Thanks for the mention 🙂 You nailed it with the tasting notes - I feel like I could've guessed the whisky from your notes with this one. Also agree with your thoughts, especially on the price. You make a very good point that I hadn't thought of: that this would be a great addition to the core line up. Admittedly I do prefer the 12yo to this (general personal preference for age), but if this were sold at a similar price to the 12yo but at this higher ABV to offset the youth then it'd perhaps be an easier NAS purchase to justify than the Stiuireadair. But never at £90-100. Cheers!
Agree. After overcharging so much for these Feis Ile bottlings, the 40% Bagh Cluin they released in Taiwan last year, and recent reports that the 18 has dipped in quality, I'm getting a bit nervous about Bunna. Traditionally they've been one of my favourites. Cheers!
Hey Geoff, awesome review as ever. Fully agree with everything you said. I'd say if you like the 12yr you really should try these fèis isle options. I do enjoy this with a splash of water, but I would definitely say the 2023 14yr old port or the canasta are far better (and as I said I really like this one) I did find it at a decent price at £61 and I'd say it's a no brainier at that price. I think I'd still happily replace at around the £80 mark though
I´ve been to Bunnahabhain distillery recently. The times of good value for money, especially outside of their core range are definitely over. Every day I find more reasons NOT to buy new or more whisky bottles, be it Bunna, Ardbeg, OP, SB, Tamdhu... Greed is kicking in and combined with less money to spend that will mean the end of the whisky price hikes and the probably the whole whisky hype.
This year has been so rough... I've never seen a spike quite like what's happening now. As a community we're going to have to highlight value now more than ever.
Had to comment given your Macallan fine & rare YT handle. I agree re: price and hype however some brands especially the likes of Macallan may not get hit hard as much as we would all love for that to happen.
@@Rohit_M I have this youtube handle since the years when Macallan was still a good brand. Now everybody in whisky youtube calls me "The Doc" and I have long said goodbye to The M... 😉
You are correct to rant about the price. There are some whiskies that in my eyes are worth 150+ USD. But those are very special ones, my favorites. For 100 USD you better offer some extremely good. I have had some 400-500 USD whiskies, and as good as most of them are, they are not worth the money.
Nice review Geoff. Haven't tried this one, and generally avoid Feis Ile stuff. Besides, I have a problem with the Gaelic department at Bunny. They actually charge by the vowel now - how else do we explain Stureader? Bit like HP and their Viking research and development! And Ardbeg and their ... I could go on. (Bunny still my fav distillery though.)
Hah I know HP and Ardbeg get more flack. But it's easy for me to ignore the markety nonsense on the back label and focus on the whisky. As for Bunna... I actually have to pronounce the damn names. Try to, anyway. Cheers Dave. I still love 'em, too!
Thank you so much!! for this review jeff. Prices for scotches, bourbons and irish whiskey in the united states have balooned🎈 with the rise in inflation. Happy new year and good health ,and please continue to give us more solid future reviews. enjoy every dram your hands obtain..cheers jeff🥃
Just bought this for $150 AUD which is seemingly a fair bit cheaper than most markets as that makes it around the £75 mark so pretty happy with that as the Australian market is usually much more expensive
So I got : Fèis Ìle 2022: Abhainn Araig New Acquaintance 2022 Release: Double Wood 32 years old Fèis Ìle 2022: Tokaji Moine 2004 Cask Finish Whisky 2003 Mòine Rum Finish 2004 Mòine Pedro Ximenez Cask Finish Whisky Fèis Ile 2019 Sauternes Cask Finish 2001 (18 years) The last one was bought at auctions and received at the same time. So a lot to go through. I will have busy evenings 😛 Bon début de semaine! Cheers
Nice and honest review, Geoff. Thanks! The only Feis Ile whisky I've seen available in Bulgaria is the Big Peat blended malt from Douglas Laing. I even have a bottle of the 2022 release. Paid ~50 euros for it which is kinda OK for a bottle of cask strength, peated Islay malt, albeit NAS and not single malt but blended. As for the price of this Bunna...well, I wouldn't pay this money for a bottle of NAS malt albeit special, limited, Feis Ile whatever release unless at least three independent whisky tubers I trust score it like 95 average :) In general almost anything from Distell is slightly overpiced over here. Which is a shame because I like Bunna, Deanston and Ledaig very much. Bunnahabhain 12 for example costs almost 50 euros. Don't know about Taiwan but we have one of the lowest taxes and excise duty in EU and generally liquor is very cheap. No wonder thousands of tourists come each summer to our seaside resorts to basically drink themselves stupid. Malt whisky is naturally priced above the average booze butt still lower than Central and Western Europe and especially UK. BTW, have you come across the Ledaig Sinclair Series NAS finished in Rioja casks? 46.3%, NFC, NC. The feedback it gets looks promising and I can have it for 34-35 euros on special :) Cheers!
Thanks! I've never tried a Feis Ile Big Peat, but sounds interesting. Douglas Laing blended malts are hit-or-miss, but there are some real treasures in there. I've yet to see the Ledaig Rioja release here in Taiwan yet. I don't know if it will ever make it over. Shame, I've been hearing a number of people rant and rave about it for the last few months. Sounds like it's a killer value buy. Hopefully I'll get the opportunity to review it someday. Cheers!
