for the rest of my Whisky Journey 2020 posts, do check out the collection label here.
for the most part, Whisky Journey 2020 was relatively free of hiccups, save for the unfortunate hold-up of a good number of the limited edition exclusive bottles in transit and at customs, which resulted in many of those special bottles not being able to reach their destination bars in time.
i had been particularly disappointed by the disappearance of two Bunnahabhains, the 1997 PX Limited Edition and 2008 Manzanilla Limited Edition. i had thought that i wouldn't get a chance to try them since the bottles were languishing in customs even after Whisky Journey ended, so you can imagine my surprise when Jay from SLATE reached out to let me know that they had arrived and were available at Whisky Journey rates for just one week in mid-january.
the 1997 PX Limited Edition was too far outside my budget to try, since pours weren't available and it was only sold by the bottle for almost a four-figure sum; however all was not lost since the 2008 Manzanilla Limited Edition was available at the extremely good rate of S$15 for a 20ml pour, and that's the one that i went for.
at 52.3% alcohol by volume, this one packs a hefty punch above the 46.3% of the other Bunnahabhains that had been available here for Whisky Journey, but not in an unpleasant way.
on the nose, this is a refined blend of dark chocolate amplified by a touch of bitter coffee over a generous serving of dark fruits. over time, the bitterness mellowed out some more to become more balanced with the fruits, and some more subtle hints of sweetness emerged.
i really liked how the dark chocolate translated beautifully onto the palate, with a lovely complement of rum and raisins. the dominant impression of this one is a complex sweetness not unlike an artisan dark chocolate truffle with a liquid rum-and-raisin centre, deliciously appreciable yet with a smooth spiciness that takes it to the next level. the spices come out more on the moderately-long finish, building up a crescendo then tapering off to allow the bitter dark chocolate a final solo right at the end.
all things considered, the 2008 Manzanilla Limited Edition is a great experience, one that was definitely well-worth the Whisky Journey discounted rate though i find myself balking at the per-bottle price. truth be told it's not a bad whisky, but in terms of marginal value and cost where it comes down to a question of one of this versus (literally) two Toiteach A Dhà with some pocket change left over, my answer would be an immediate vote for the latter.
slàinte!
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this review is of a product that i had purchased at regular price with my own money. i wasn’t asked to review this as a condition of purchase and didn’t receive any incentives for writing this. i’m not affiliated with The Whisky Store, SLATE or any of the other participating bars / distilleries, and as always, all opinions remain my own.
SLATE is at 24 Purvis Street, #01-00, Singapore 188601.
all information correct at time of publishing.
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