Bunnahabhain 1987 27 YO 'The Osprey' Liquid Art

Bunnahabhain 1987  27 YO 'The Osprey' Liquid Art, 51,3 %

This whisky is from Liquid Art, a relatively new independent bottler from Belgium. Serge Reijnders and Bert Dexters released their first bottling in July 2014, and this Bunnahabhain 1987 27 YO 'The Osprey' was their second release.

The artist behind the label art on this whisky is Raymond Minnen. The image depicts an osprey, a bird of prey.

The Bunnahabhain 1987 27 YO 'The Osprey' was distilled in 1987, matured in an unspecified cask, and bottled in 2014. The total outturn for this release was 115 bottles, which makes me suspect this is only half a cask with the other half having been bottled by someone else. It sold for € 149 on the Liquid Art website, but is now sold out.

Nose (22/25): Fresh and light. Slight maritime feel on the nose. A bit of oak and old papers reveal a whisky that is relatively old. Somewhat oily or waxy after a few minutes in the glass. It does feel a bit shy, but opens up and becomes more fruity after a while - grapes and mandarins.

Taste (23/25): Full and rich mouthfeel. Honey, salt, pepper, ginger, grapes and ripe apples. A fine briny and maritime feel.

Finish (22/25): Mouthwatering, sugary and a bit fruity on the finish. Vanilla, pepper and ginger. Long and warm.

Balance (23/25): Wow! This was a great introduction to a new independent bottler. It helps, of course, that Bunnahabhain creates very fine whisky, but Serge and Bert certainly have found a great cask here. Well done, lads!

Score (90/100)

Sláinte! - Thomas