way forward. It is a beautiful compliment with the savory outdoor barbeque flavors of the peated Bunnahabhain spirit.
And, yes, this meets the Ogilvie standard of a great whisky – it does make time stop as I sit, sip, and ponder.
As I noted at the outset of this piece, I am not going to get into a commentary on present world events. This is neither the place nor forum. What I will say, however, are two things.
First, upon reflection of our trip, it was remarkable to note that the two places in London in which no reminders or heaviness of events were, of course, in two whisky settings. I suppose it is not surprising. Whisky does have a way. That ingratiating quality. Mrs. Shaw and I were blessed to experience those oases. Whisky folk are truly remarkable, and I am ever so appreciative of being among you.
Second, a quote continues to percolate to the forefront of my addled brain. “Even in darkness it is possible to create light.” Elie Wiesel said it, and it resonates. I wish everyone, and the world at large, the time to hear this quote and the desire to work to realize its truth.
Sharing a dram of this Bunnahabhain might be a good start.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