As a whisky drinker I enjoy the new variety of casks and NAS. The issue is that at the moment they can knock out a £50 whisky with a nice little story and charge.......well.....whatever. I am drinking more rum and English Brandy as a result of being conned by old reliable brands who now sell to the investors not the drinkers. It's sad; however the bubble will burst. Those brands that have let us down will have to earn our purchases. Some of them, -as it stands-, can go **@£ themselves . I have been really let down over the last few years by, 'solid' brands. Thanks for the video and a genuine thank you for being thruthful on this issue. Reviewing a Scotch that costs £100+ is easy: it should be good! Is it worth it and are they taking the piss? These are the questions and thanks again for addressing it. Other reviewers online are and the more that do.........Well I doubt the buggers will listen!....Rant over cheers M8
Hah I'm sure they hear us, and perhaps if enough people start to chime in they'll listen. That being said, doesn't feel like we're moving in that direction, does it? Totally agree about the NAS "issue." Even when it's a case like this where the whisky is indeed good, I know that it isn't premium or aged, and that this mark-up is purely profit-driven. I understand a business exists to make money, but there's turning a profit and there's ripping people off. Bunna isn't the worst offender, but they are definitely doing it, and I come down extra hard on them because I'm such a fan. Tough love.
Hi Geoff,an enjoyable honest review, well done. The problem is distilleries release these festival and limited edition’s and put them out at premium ++ price’s and the liquid inside doesn’t fit the price.😤 and its happening in older core range bottlings as well. Makes me think twice now before buying single malts. Cheers Geoff, good review. PS thats an excellent price for bunnha 12. Slàinte.
Yeah it's a real shame. They're good whiskies, and I'm certain the production cost doesn't come close to matching the price, at least in this case. A bit of cask play, sure, but it's a relatively young whisky. Delicious nonetheless, but I'm sure they'd turn a profit selling it at half that price. Cheers David!
Overpriced anything always deserves a rant Geoff. We must protest when we are being exploited. Buying an new untried bottle to enjoy the consumable inside it is why whisky is produced. It is not a collectible art work or a precious porcelain statuette. It is just an alcoholic drink for us to enjoy(responsibly). We have to reject the idea it is an investment on which we should gamble our limited money based on the false notion it will somehow make us wealthy. Drinking and eating can be a pleasure, much less so if it stupidly expensive or not very tasty. Keep it up Geoff, we can’t all try before we buy so RUclipsrs help sort out the wheat from the chaff.
Well said. Collectors and flippers can do as they will, but I'm here to drink, enjoy, and share. Whisky is my luxury of choice and I buy a lot of it. But with the recent price hikes, I'm going to have to be much more selective moving forward. Value has never been more important. Cheers Michael, glad the vids are helpful. 🥃
Very good and honest review! Thank you! Unfortunatelly almost all distlleries doing 'weird' things with prices and NAS whiskies. I think is the new era, following Macallan and Ardbeg... 👍
Canuck in Oz- Totally agree Geoff. I’ve moved away from expensive 12 yo special releases & going to some of the cheaper 8 10 12 & 14 year olds. They put a fancy label on it, call it a special realise & then want you to pay here in Australia $180-$230 for Oban & Lagavulin. Loved the Octomores but $330 come on. Lovely to try occasionally but really! Moved to Deanston, Ardnamurchan, Ledaig, & Kilcholman & even 8 yo Lagavulin &10 yo Ardbeg . Vote with your wallet!
Smart move, and nice choice of value brands! Value is getting increasingly important nowadays. My heart goes out to you... moving from one expensive & overtaxed whisky market to another. Cheers Tony! 🥃
Delighted to watch this and, now subscribed, I’ll see loads more. I’m so happy you enjoyed the dram cos I think it’s a cracking dram for drinking. “Price/subsequent value” is outside my remit, but on our shelves the 12 is £44 & the AA is £95, so not 4x in the home market. Regards age quotation, the most crucial (?) part of this dram, is the burst of sweetness from a wee double parcel (warehousemen will know what I mean) of Pedro Ximénez Octaves (which have since been refilled). That renders age statement unrealistic to age-chasers, because while us drammers know it means FA, you know if you quote that octave maturation in years, you’re talking small numbers & all the grief that brings to the wider whisky market’s perception! 🙈😁👍🥃 *happy to talk (are you on other channels?) 😁
Thanks for the info, David. A few details in there I wasn't aware of! As someone who isn't an "age-chaser" I'd agree that it's a cracking dram and it's a bottle I'll surely enjoy. I think the age suits the whisky perfectly. Really, my only issue is the price. I feel that even at double the price of the 12, it's asking a lot. Even with some (elaborate?) cask play with PX octaves, I don't feel like the price is justified. Happy to have it for a one-off, but certainly not one I'll be revisiting, which is unfortunate because it's wonderful stuff. Cheers! Oh, and this is my only channel. Thanks again. 🥃
Great review Geoff, however I’ll be steering clear of Bunna for a bit, my recent bottle of the 12 is very flat and almost sour. I took the cork off a week ago and will let it oxidize for a month before going back to it. None of those rich, jammy notes to be found at all. Very disappointing
Damn, sorry to hear that. I love the 12, I've yet to have a "dud" bottle from them, but it seems a few people are noticing a decline these days. Hope they get back on track. Bunna is a great distillery.
Damn, sorry to hear that. I love the 12, I've yet to have a "dud" bottle from them, but it seems a few people are noticing a decline these days. Hope they get back on track. Bunna is a great distillery.
Echo all the other comments Geoff- I bought a bottle for LochFyneWhiskies whilst on my way to Campbeltown, prob purely on the fact that it was a festival bottling and I thought, ‘flipping eck, festival, when do I get chance to get hands on that…’ ignoring the fact there was a mountain of it on the counter by the till…. Anyway, drank half rather quickly, liking it, it now on the back of the cuppboard for another time when I can take more time over it. Haven’t given the price a thought until your video…. Ha…
On another note, Campbeltown festival was the week before the islay(ish), the GlenScotia 8yo festival bottle- CS, Age Statment, PROBABLY Natural Color and NCF… was awesome and at 60£ ish….
