| slot | 08-13 | 08-20 | 08-27 | 09-03 | 09-10 | 09-17 | 09-24 | 10-01 | 10-08 | 10-15 | 10-22 | 10-29 | 11-05 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| list / member | 159.95 m 150.00 observed | 159.95 m 150.00 observed | 159.95 m 150.00 observed | 144.95 observed | 159.95 observed | 188.95 observed | 149.95 observed | 188.95 observed | 159.95 observed | 159.95 observed | 159.95 observed | 159.95 observed | 149.90 observed |
| basis | mean | median | sd | min | max | range | cv | se mean | latest | own-range pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| list | 161.72 | 159.95 | 13.13 | 144.95 | 188.95 | 44.00 | 8.1% | 3.64 | 149.90 | 15 |
| member | 159.42 | 159.95 | 14.15 | 144.95 | 188.95 | 44.00 | 8.9% | 3.92 | 149.90 | 15 |
| moments | m1 mean | m2 var | m3 skew | m4 ex-kurt | 95% band of the mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| list | 161.72 | 172.29 | 1.41 | 1.73 | 154.6 – 168.9 |
Bunnahabhain 12, $99 for members at Dan Murphy's. The nose is all sea salt and tangerines. The palate turns oily and warm: vanilla, sultanas, hazelnuts, a wisp of woodsmoke. Salt and drying smoke on the finish. More on it in this week's piece.
Bunnahabhain 12 and its nearest neighbour, Tamdhu 12, both lean on sherry casks. Hand a Tamdhu 12 drinker a Bunnahabhain 12 and they'd put it at 72% of what their own bottle costs. Plenty to like either way. More on the Bunnahabhain 12 in this week's piece.
I poured the Bunnahabhain 12 and there it was: sea salt, a little tangerine, smoke drifting off at the end. At $99 that's $3.87 a standard drink, about 26 to the bottle. A pint runs about $6.28 a standard drink; a quieter pour at home. More in this week's piece.
Two rungs on the Lagavulin ladder this week: the 8 at $99 and the 16 at $160. Both are born on the same Islay shore, so the real question isn't whether a Lagavulin 8 drinker would enjoy the one above — it's what another eight years in the cask actually hands over, and whether anyone settled on the 16 would miss much by stepping down. Let's climb, then climb back.
Two Scotches at their own floor this week, and the shelf's oddest near-miss. Johnnie Walker Black is $53, Lagavulin 16 is $145 — both plain shelf tickets, neither a members-only deal. Put them together and the pair is the cheapest it has been in the six weeks I have tracked it.
Start with the price, because it sets the frame. This week Bunnahabhain 12 is $99 for members at Dan Murphy's, and it usually sells around that. Across about 26 pours in the bottle that works out at $3.87 a standard drink, so a glass at home sits under a $13 pint at the pub ($6.28 a standard drink). The price guide below puts it against the bottles closest to it.
| # | candidate | price | CEARP | price − CEARP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700ml | $164.99 | $145.90 | +19.09 |
| 2 | Bowmore 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky 700mL | $95.00 | $144.23 | -49.23 |
| 3 | Caol Ila 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL | $99.00 | $143.02 | -44.02 |
| 4 | Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky 700mL | $127.99 | $141.78 | -13.79 |
| 5 | Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL | $97.00 | $133.90 | -36.90 |
| 6 | Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10 Year Old Scotch Whisky 700mL | $145.99 | $129.52 | +16.47 |
| 7 | Lagavulin 8 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL | $99.00 | $120.93 | -21.93 |
| 8 | Glencadam 15YO Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL | $150.00 | $117.38 | +32.62 |
| 9 | The Glenlivet 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL | $125.00 | $114.69 | +10.31 |
| 10 | The Glenlivet 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700mL | $184.99 | $113.83 | +71.16 |