Review #442 - Signatory Vintage 2007 Bunnahabhain 13 Year Single Cask
From Signatory Vintage's Cask Strength Collection, we have a Bunnahabhain, hailing from Islay. This is unpeated Bunnahabhain, and like much of the distillery's official range, this bottling has a stronger sherry influence. This single cask was matured in a first fill sherry butt, a large cask which yielded 559 bottles.
The cask has a 2007 vintage - February 13, 2007, in fact. It was matured for 13 years before bottling in 2020; the strength at that point was still a hefty 57.7% ABV. Signatory gives us good presentation on these bottles, so there's no worry of chill filtration or added coloring.
Signatory Vintage 2007 Bunnahabhain 13 Year Single Cask
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 179 (2024)
Age Statement: 13 Years
Strength: 57.7% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-sherry butt
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled February 13, 2007, bottled September 18, 2020; cask no. 590; 559 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 80% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Sweet notes of caramel and butterscotch to start, along with clove; that sweetness turns toward honey. There's a little bit of wood char, and then a rich dark raisin scent develops; with time, sharp prune is added.
Palate: A thick mouthfeel - tons of golden raisin and cinnamon at the front of the palate. Dark fruits like red raisin and grape juice build in strength, and in the background, there's a dark, oaky flavor. Demerara sugar adds more sweetness, while that oak develops a mild tannin and some wood smoke.
Finish: Dry grapes, almost like wine grapes, a bit tart. Oak, clove, and nutmeg add a spicy, warming side; the subtle tannins from the palate continue into the finish, and the length is medium-long.
Final Note: A good example of how tasty sherry-matured Bunnahabhain can be when it's presented at cask strength, even at an age of only 10 to 14 years. Lots of dense flavor, and while the dark fruits from the sherry cask are strong, there's still space in the profile for baking spices and some oaky prickle.
Value is okay, not great, at least in our market - some of these cask strength independently bottled single malts can get quite pricey. If Bunnahabhain is one of your favorites, it could still be worth a splurge for an interesting bottle like this.
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.32
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Bunnahabhain reviews:
Review #286 - Battlehill Peated Bunnahabhain 7 Year
Review #197 - SMWS 10.217 'Journey to the Fest' - Bunnahabhain 13 Year