I drank some of that Scotia 8 from a friend's bottle the other day. It was delicious! Sadly that's about £82 here in Taiwan. A bit steep for me... Cheers John!
They must have made a lot of this one because I just landed a bottle here in Ontario, Canada. We rarely get these special releases. I haven't opened it yet...saving it for a special. Paid $195CAD
I don’t suppose you’ve tried the Bunna Aonadh? It’s a limited edition cask strength 10 yr old with port and sherry maturation/finishing, just a couple bottles left at my local shop. Runs for $180 USD, and I too was tempted to try based on my consistency with the brand, but 3 and a half times the price of the standard 12 seems like a big ask.
Welp, I just got the last bottle of the Aonadh at the store. Ok, went a little over my planned budget. But I was looking for the 2022 Bunna cask strength 12, and they were completely out of stock already! So what was I to do? Also got a Laphroaig Cairdeas warehouse 1.
Opened this tonight and…hate to say, but it’s delicious. It’s a marriage of bourbon (I think) maturation with port finish, and sherry (oloroso) maturation, 10 yrs old, cask strength 56.2. NCF and natural color. I was expecting overkill with the fruit and you do taste the port influence but it’s very smooth and drinkable at cask strength even without water. More oloroso sherry influence than anything and a nutty quality that’s classic Bunna. Obviously not something you can buy often but…if you’re going to splurge, this is a good one.
Believe you me is actually correct I believe. Former UFC fighter Michael Bisping named his podcast Believe You Me a saying he says all the time. Regarding the Bunnahabhain I wish I could get a sample because it is so very very expensive.
Hah I've heard it used many times before. Sounds weird, though. Heh. Yeah this Bunna is too much. Solid whisky but can't justify the price. Cheers Dean.
Geoff, excellent call out on the price and 4x the Bunna 12 for a NAS offering. It looks like the right whisky at the right price train left the station a long time ago. It's become totally ridiculous and will turn many enthusiasts away from some of these brands. The good news is there are new distilleries that will out compete especially the NAS offerings from these stalwarts distilleries.
Yeah there's definitely a silver lining. Lots of great whisky available nowadays, and it's occasionally well-priced. Still sad to see old favourites go downhill, though.
Simple arithmetic... An Oban 14 and a Kilchoman Machir Bay for the mark up on Bunna.. No contest... Bunna "price wise" are up their own jacksy... Glengoyne know how to charge as well... Give em the "bullet" whereupon you see fit GMan... Cos our Ralfy as you know does as much.. And good on him... Roll on Christmas.. We'll all get a bit of turkey...
$31 Us?!?!!! Holy crap!! I thought the 12 was good value here when I bought it at $50. It typically sells for @$60-65. You would NOT be a whiskytuber if if you lived in the USA my friend. Back in 2018 BC (before Covid) HP 12 was@$45 it’s now it’s 60-65. Laph QC @50, now it’s $75. Aberlour 18, Glengoyne 18@ $95, now $160. Glendronach 18 was @$110, now $220. Glendronach 21 was @135, now @$300. Glenfarclas 25 @$130 on sale, now $220. I could go on. It’s like we’re made out of money and shit gold here. Idk. The hell with the Chinese threat. I want cheap scotch!!!!
I definitely WOULDN'T be a whiskytuber in the US. Canada is worse still. In many cases it's cheaper than the UK, and that's AFTER being shipped to the other side of the world. I used to get Glendronach 18 for $84. HP12 and Laphroaig QC are still about $31 here. I'm lucky!
@@Gwhisky yeah isn’t it something ? You make the stuff in Scotland and can ship on a bike to the store from the distillery. Yet, you ship it across the ocean and it’s significantly cheaper. They’re laughing all the way to the bank Geoff.
Just left this on the shelf at Heathrow. There was some other NAS Bunna for £60. Left that too. I'm tired of youthful whisky. If that's the only way we can get an affordable bottle, then I'll buy less. I poured a dram of a 7 year Benrinnes, indi CS @60%. Interesting, but for $75 seems a little crazy. If that money was still available I might buy something older, combined with other moneys. We accept youth. We got used to it and enjoy it and now we have to pay for it. I thought 12 was the entry level with some bottles showing well at 10 years. I am as guilty as anyone, last two Signatory bottles I bought were 11 years.
I don't mind youth. In fact I think the youth works for this whisky. I would NOT want to live in a world where everything was 18 years or older, and that's disregarding the price aspect. Plenty of NAS, 10, or 12 year olds that I adore. Too much youth... well, that's another thing.
@@Gwhisky I think the odds of getting a winner go up if it's a little older. 15 or 16. I'm willing to pay 18 year prices for a cask strength 15 year old. I went thru a very short phase where 18 was the only thing. And that's not the case at all. Im not running out to revisit 12 year olds but I'm looking for interesting bottles on the mid price range. Bunnahabhain is kinda killing me with the 11 year old Manzanilla for $195. It's almost 12 years and 50+% but I can't do it. C'mon Man, that's a $150 whisky at the most. The 12 Cask Strength is less than $120; as the most expensive official core range CS bottling, but at least there is an age statement. Whisky Problems!!!!! I'm just hoping they're not selling off ALL the young stuff and there's still some aging in casks.
I’m visiting the distillery next month to do the warehouse 9 and hoping to pick up something special but think I’m going to have to tread carefully. I love the 12 and the 18 and often use them as benchmarks to compare other whisky to on value and presentation but have heard the limited releases are good to great but too expensive. I tried the 25 not so long ago and would not touch that with a barge pole for the cost. I know distell had a change of master blender in the past couple of years, the one that got poached by Glen Moray (way to join a winning team) was knocking it out of the park with the Feis Ile stuff and the core range is/was as goods anybodys. Maybe unfair of me to point the finger at the replacement blender as they don’t determine the pricing and it could all just be as simple as “hey Heineken, look at how much these suckers will pay for our young stock, please buy us out so our shareholders can retire earlier on a bigger yacht “. How that for cynicism?
