Review #604 - Bunnahabhain Toiteach A Dha
While Bunnahabhain may be more famous for their production of unpeated single malts, especially those with sherry maturation, they also produce a large volume of heavily peated single malt. This can be found from official bottlings from the distillery, such as this Toiteach A Dha whisky, but a fair amount of the peated distillate is also sold to independent bottlers.
This Toiteach A Dha bottling doesn't carry an age statement, but we do know that, in addition to the peated element, this is matured in ex-bourbon casks and Oloroso sherry casks, a combination that could potentially add a nice combination of sweetness and spice. As usual with Bunnahabhain, we get a strength of 46.3% ABV, and we don't have to worry about chill filtration or added coloring.
Bunnahabhain Toiteach A Dha
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price: USD 75 (2025)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46.3% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 9 months; bottles at 90%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Smoky and ashy - charcoal, with relatively strong peat, and a mild medicinal side to it. There is a bit of spirity youth here, but time brings more flavor development: scents of orange, prune, brine, and a musty side.
Palate: Charcoal, woody ash, and rich peat - quite smoky, with some spiky youth adding to the sharp side. Pickled hot peppers, sweet strawberry, and orange add a fruity side, and yellow apple arrives later. There's just a hint of salty brine, too; this has a medium thickness mouthfeel.
Finish: Sharp peat lingers - ash, wood spice, a bit prickly. There are some dark, inky brine notes, but also bright fruits of apple, pear, and lemon. The finish is medium-long.
Final Note: We found this quite brash and a bit raw, but it does pack a flavorful punch, too. Those Oloroso casks added some dark fruit and spice, but we also found plenty of light fruits, as well as a bit of that seaside character we sometimes get in Islay whiskies: briny, a bit medicinal. A solid peaty whisky from Bunnahabhain, if a bit unpolished.
Value is okay - maybe a bit less than some other Bunnahabhain bottlings like the classic 12 Year version. Not a bad value, but you can get a bit more complexity for your money with other peaty Islay whiskies.
Our Average Rating: 6.4 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.89
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
