Recent Release: BUNNAHABHAIN 1968 44 Year Old GLEN FAHRN

A long-aged bottle typical of a German bottler, it's been a while since I had one. BUNNAHABHAIN 1968-2013 44yo GLEN FAHRN AIRLINE 41.2% one of 117 bottles, Refill Oak Cask The aroma is fruity and strong, with a typical long-aged estery note, pear, orange liqueur, green apple candy, slightly cream, the barley scent is faintly present. The palate has a gentle mouthfeel, a vibrant and strong nose with pear-filled fruit cake, refined sweetness of syrup-soaked citrus, pleasant oak, and a smooth estery finish. 【Good/Very Good】 This is BUNNAHABHAIN 1968, a 44-year-old cask aged for bottling in Germany for GLEN FAHRN in 2013. From the first impression of the aroma, it clearly exhibits the typical estery and vibrant notes found in German bottlers like agencies or Duncan Taylor's long-aged whiskies. The palate is calm and gentle, reminiscent of cask strength, with a fun cake-like flavor filled with various fruits. Although the body had significantly dried out, it was notably fruity. The lack of harsh woody notes despite such long aging and the absence of unpleasant elements from over-aging were impressive. It seems that when aged for a long time in a relatively plain and unobtrusive cask, the body and alcohol gradually recede, allowing such fruity characteristics to emerge. It also gives the impression that the original spirit's individuality fades, leading to a more uniform flavor profile. Particularly, these fruity expressions reminiscent of the 1960s' cask strength have become increasingly rare in recent years. Personally, I don't often find myself moved by whiskies where the body has receded so much to highlight fruitiness, but it's still a pleasant and distinctive character when encountered after some time.