Hah solid 8/10 for cynicism. Yeah I can't fault the master blender here. He cooked up a hell of a whisky. It's honestly fantastic, as I too hold the 12 as a benchmark for quality. The fact that I prefer a younger whisky is actually impressive. But the price is absurd, and nowadays value needs to be a bigger factor when we're considering our buys. All cynicism aside, sounds like you're in for a hell of a trip next month! Enjoy Greig!
I've done the Warehouse 9 a few times now and you'll absolutely love it. My only advice would be to buy something you've tried and loved at the W9 tasting. You'll buy something, because you want a souvenir to remind you, and you've had a few drinks so you'll splash the cash, but try before you buy.
Bunnahabhain 18 here costs 135£ so yeah.. I don't wanna image how much these "special" releases would cost. Probably don't need to worry about that coz I doubt it will be for sale here.
@@Gwhisky ….Yeah, it’s definitely among the best I’ve ever tasted (though I don’t buy *really* expensive whiskies). Maybe Ralfy got an off bottle, or maybe he was just in a mood that day. Doubt if even Ralfy is immune to that. Hah. Probably not though. I’ve got a bottle I bought in Feb that is fantastic, but it came from a tiny shop on Long Island and might have been sitting there a while. I’m going to hold off before trying another.
@@MrResinrider I went to check on Bunna 12 the other day and it was $67 so I passed on it. Knowing I picked it up for about $52 about 2 years ago. I have to believe that all this crazy pricing is going to eventually backfire when people realize the products aren't worth what they are charging. This run away train of upward pricing for whisky may be at an inflection point. I have started my boycott using my wallet already. I'm picking up cheaper blends and just not buying stuff I don't believe is worth the random price increases. The community at large in many markets is getting outright gouged.
Nice vid as always, I love your jokes :D. I am Hungarian, but I'm not a great fan of Tokaji (it's too sweet for me). As for the pronunciation, try something like this: 'toe-ka-yee' [ˈtokɒji]. Cheers.
I'm from Montreal. Trust me, I am very sympathetic to Canadians when they complain about high whisky prices. This isn't a hobby I'd be enjoying if I was still there. 😬
Sadly the price of OB bottles are getting higher now. Do you think the price will drop later in the future ? I purchased most of my bottles through 609tw...
Hah cheers man. Yeah we're super lucky here. Often cheaper than the UK after being shipped to the other side of the world. Dunno how that works but I won't complain about it! 🥃
A most civilized "rant", if any . . . u r becoming the majority as TRUE review (as compared to influencer/s), alongside Ralfy, Aquavitae, . . . lol, as foolish NFTs this Bunnie is likely priced at 250-300$CAD in Ontario.
Thanks for the mention 🙂 You nailed it with the tasting notes - I feel like I could've guessed the whisky from your notes with this one. Also agree with your thoughts, especially on the price. You make a very good point that I hadn't thought of: that this would be a great addition to the core line up. Admittedly I do prefer the 12yo to this (general personal preference for age), but if this were sold at a similar price to the 12yo but at this higher ABV to offset the youth then it'd perhaps be an easier NAS purchase to justify than the Stiuireadair. But never at £90-100. Cheers!
Agree. After overcharging so much for these Feis Ile bottlings, the 40% Bagh Cluin they released in Taiwan last year, and recent reports that the 18 has dipped in quality, I'm getting a bit nervous about Bunna. Traditionally they've been one of my favourites. Cheers!
Hey Geoff, awesome review as ever. Fully agree with everything you said. I'd say if you like the 12yr you really should try these fèis isle options. I do enjoy this with a splash of water, but I would definitely say the 2023 14yr old port or the canasta are far better (and as I said I really like this one) I did find it at a decent price at £61 and I'd say it's a no brainier at that price. I think I'd still happily replace at around the £80 mark though
I´ve been to Bunnahabhain distillery recently. The times of good value for money, especially outside of their core range are definitely over. Every day I find more reasons NOT to buy new or more whisky bottles, be it Bunna, Ardbeg, OP, SB, Tamdhu...
Greed is kicking in and combined with less money to spend that will mean the end of the whisky price hikes and the probably the whole whisky hype.
This year has been so rough... I've never seen a spike quite like what's happening now. As a community we're going to have to highlight value now more than ever.
Had to comment given your Macallan fine & rare YT handle. I agree re: price and hype however some brands especially the likes of Macallan may not get hit hard as much as we would all love for that to happen.
@@Rohit_M I have this youtube handle since the years when Macallan was still a good brand. Now everybody in whisky youtube calls me "The Doc" and I have long said goodbye to The M... 😉
@@Gwhisky I couldn´t agree more!
You are correct to rant about the price. There are some whiskies that in my eyes are worth 150+ USD. But those are very special ones, my favorites. For 100 USD you better offer some extremely good. I have had some 400-500 USD whiskies, and as good as most of them are, they are not worth the money.
With all the price hikes lately value is getting more and more important.
Nice review Geoff. Haven't tried this one, and generally avoid Feis Ile stuff. Besides, I have a problem with the Gaelic department at Bunny. They actually charge by the vowel now - how else do we explain Stureader? Bit like HP and their Viking research and development! And Ardbeg and their ... I could go on. (Bunny still my fav distillery though.)
Hah I know HP and Ardbeg get more flack. But it's easy for me to ignore the markety nonsense on the back label and focus on the whisky. As for Bunna... I actually have to pronounce the damn names. Try to, anyway.
Cheers Dave. I still love 'em, too!
