So from a long standing core range stable to a brand new limited edition release. The Toiteach a Dha is what Bruichladdich would call a Second Edition. The first Toiteach (pronounced Toch-ach ah-ghaa) came out 7 years ago and was a smoky fruity young whisky and this is a newer reimagined version for 2020. When the first version came out it might have been the first official peated version from the distillery. I wasn’t drinking whisky back then so I could be wrong. It was certainly at least some of the first.
The Dram
The name of this bottle in English is “Smoky Two” so this is probably going to be the kind of bottle that does what is says on the tin. For this second edition they have zoomed up the sherry influence and dialed down the bourbon. Bottled at 46.3% ABV and still available for just over 40 pounds in the UK.
Tasting Notes
Colour – golden orange
Nose – Sticky glazed smoked ham and stale smoke. Nuts and ripe plump sultanas.
Palate – More stale smoke and dry wood charring with some of that orangey vanilla ice-cream from the 12 year old.
Finish – Shorter finish than the 12 but the stale Bunnahabhain smoke recides longer than any wood influence.
Final Thoughts
I prefer the peated Bunnahabhain to the unpeated but trying the 12 side by side with this expression I prefer the 12 year old. Somehow it is richer and more three dimensional. There are some really good peated Bunnahabhains out their but this one is good. Definitely good…but not the best I have ever tried.
Malted 