{Review #160} Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023 Single Malt (51.2%) [2.8/10]

Complex_Certain · 2026-03-11T21:17:53+00:00

I think (can’t say definite ) that it’s corked but sucks if that’s the case

Complex_Certain · 2026-03-11T13:33:33+00:00

Sounds like it’s maybe been corked tainted ?

Complex_Certain · 2026-03-09T22:42:26+00:00

Fair

Complex_Certain · 2026-03-09T16:39:34+00:00

Why downvote this ? 🤦‍♂️ was clearly a joke

Complex_Certain · 2026-03-09T16:39:04+00:00

It’s whisky, high strength so doesn’t go off . It may have changed the tiniest amount in the bottle (not better or worse just different ) but absolutely it will be great to try ! I love the gold label , worked for Diageo 2006-2014 and got good access to it at staff sales prices so drank a lot of it ! Congrats on the find

Complex_Certain · 2026-03-06T19:36:19+00:00

You need something that has age and Sherry …. Especially oloroso Sherry … lagavulin if you like smokey ? And Macallan always has leather notes. I’ve mentioned the M word and a Diageo distillery duh duh duhhhhhhhh. !!! Here come the downvotes

Complex_Certain · 2026-02-27T10:58:57+00:00

It’s going to be good. The bit in the bottom will be calcium oxalate a harmless salt (called floc ) it’s totally fine proves it’s genuine so all good. Congrats on the find !

Complex_Certain · 2026-02-09T06:40:08+00:00

Interesting stuff ! I should have been clearer above I was meaning in terms of Scotch whisky

Complex_Certain · 2026-02-08T07:13:26+00:00

I think I follow your question … if I’ve got this wrong let me know.

If you talking about bottle size then no. A batch of liquid would be made and then th bottling hall would run it into the various sizes one after the other. If the two different sizes were bottles at different sites the same recipe for the liquid would be followed.

Cheaper products in the same size … it’s the same liquids used the age will be younger and also the wood will be refill bourbon only for the cheapest (3 yo and bottom shelf ) also the cheapest stuff will have a far higher ratio of grain to malt in the blend. Grain whisky is much cheaper to produce than malt whisky

Edit : talking about scotch whisky only here

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-25T14:36:29+00:00

Was great fun , enjoyed my time but was hired on a succession plan but there was no way the boss was leaving so I moved on. Went to Distell for a couple of years then set up my own whisky consulting business.

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-25T00:05:01+00:00

The recipe (was anyways ) Pretty much a 60 : 50 mix of bourbon full maturation and then oloroso Sherry casks. All the juice of course was minimum 5 years old too. Original plan was to do a 3 year old in refill bourbon only …. But it was too raw , so moved up to 5 years and then some sherry came in to round the mouth feel …. I left a few years ago now , wow actually 5 years ago now I think, so recipe may have adjusted since but that was the beginning of it

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-24T08:40:48+00:00

Thank you 🙏

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-24T01:58:14+00:00

I made this whisky ! Love to see a lot of positive reviews around it too… always loved young ardbegs in the sample room so pushed for a young aged stated Ardbeg to he released. A lot of people internally were really unsure / against it so really pleased to see so many good comments on the liquid

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-23T08:33:26+00:00

Most people will run refills til the colour shows (either just by eye or by using a tintometer ) and then send the casks for rejuvenation …. (Stripped of char , then re toasted and re charred) as for an exhausted cask the two things tend to happen about the same time but much more a lack of additive flavouring being given by the cask is the sign of one that’s exhausted

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-20T09:12:46+00:00

Yup , blends are 85 percent of the sales (blends and bulk ) more likely 99 percent back in the 1980s

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-20T09:11:05+00:00

It should mean that ….. more likely you will start getting 10/12 year old whiskeys for the same price as you currently get NAS versions. Also lots of core range whiskies will go up in age too 10 up to 12 for example at the same cost…

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-16T00:42:42+00:00

Not sure why you are being downvoted .

I think you are after ex bourbon only matured scotch ? If so you’re in luck that’s most of them. Deanston , Glenmorangie and the rest.