Thanks for your Thoughts and Opinion about this Bottling.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching! 🙏
Thank you so much!! for this review jeff. Prices for scotches, bourbons and irish whiskey in the united states have balooned🎈 with the rise in inflation. Happy new year and good health ,and please continue to give us more solid future reviews. enjoy every dram your hands obtain..cheers jeff🥃
Very kind words, thank you! Happy New Year and good health to you, too, sir! 🥃
Just bought this for $150 AUD which is seemingly a fair bit cheaper than most markets as that makes it around the £75 mark so pretty happy with that as the Australian market is usually much more expensive
I just got this one! Really great. I like it. I ordered it among 5 other bottles directly from the distillery. Looking forward to try the rest. Cheers
Glad you enjoyed it! What else did you order? 🥃
So I got :
Fèis Ìle 2022: Abhainn Araig
New Acquaintance 2022 Release: Double Wood 32 years old
Fèis Ìle 2022: Tokaji Moine 2004 Cask Finish Whisky
2003 Mòine Rum Finish
2004 Mòine Pedro Ximenez Cask Finish Whisky
Fèis Ile 2019 Sauternes Cask Finish 2001 (18 years)
The last one was bought at auctions and received at the same time.
So a lot to go through. I will have busy evenings 😛
Bon début de semaine! Cheers
agree with you about the buna special releases, they must be taking notes from diagio.
Hah. Seems that way!
Nice and honest review, Geoff. Thanks!
The only Feis Ile whisky I've seen available in Bulgaria is the Big Peat blended malt from Douglas Laing. I even have a bottle of the 2022 release. Paid ~50 euros for it which is kinda OK for a bottle of cask strength, peated Islay malt, albeit NAS and not single malt but blended.
As for the price of this Bunna...well, I wouldn't pay this money for a bottle of NAS malt albeit special, limited, Feis Ile whatever release unless at least three independent whisky tubers I trust score it like 95 average :)
In general almost anything from Distell is slightly overpiced over here. Which is a shame because I like Bunna, Deanston and Ledaig very much. Bunnahabhain 12 for example costs almost 50 euros. Don't know about Taiwan but we have one of the lowest taxes and excise duty in EU and generally liquor is very cheap. No wonder thousands of tourists come each summer to our seaside resorts to basically drink themselves stupid. Malt whisky is naturally priced above the average booze butt still lower than Central and Western Europe and especially UK.
BTW, have you come across the Ledaig Sinclair Series NAS finished in Rioja casks? 46.3%, NFC, NC. The feedback it gets looks promising and I can have it for 34-35 euros on special :)
Cheers!
Thanks! I've never tried a Feis Ile Big Peat, but sounds interesting. Douglas Laing blended malts are hit-or-miss, but there are some real treasures in there.
I've yet to see the Ledaig Rioja release here in Taiwan yet. I don't know if it will ever make it over. Shame, I've been hearing a number of people rant and rave about it for the last few months. Sounds like it's a killer value buy. Hopefully I'll get the opportunity to review it someday. Cheers!
Bunna 12, 58 € in Portugal.
@@JR-nl3mh Ouch!
The Moine Bourdaux Cask was SOOOOOO good. I always grab that when I find it.
The Moine Brandy Cask was AMAZING, too. Cheaper than this bottle, too. They do have some big-time winners out there. I do love a good Bunna.
As a whisky drinker I enjoy the new variety of casks and NAS. The issue is that at the moment they can knock out a £50 whisky with a nice little story and charge.......well.....whatever. I am drinking more rum and English Brandy as a result of being conned by old reliable brands who now sell to the investors not the drinkers. It's sad; however the bubble will burst. Those brands that have let us down will have to earn our purchases. Some of them, -as it stands-, can go **@£ themselves . I have been really let down over the last few years by, 'solid' brands. Thanks for the video and a genuine thank you for being thruthful on this issue. Reviewing a Scotch that costs £100+ is easy: it should be good! Is it worth it and are they taking the piss? These are the questions and thanks again for addressing it. Other reviewers online are and the more that do.........Well I doubt the buggers will listen!....Rant over cheers M8
Hah I'm sure they hear us, and perhaps if enough people start to chime in they'll listen. That being said, doesn't feel like we're moving in that direction, does it?
Totally agree about the NAS "issue." Even when it's a case like this where the whisky is indeed good, I know that it isn't premium or aged, and that this mark-up is purely profit-driven. I understand a business exists to make money, but there's turning a profit and there's ripping people off. Bunna isn't the worst offender, but they are definitely doing it, and I come down extra hard on them because I'm such a fan. Tough love.
Tnx. Will stick with the B12.
Yeah good call. 🥃
😂😂😂 The believe you me gag was brilliant and you are so right, the more you say it, the less it makes sense.
Hi Geoff,an enjoyable honest review, well done. The problem is distilleries release these festival and limited edition’s and put them out at premium ++ price’s and the liquid inside doesn’t fit the price.😤 and its happening in older core range bottlings as well. Makes me think twice now before buying single malts. Cheers Geoff, good review. PS thats an excellent price for bunnha 12. Slàinte.
Yeah it's a real shame. They're good whiskies, and I'm certain the production cost doesn't come close to matching the price, at least in this case. A bit of cask play, sure, but it's a relatively young whisky. Delicious nonetheless, but I'm sure they'd turn a profit selling it at half that price. Cheers David!
Big Bunna fan and good review. Saw this for $199 at my local shop here on California. Yikes!
Ouch! That's a very... bold price tag.
