Bunnahabhain Fèis Ìle 2023: 1998 Manzanilla Cask Finish Review
It’s always fun to find a whisky that provides a lot of detail about how it came to be. The Bunnahabhain 1998 Manzanilla Cask Finish began its journey in American Oak casks in October 1998 when I was 8 years old. In May 2016, as I was in the middle of graduate school and really questioning my abilities to keep up with my studies, this whisky was making its way into Manzanilla sherry casks for its final nine years.
I could have used a dram of this back in 2016, but I am excited as ever to get the chance to try this one in 2023. This was one of three limited releases put out by Bunnahabhain for Feis Ile 2023. The others were the Canasta Cask Matured and 17-Year-Old Mòine Triple Cask.
This is an unpeated, close to 25-year old, Feis Ile release. What is there not to be excited about with this one? Well, it’s mainly the price if anything. The 1998 Manzanilla Cask Finish will undoubtedly have the most intrigue around it of Bunnahabhain’s Feis Ile releases, but it naturally comes with the question of whether the $489 price tag is too much.
For me, I am too intrigued to sit on the side lines. I love the fact they gave us details on casks, specific milestone dates in the maturation process, and how it was finished for nine years in sherry.
We were sad not to experience Feis Ile this year, but hopefully this one makes us feel like we were there.
The Basics
Aged: Just under 25 years
Bottles available: Unknown
Casks: American Oak and Manzanilla sherry
ABV: 52.3%
Color: Chestnut
Nose: Cherry juice, pastry, wood
Cost: $581.11 (shipping + auction fees included $95.99)
Purchased at: Scotch Whisky Auctions (Auction 144)
Taste
The first flavor you taste is cherry, but it’s a very interesting cherry flavor. The best way I can describe it is that it’s juicy and very sweet. It finishes with a very light sweet spice flavor.
Neat or With Water
This whisky definitely benefits from adding a little water to it. I found two drops was a good amount to bring down the sting from the alcohol while drinking. After adding water, you will definitely notice the juicy cherry flavor and sweet spice finish better.
Summary
Accessibility: This is a whisky that will be harder to find in the United States. Depending on what state you live in, it may be difficult to have alcohol delivered to you. It’s unlikely you will see this one in local liquor stores, so your best bet is to try ordering through Bunnahabhain’s website directly or waiting for it to appear in whisky auctions that can deliver to your state. For European and UK buyers, it seems you can very easily order through Bunnahabhain’s website. It’s also available on The Whisky Exchange for a pretty reasonable $600 or even less if in Europe or the UK.
Price: I slightly overpaid for this when I bought it through a whisky auction versus directly from the distillery in person. If buying at retail price, it would probably be closer to $546.50 with taxes. However, it was a better price than buying online through Bunnahabhain where it would have been $618.50 with shipping and taxes. For a nearly 25-year aged whisky, I feel like the price I paid is on par with other older whiskies I have bought (e.g. Bowmore Distiller’s Anthology 01 and Bruichladdich Black Arts 10.1). I have seen the price of this whisky for as low $489 and as high as $1,000.
Quality: I usually end up wanting unpeated whiskies to just add in the smoky finish I have become accustomed to, but this whisky is so flavorful and complex in its own right. The strong cherry flavor makes this strong whisky really easy to enjoy with a little water.
I have seen many online say this whisky is overpriced and not as good as similar cheaper options. I cannot compare all the alternative suggestions, but what I can say is that I think this one is worth it even with the high price. It’s one that you should bring out for special occasions or when you want a small break from the smoky stuff.
I would be willing to get another bottle of this if I ever found it at retail price on Islay. It becomes a little harder to justify on the secondary market, but I am happy with the price I paid for it in the auction I participated in. Definitely experiment with the right amount of water for you on this one, but I think this is one you will enjoy. Hopefully, you can use a glass of this as a vehicle to reflect back on what you were doing in 1998 and 2016.