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We've got 4 pint jugs to take away real ale and cider!
Come up to the top of Halkyn Mountain and join us as we drink in the atmosphere of the house of ale repute
20p per pint discount on cider for card carrying WPCS* members
and on cask ale too for CAMRA* members
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 We try and keep an interesting mix of non-chill filtered whiskies and we are deeply indebted to David Wishart whose book Whisky Classified comes highly recommended and has allowed us to use his notes to add more detail to each whisky description. The book is available from behind the bar and you're welcome to have a look. It details whisky from the perspective of flavour and not area, it also helps you choose a single malt whisky that suits your palate, not someone else's! Have a read and you'll understand the letters (in brackets) after each whisky from Tullibardine (A) to Ardbeg (J)!
The conventional way to classify Scotch malt whiskies is by region - Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Islay and Campbeltown. But knowing where they are made doesn't explain how they taste. Many distilleries today can produce a variety of flavours, peatiness (or lack of it) and this book guides the reader through the process.
How do you drink yours? Everyone's preference differs, personally I choose to add a drop of water to release the esters that would otherwise never surface and so enjoy a fuller and flavoursome experience. I wouldn't add ice as that clouds the taste buds and drinking a neat 46%abv+ whisky is not for me. I'll not take issue with how you like yours though! Steve
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Reviews Whisky -
Whisky - on now
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Distilled at the Bunnahabhain distillery in Islay. This 12 year old is lightly peated for an Islay single malt and consequently is a light, fresh dram. Now at the higher strength of 46.3% - for more complexity and flavour.
Nose: Fresh, sweet. Seaweed, malt.
Palate: Soft, supple. Sherry, nutty. A little sweetness, malty, juicy sultana. Slightly coastal.
Finish: Sherried, mochaccino, herbal, balanced salty tang.
Deriving from the Gaelic for ‘mouth of the river’, Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881 by William Robertson and brothers James and William Greenless. A very smooth, easy-drinking Islay malt, Bunnahabhain (pronounced ‘BOO-na-HAven’) closed and reopened twice during the twentieth century and eventually production was limited to a mere few weeks annually following Edrington's 1999 acquisition of previous owners Highland Distillers.
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In 2003, Edrington sold Bunnahabhain to Burn Stewart Distilleries for £10 million. Included in this deal was the popular blend Black Bottle, whose contents feature a quantity of spirit from every distillery on Islay. Today, production stands at 2.5million litres a year. Of this, 21,000 casks are kept at the distillery for maturation and the resultant whisky will be used for the Black Bottle blend and for bottling as Bunnahabhain single malt. The rest of the outturn is sent for maturation elsewhere. In relative solitude, Bunnahabhain is the Northern-most Islay distillery. It sits in a large bay to the North East of the isle, drawing its water from the Margadale Spring.
Click READ MORE for tasting notes...
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The following tasting notes by David Wishart...
Bunnahabhain 12 years old
Cluster E
Bottled By: Producer
Region: Islay
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Age:12 years old
Strength: 46.3% vol
Colour: Gold
Chill Filtered: No
Cask: ?
Nose: Aromatic and fresh, with a whiff of smoke.
Taste: Light, fruity and malty, with hints of honey, walnuts and spice
Finish: Long with a (very slight) sulphury smokiness
Tasted for Whisky Analyst 4. Only available at the distillery and in duty free shops.
David Wishart / Steve Marquis
08/11/2005 - 26/10/11
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From Whisky Classified
& Whisky Analyst
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Open from 5pm Monday to Friday (closed on Tuesdays) and 12pm Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays.
Coaches welcome by appointment. - We take most major credit and debit cards.
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Copyright © 2005-2012 Blue Bell Inn, Halkyn.
This site is authored by Steve Marquis for the Blue Bell Inn
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E&OE - While we endeavour to get things right we are only human and errors might
inadvertently creep in so sorry in advance! Please let us know!
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papers for Sundays and we could pick up yours too!