Overpriced anything always deserves a rant Geoff. We must protest when we are being exploited. Buying an new untried bottle to enjoy the consumable inside it is why whisky is produced. It is not a collectible art work or a precious porcelain statuette. It is just an alcoholic drink for us to enjoy(responsibly). We have to reject the idea it is an investment on which we should gamble our limited money based on the false notion it will somehow make us wealthy. Drinking and eating can be a pleasure, much less so if it stupidly expensive or not very tasty. Keep it up Geoff, we can’t all try before we buy so RUclipsrs help sort out the wheat from the chaff.
Well said. Collectors and flippers can do as they will, but I'm here to drink, enjoy, and share. Whisky is my luxury of choice and I buy a lot of it. But with the recent price hikes, I'm going to have to be much more selective moving forward. Value has never been more important. Cheers Michael, glad the vids are helpful. 🥃
Very good and honest review! Thank you! Unfortunatelly almost all distlleries doing 'weird' things with prices and NAS whiskies. I think is the new era, following Macallan and Ardbeg... 👍
Sadly you're right!
Canuck in Oz- Totally agree Geoff. I’ve moved away from expensive 12 yo special releases & going to some of the cheaper 8 10 12 & 14 year olds. They put a fancy label on it, call it a special realise & then want you to pay here in Australia $180-$230 for Oban & Lagavulin. Loved the Octomores but $330 come on. Lovely to try occasionally but really! Moved to Deanston, Ardnamurchan, Ledaig, & Kilcholman & even 8 yo Lagavulin &10 yo Ardbeg . Vote with your wallet!
Smart move, and nice choice of value brands! Value is getting increasingly important nowadays. My heart goes out to you... moving from one expensive & overtaxed whisky market to another. Cheers Tony! 🥃
Only true consciousness conisour who knows what they doing would be bold to rate whisky at end. You do and big respect.
Very kind of you to say, Gursimran!
Hi Geoff ! Bunna also is my favorite whisky , like others ))) Cheers !
It's good stuff. Cheers Light! 🥃
Delighted to watch this and, now subscribed, I’ll see loads more. I’m so happy you enjoyed the dram cos I think it’s a cracking dram for drinking. “Price/subsequent value” is outside my remit, but on our shelves the 12 is £44 & the AA is £95, so not 4x in the home market. Regards age quotation, the most crucial (?) part of this dram, is the burst of sweetness from a wee double parcel (warehousemen will know what I mean) of Pedro Ximénez Octaves (which have since been refilled). That renders age statement unrealistic to age-chasers, because while us drammers know it means FA, you know if you quote that octave maturation in years, you’re talking small numbers & all the grief that brings to the wider whisky market’s perception! 🙈😁👍🥃 *happy to talk (are you on other channels?) 😁
Thanks for the info, David. A few details in there I wasn't aware of!
As someone who isn't an "age-chaser" I'd agree that it's a cracking dram and it's a bottle I'll surely enjoy. I think the age suits the whisky perfectly. Really, my only issue is the price. I feel that even at double the price of the 12, it's asking a lot. Even with some (elaborate?) cask play with PX octaves, I don't feel like the price is justified. Happy to have it for a one-off, but certainly not one I'll be revisiting, which is unfortunate because it's wonderful stuff.
Cheers! Oh, and this is my only channel. Thanks again. 🥃
Great review Geoff, however I’ll be steering clear of Bunna for a bit, my recent bottle of the 12 is very flat and almost sour. I took the cork off a week ago and will let it oxidize for a month before going back to it. None of those rich, jammy notes to be found at all. Very disappointing
Damn, sorry to hear that. I love the 12, I've yet to have a "dud" bottle from them, but it seems a few people are noticing a decline these days. Hope they get back on track. Bunna is a great distillery.
Damn, sorry to hear that. I love the 12, I've yet to have a "dud" bottle from them, but it seems a few people are noticing a decline these days. Hope they get back on track. Bunna is a great distillery.
Try Bunna Stiuiredair instead. Mine was awesome from the first sip.
Echo all the other comments Geoff- I bought a bottle for LochFyneWhiskies whilst on my way to Campbeltown, prob purely on the fact that it was a festival bottling and I thought, ‘flipping eck, festival, when do I get chance to get hands on that…’ ignoring the fact there was a mountain of it on the counter by the till…. Anyway, drank half rather quickly, liking it, it now on the back of the cuppboard for another time when I can take more time over it. Haven’t given the price a thought until your video…. Ha…
On another note, Campbeltown festival was the week before the islay(ish), the GlenScotia 8yo festival bottle- CS, Age Statment, PROBABLY Natural Color and NCF… was awesome and at 60£ ish….
I drank some of that Scotia 8 from a friend's bottle the other day. It was delicious! Sadly that's about £82 here in Taiwan. A bit steep for me...
Cheers John!
They must have made a lot of this one because I just landed a bottle here in Ontario, Canada. We rarely get these special releases. I haven't opened it yet...saving it for a special. Paid $195CAD
Yeah I've heard that it's popped up in a lot of markets where it otherwise hasn't traditionally be sold. Hope you enjoy! 🥃
I don’t suppose you’ve tried the Bunna Aonadh? It’s a limited edition cask strength 10 yr old with port and sherry maturation/finishing, just a couple bottles left at my local shop.
Runs for $180 USD, and I too was tempted to try based on my consistency with the brand, but 3 and a half times the price of the standard 12 seems like a big ask.
Haven't tried that. I've seen it at the shop as well, but the price is... bold of them. I'm not sure it's worth it.
Welp, I just got the last bottle of the Aonadh at the store. Ok, went a little over my planned budget. But I was looking for the 2022 Bunna cask strength 12, and they were completely out of stock already! So what was I to do?
Also got a Laphroaig Cairdeas warehouse 1.
Opened this tonight and…hate to say, but it’s delicious. It’s a marriage of bourbon (I think) maturation with port finish, and sherry (oloroso) maturation, 10 yrs old, cask strength 56.2. NCF and natural color.