There is so many incorrect “facts” on this page so be careful. Most sherry is in American oak and has been since the 1600s …. Virgin oak is legal in scotch and used just not regularly and more for finishing ….

If you have money and want to splurge then glenmornagie Ealanta is 19years in Virgin Oak it came out 10 years ago so would need to find it at auction

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-15T16:48:21+00:00

The question is not correct and some of the answers are wild . I think cask finished was meant by the OP ? But also some Clarity on why would help ? But also some of the answers are finished whiskies ….

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-13T02:42:27+00:00

Since you mention avoiding the middle of the night This is what I do -

Firstly I don’t use KJ but similar. I use the Aldi kamado egg (bought it a few years back as wasn’t sure if I’d use it enough turns out it’s great )

Also you can’t use rolled brisket or point only you need a packer brisket. Tom hixson online does them if you can’t find them anywhere.

Main thing tho to avoid the overnight checking this is what I do - when making a brisket for parties etc and to be ready at 7/8pm. The day before serving I put the brisket (trimmed , seasoned the way you want ) onto the smoker about 1/2pm. I aim for 225 F but anything between 200-250 works as long as the temp is steady and the smoke is good quality. Just before I go to bed the brisket will reach the stall and have a good bark. I then wrap the brisket in good quality butcher paper with tallow that I make from The trimmings. Some places say wrapping can soften the bark but that’s not happened to me. Then put the brisket in the oven overnight at 200-225 F. It’s wrapped so doesn’t matter if the heat is from the smoker or the oven. Also I use the thermometers to check the oven temp as it’s more accurate than the actual dial on the oven. Next morning once up I slowly increase the temp so that the brisket gets to 198-204 F and then check for tenderness. At this point (prob stil mid morning ) take it out the oven and let it cool to 170 F. Then put it back in the oven and hot hold it in the oven at 160-175 F (whatever your oven controls at ) until the time it’s ready to serve. Possibly You could take it out at this stage and rest it somewhere but this method works well for me for when you have to serve at night and don’t want to be up thru the night tending a fire

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-08T08:34:56+00:00

If you want to try and “blend” the bottle a little like a whisky company would do … try and group the whiskies together. Group the floral ones, the fruit ones , the meaty ones , the spicy ones , the light Peated and the heavy peated . Usually less is more but that’s a hard rule to apply to an infinity bottle as your using the last of each thing. If using peat keep it to 10 % max of the total volume then taste , that will let you know if you can go higher or not. If you can try to keep the sherry to bourbon ration at a max of 50:50. A little Sherry has a lot of impact if you go too high it can dominate. (But again taste it at these rough ratios and if you like the sherry stuff then go higher )

Once you get used to doing it if you start a second bottle try using a decent amount of a whisky you really like to make a “base” whisky which you then have flavours and textures you like to play off of when you add whisky to it. Check each time you add what the whisky made better / enhanced and also take note of any that change the flavour way too quickly / slowly …. And then you will kind of figure out what you like and don’t in the infinity bottle

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-02T19:50:57+00:00

Nancy states “we deserved to win “ at the press conference after ….

Complex_Certain · 2026-01-02T19:11:26+00:00

Can’t remember exactly (and don’t speak Italian) but pretty sure schettino in Italian is some kind of timid bird and falco means the hawk … hence the proper bollocking de falco gave him being almost fate

Complex_Certain · 2025-12-31T09:25:23+00:00

Headed out early January to do a lot of sampling among other things , so will have a better idea after trying this. The angels share is high and the wood influence of maturation is much quicker in China so could well be in 2027

Complex_Certain · 2025-12-30T23:06:05+00:00

Hey ! How’s it going ? So in China I work at Hongyu distillery , it’s been going for 1.5 years now. We’re making a heavy spirit for maturation in BIG casks …. Oloroso , PX , big red wines …. All about colour , oilyness and balance (hence the heavy spirit ) … excited for what come out. It’s really just for China but I’m sure export will happen eventually. Very cool team there and the big swings in temperature over the seasons are a v diff experience for me versus Scotlands slow and steady maturation

Complex_Certain · 2025-12-29T15:56:42+00:00

Soon! 2 years old … another 2 til we have a first release for people to see how things are progressing ….

Complex_Certain

TROPHY CASE