A very traditional distillate-driven Bunnahabhain of particular intensity, pure and austere: a character that is somehow different from the usual softness of this whisky, much more playful and edgy, with a personality that begged for a cask strength bottling. A hint of tannins and just a whiff of sherry are all that betrays the influence of the second fill cask, but then the distillate takes hold of the stage: big, bold, intense, with clean notes of malt, beeswax and honey-like fragrance. The overall impression, though, is not sweet at all: on the contrary, it remains mineral, dry and quite sharp even with the addition of water. This cleanliness and austerity are what makes it particularly appealing and never cloying, calling for a second dram immediately after the first one.