I was expecting overkill with the fruit and you do taste the port influence but it’s very smooth and drinkable at cask strength even without water. More oloroso sherry influence than anything and a nutty quality that’s classic Bunna. Obviously not something you can buy often but…if you’re going to splurge, this is a good one.
Ouch. Sounded like a good scotch, but I agree, the mark up is inexcusable. Hopefully they listen to you!!
Thanks! I admire your optimism! 🥃
Good with the Star Trek references! Keep em coming (if you want:)!
Just got into Bunna with the Cruach-Mhóna. Do like my peat:)
Hah I am a bit of a Trekkie. Cruach-Mhona is a good one! Cheers!
Believe you me is actually correct I believe. Former UFC fighter Michael Bisping named his podcast Believe You Me a saying he says all the time. Regarding the Bunnahabhain I wish I could get a sample because it is so very very expensive.
Hah I've heard it used many times before. Sounds weird, though. Heh.
Yeah this Bunna is too much. Solid whisky but can't justify the price. Cheers Dean.
Just saw that this was available locally in the US. Came to see what your review was. Unfortunately, I'm not going to pay $205 for this.
Nah... not worth that. Cheers.
Geoff, excellent call out on the price and 4x the Bunna 12 for a NAS offering. It looks like the right whisky at the right price train left the station a long time ago. It's become totally ridiculous and will turn many enthusiasts away from some of these brands. The good news is there are new distilleries that will out compete especially the NAS offerings from these stalwarts distilleries.
Yeah there's definitely a silver lining. Lots of great whisky available nowadays, and it's occasionally well-priced. Still sad to see old favourites go downhill, though.
Simple arithmetic... An Oban 14 and a Kilchoman Machir Bay for the mark up on Bunna.. No contest... Bunna "price wise" are up their own jacksy... Glengoyne know how to charge as well... Give em the "bullet" whereupon you see fit GMan... Cos our Ralfy as you know does as much.. And good on him... Roll on Christmas.. We'll all get a bit of turkey...
Hah thanks Edward. Happy to "give em the bullet" anytime they deserve it. Cheers!
$31 Us?!?!!! Holy crap!! I thought the 12 was good value here when I bought it at $50.
It typically sells for @$60-65.
You would NOT be a whiskytuber if if you lived in the USA my friend. Back in 2018 BC
(before Covid) HP 12 was@$45 it’s now it’s 60-65. Laph QC @50, now it’s $75.
Aberlour 18, Glengoyne 18@ $95, now $160.
Glendronach 18 was @$110, now $220.
Glendronach 21 was @135, now @$300.
Glenfarclas 25 @$130 on sale, now $220.
I could go on. It’s like we’re made out of money and shit gold here. Idk. The hell with the Chinese threat. I want cheap scotch!!!!
I definitely WOULDN'T be a whiskytuber in the US. Canada is worse still. In many cases it's cheaper than the UK, and that's AFTER being shipped to the other side of the world. I used to get Glendronach 18 for $84. HP12 and Laphroaig QC are still about $31 here. I'm lucky!
@@Gwhisky yeah isn’t it something ?
You make the stuff in Scotland and can ship on a bike to the store from the distillery. Yet, you ship it across the ocean and it’s significantly cheaper. They’re laughing all the way to the bank Geoff.
Just left this on the shelf at Heathrow. There was some other NAS Bunna for £60. Left that too.
I'm tired of youthful whisky. If that's the only way we can get an affordable bottle, then I'll buy less. I poured a dram of a 7 year Benrinnes, indi CS @60%.
Interesting, but for $75 seems a little crazy. If that money was still available I might buy something older, combined with other moneys.
We accept youth. We got used to it and enjoy it and now we have to pay for it. I thought 12 was the entry level with some bottles showing well at 10 years.
I am as guilty as anyone, last two Signatory bottles I bought were 11 years.
I don't mind youth. In fact I think the youth works for this whisky. I would NOT want to live in a world where everything was 18 years or older, and that's disregarding the price aspect. Plenty of NAS, 10, or 12 year olds that I adore. Too much youth... well, that's another thing.
@@Gwhisky I think the odds of getting a winner go up if it's a little older. 15 or 16.
I'm willing to pay 18 year prices for a cask strength 15 year old. I went thru a very short phase where 18 was the only thing. And that's not the case at all. Im not running out to revisit 12 year olds but I'm looking for interesting bottles on the mid price range.
Bunnahabhain is kinda killing me with the 11 year old Manzanilla for $195. It's almost 12 years and 50+% but I can't do it. C'mon Man, that's a $150 whisky at the most. The 12 Cask Strength is less than $120; as the most expensive official core range CS bottling, but at least there is an age statement.
Whisky Problems!!!!!
I'm just hoping they're not selling off ALL the young stuff and there's still some aging in casks.
I am just happy cause I secured meself a bottle of Dewars 32 :D
Nice! Any good?
@@Gwhisky I won’t know till October. I am sending all my new whisky to my parents home since I am finally leaving the state of hawaii
@@aframs-cctaf-rams-cct6424 Congrats on the move, man!
Hi, I found your video since I saw $79.99 of this bottle in my town. Still worthless to buy? I already have cs 12 yrs.
I'd say for that price it's fair. That's much less than what I paid! 🥃
I basically ignore most special releases now days. Seems more like marketing and money grabs. Did you try the 12 cask strength?
Haven't tried that one yet. I'd love to, but unfortunately it's not sold here.
😂my mom used to say that…..
”believe you me”. I used to always say , “huh?”
