Part of the Artist Collective Series 4, this 5 year old peated Bunnahabhain (aka Staoisha) was distilled in 2014 and matured in Refill Sherry Butts before bottling at 61.2%.

Nose: rich, concentrated. Animal (farmyard, smoked meat), mineral (hail, diesel), oily (olive), peaty - of course, earthy and rooty (ginseng), the first nose is also traversed by plumes of smoke from a powerful Havana cigar. Allowed to breathe, it becomes medicinal (mustard poultice, tiger balm), iodine (tincture) and heady (violet, hyacinth). Gradually, candied lemon, juicy pear and even roasted pineapple bring lots of freshness and light to an aromatic palette indisputably centred on the colour yellow.

Palate: dense, full. First, a fruity peat (William’s pear) creates a perfect link between the nose and palate. The particularly phenolic mid-palate is also medicinal (mustard) and spicy (clove, juniper). Then, irreversibly, liquorice stick coats the taste buds as aromatic plants (verbena, sorrel) help refresh the air.

Overall: long, warm. Staying close to the palate, the start of the finish is malty, peaty, smoky, fruity and spicy (black pepper, star anise). Gradually, the same candied lemon, pear and pineapple return in force to the front of the stage. On the retro-nasal olfaction, a refined note of tobacco enriches the ensemble with a beautiful vegetal sequence. The original empty glass is milky (coconut, vanilla flan), vegetable (green bean) and rubbery."