Bunnahabhain Moine Dram an Stiùireadair 10 year old Feis Ile 2014 bottling

Stiùireadair means “helmsman” in Gaelic. This has been finished for a year in Marsala casks. The nose is all garden compost, moist vegetation, light smoke, and highly oxidized: like a young vin santo (or indeed Marsala). Very nutty, with an almost vermouth-like quality. The palate is all clove, anise, cherry stone. Those oxidized wine notes are so dominant it’s shifted the balance toward the finish. This particular helmsman’s somewhat off course. £95