😂😂😂
I’m visiting the distillery next month to do the warehouse 9 and hoping to pick up something special but think I’m going to have to tread carefully. I love the 12 and the 18 and often use them as benchmarks to compare other whisky to on value and presentation but have heard the limited releases are good to great but too expensive. I tried the 25 not so long ago and would not touch that with a barge pole for the cost. I know distell had a change of master blender in the past couple of years, the one that got poached by Glen Moray (way to join a winning team) was knocking it out of the park with the Feis Ile stuff and the core range is/was as goods anybodys. Maybe unfair of me to point the finger at the replacement blender as they don’t determine the pricing and it could all just be as simple as “hey Heineken, look at how much these suckers will pay for our young stock, please buy us out so our shareholders can retire earlier on a bigger yacht “. How that for cynicism?
Hah solid 8/10 for cynicism. Yeah I can't fault the master blender here. He cooked up a hell of a whisky. It's honestly fantastic, as I too hold the 12 as a benchmark for quality. The fact that I prefer a younger whisky is actually impressive. But the price is absurd, and nowadays value needs to be a bigger factor when we're considering our buys.
All cynicism aside, sounds like you're in for a hell of a trip next month! Enjoy Greig!
I've done the Warehouse 9 a few times now and you'll absolutely love it. My only advice would be to buy something you've tried and loved at the W9 tasting. You'll buy something, because you want a souvenir to remind you, and you've had a few drinks so you'll splash the cash, but try before you buy.
Bunnahabhain 18 here costs 135£ so yeah.. I don't wanna image how much these "special" releases would cost. Probably don't need to worry about that coz I doubt it will be for sale here.
Ralfy just panned a new bottle of the 18. I’m worried it’s all going downhill. LOL
I haven't tried a newer 18, but damn that sucks if it's true. That's been a favourite for years.
@@Gwhisky ….Yeah, it’s definitely among the best I’ve ever tasted (though I don’t buy *really* expensive whiskies). Maybe Ralfy got an off bottle, or maybe he was just in a mood that day. Doubt if even Ralfy is immune to that. Hah. Probably not though. I’ve got a bottle I bought in Feb that is fantastic, but it came from a tiny shop on Long Island and might have been sitting there a while. I’m going to hold off before trying another.
Wow, $31 for Bunna 12?! If I could buy that here in the US, I'd have to stock up. But at $60+ and not widely available here it's disappointing.
Yeah we're often cheaper than the UK here in Taiwan. Lucky us. I doubt I'd be able to keep this channel afloat if I were elsewhere. 🥃
Man your both better off than me! In British Columbia CANADA we pay $100 for Bunna 12
@@MrResinrider I went to check on Bunna 12 the other day and it was $67 so I passed on it. Knowing I picked it up for about $52 about 2 years ago. I have to believe that all this crazy pricing is going to eventually backfire when people realize the products aren't worth what they are charging. This run away train of upward pricing for whisky may be at an inflection point. I have started my boycott using my wallet already. I'm picking up cheaper blends and just not buying stuff I don't believe is worth the random price increases. The community at large in many markets is getting outright gouged.
Nice vid as always, I love your jokes :D.
I am Hungarian, but I'm not a great fan of Tokaji (it's too sweet for me). As for the pronunciation, try something like this: 'toe-ka-yee' [ˈtokɒji]. Cheers.
Hah I'll write that down for next time. Appreciate it. Cheers Balint! 🥃
Bunna 12 $31 U.S for you? Try $100 Canadian for us. We're drinkin freshie from now on.
I'm from Montreal. Trust me, I am very sympathetic to Canadians when they complain about high whisky prices. This isn't a hobby I'd be enjoying if I was still there. 😬
for me ,i would rather go for Bruichladdich port charlotte or caperdonich 18 than this :)
Haven't tried the Caperdonach, but can't argue with the PC. Excellent stuff! 🥃
Sounds like my kind of dram.
I can't say it isn't delicious! Hope you can find it at a good price.
It’s 200 here in us
It's overpriced in basically every market, it seems. Not recommended for that price. Cheers. 🥃
I'll continue to vote with my wallet on these Feis Isle and distillery bottlings in general. And it's a Non.
Yeah that's probably the right move. Even if they're good, value is increasingly important these days with all the recent price hikes. Cheers.
Your Bunna 12 price is incredibly low! $70 in the US!
Yeah we're lucky here! 🥃
Hi new sub here, have you try the 18yr old bottle?
Welcome! Yes, the 18 is fantastic! 🥃
Sadly the price of OB bottles are getting higher now.
Do you think the price will drop later in the future ?
I purchased most of my bottles through 609tw...
@@edwinchan09876 Everything has gone up in price this year. I doubt the price will drop...
OMG I pay AU$110 for Bunnah 12
Well over double the price here. Man that's rough! 🥃
🤣 Quality review bro. Taiwan prices though 😳
Hah cheers man. Yeah we're super lucky here. Often cheaper than the UK after being shipped to the other side of the world. Dunno how that works but I won't complain about it! 🥃
Hah, it's not that "nutty" because I known who is nuttier: Ardcore. Seems not tastier than regular 10yo with 700% mark-up.🤣 Value is dead.
Hah I don't buy those Ardbeg special releases anymore. Even the good ones aren't worth it!
A most civilized "rant", if any . . . u r becoming the majority as TRUE review (as compared to influencer/s), alongside Ralfy, Aquavitae, . . . lol, as foolish NFTs this Bunnie is likely priced at 250-300$CAD in Ontario.
Hah thanks buddy. Yeah this cost me about CAD $165 here and imo it ain't worth it. I'm sure the LCBO will bump it up higher still, as they do.
@@Gwhisky it just dropped today $195 at the LCBO. Definite pass but disappointing to say no to a Feis Ile release. First time ever seeing one
Yeah I never see them in Taiwan either. That's why I snatched it up. It's good but $195 is absurd.
Face it, many of us are being priced out of the market.
True, unfortunately.