Macphunn 16 year old

Colour:

The Macphunn 16 is a deep amber with a red hue that bring forth thoughts of everything whisky, from the copper pot still to the copper leaves of autumn. I could be more poetic but this whisky really has it all, the colour that people expect. Both pleasing to the eye and the soul.

Nose:

Initially there is a pleasant honey whiff from the dram which quickly moves on to a slight earthy smoke. Though it is earthy there are also plenty of creamed tastes not unlike a sweet crème Anglaise. Barley sweetness is present but has a toasted nature. Spice and Nutmeg make the dram with a chokeberry undertone. Damp Oak bark with a slight musk.

Palate:

Rich with Oloroso sherry nuts, this lasts through out the palate it is however quite dry with a lovely tannin numbness. Sweet barley taste which is pleasantly accompanied by a light smoke and peat taste that merely warms the soul and palate. Not in anyway medicinal and very welcome. Chewy with a welcome christmas cake towards the end.

Finish:

This is where the Macphunn 16 falls down slightly it has a brief finish despite the fact it is bottled at 56.8% ABV. There is a sweet and smoky nature to the finish that has a fantastic spice.

Round up:

All round this is a superb whisky rich, sweet and earthy. Bottled at cask strength you would expect a stronger taste which is a nice surprise that it is mild. As a undisclosed distillery we can only gues at its origin but my money would be on Ardmore.

Score: 82/100

Macphunn 16

The Macphunn 16 years old is a single bottling from a secret Highland distillery. This single malt release is named after the legendary cattle rustler who was hanged and later 'revived' with whisky. The whisky was drawn from a Sherry casks and was bottled un-chillfiltered at natural cask strength without colouring. It also offers a peaty tang ... This single malt has a rich and mouth coating palate with gentle pat smoke. A deep colour and a dark fruits nose. In the palate, dark fruits combine with elegant spice and even more peat smoke. The finish is dry and long lasting with lingering dark fruits and smokey notes.

The Tale of the Macphunn

Some centuries age, Archibald Macphunn of Drip was caught stealing sheep, take to Inveraray and Hanged. His grieving widow came by boat to collect the corpse, on her way home, half way across Loch Fyne, saw her husbands body move. A nursing Mother , Lady Macphunn hastily mixed some of her own milk with whisky, and cradling Archibald's head, forced it between his pale cold lips. They twitched, his eyes opened and he breathed the words 'Uisge beatha' - The Water of Life. By the time the boat landed in Creggans, the Macphunn of Drip was completely revived. Unable to be hanged twice for the same crime, he lived to a ripe old age, albeit with his head listing to one side, and was know in Argyll  and further aheld as "Half Hanged Archie". Now he lies buried in Strachur Churchyard and has given his name to the famous whisky the Macphunn.