Bunnahabhain 17 Years Old 2009 (Liquid Treasures)

Liquid Treasures is a small German bottler run by Stephan Sieber, known as much for the artwork on the labels as for the casks behind them. The imprint releases a handful of bottlings each year, often in the 'From Miles Away' artist series, and tends to favour single sherry casks at natural strength. This 17 year old Bunnahabhain was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2026 at a notable 62.7% ABV, well above standard cask strength after that many years in oak, suggesting an unusually low angel's share for the warehouse and a vigorous outturn from the original cask. Maturation in Oloroso sherry. Oloroso is fortified after fermentation completes, then aged in solera with full air contact rather than under the protective flor yeast that defines Fino and Manzanilla. That oxidative ageing develops the dark, nutty, toffee-and-walnut profile that classic Oloroso seasoning carries into the cask wood. With seventeen years of primary maturation in a single sherry butt, there's been ample time for the cask to influence the spirit's full structure rather than just the finish. Bunnahabhain's unpeated house spirit responds well to long sherry maturation. The distillate is naturally oily and carries a touch of Margadale Burn mineral salinity, both of which give Oloroso something to work with rather than dominate. Expect a heavily sherried profile with dried fig, dark walnut, toasted oak, and the kind of dense liquorice and leather notes that emerge from very long sherry maturation. The high strength means water is welcome but not essential. Natural colour, non-chill-filtered.