An Cuan Garbh No.1 White Port Cask Finish

About

An Cuan Garbh—'rough sea' in Gaelic—names this 15-year-old Islay single malt from Bunnahabhain with characteristic directness. Finished in white port casks sourced from Portugal's Douro Valley, it bridges Bunnahabhain's maritime peat heritage with Portuguese cask craft. The result walks a careful line: the distillery's smoky character remains intact, but the port finish introduces orchard fruit and honeyed sweetness that feels earned rather than imposed. The nose opens with ripe stone fruits—peach, apricot—layered beneath a subtle, earthy peat smoke. On the palate, the texture turns silky and oily (Bunnahabhain's signature un-chill-filtered richness), with roasted nuttiness, candied citrus, and honeyed almond gradually emerging. The finish stretches long and mineral-fresh, with sea salt and wax cutting through the sweetness. This is a whisky that rewards slow sipping; the nose and palate don't always agree, but that tension is where the complexity lives.

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