Bunnahabhain Feis ile 2013 Whisky Sample Sgeul Na Mara (30ml, 60.1%)

Bunnahabhain Feis ile 2013 Whisky Sample Sgeul Na Mara (30ml, 60.1%)

While most modern festival releases experiment with finishes, this 2013 bottling is a masterclass in Single Cask maturation, showing exactly what the Bunnahabhain spirit can do when left undisturbed in a heavy sherry butt for a full decade.

Gaelic for "Tale of the Sea," Sgeul Na Mara was the hero of the 2013 festival. Distilled on February 20, 2003, it was matured for exactly 10 years in Sherry Butt No. 79 in the famous Warehouse No. 7. Bottled at a massive 60.1% ABV, it is one of the highest-proof festival releases from the distillery. This was a true "hand-sold" limited edition, with only 606 bottles produced, each hand-signed by the legendary duo of Andrew Brown and Ian MacMillan.

Tasting Notes

Nose: A dense, rich arrival of honeyed oranges and creamy toffee. It is heavily sherried but maintains a floral elegance, with notes of polished leather and just the faintest, "ghost-like" puff of smoke in the background.

Palate: Toothsomely sweet and incredibly intense. Spicy gingerbread and vanilla pastries are met by a wave of sugar-coated roasted nuts. Despite the high ABV, it has a thick, velvety texture that carries a mix of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Finish: Surprisingly long for its age. It finishes with spicy orange zest, ginger, and white pepper, ending on a signature smack of maritime sea salt.

Why this bottle is special

The Single Cask Rarity: Unlike modern festival releases that are often "Small Batch" vatting of multiple casks, this is a Single Cask (#79). It offers a raw, unedited look at a single sherry butt's influence on the spirit—a rare "glitch" of perfection from 2003.

The "Old Guard" Signatures: This bottle belongs to the era where bottles were still personally signed by the distillery manager and master distiller. It represents a piece of Islay history before the modern "gold-labeled" festival era took over.

The Warehouse 7 Heritage: Warehouse No. 7 is a dunnage warehouse located right on the shoreline. This bottle lived its entire life breathing in the salt spray of the Sound of Islay, which is clearly reflected in that "Tale of the Sea" mineral finish.