Bunnahabhain
Fact Sheet
Founded: 1881
Current owner: Burn Stewart Distillers
Stills: 2 wash, 2 spirit
Capacity: 2.5 million litres per year
Location: Bunnahabhain, Isle of Islay
Website: www.bunnahabhain.com
Notable Facts: For a long time, Bunnahabhain produced only virtually unpeated whisky. In recent years, also peated expressions were made. Bunnahabhain is the lead malt of the Black Bottle blend.
Report of my visit to Bunnahabhain Distillery
Bottlings
April 28, 2013
This uncommon heavily peated Bunnahabhain is also unusually sweet, in fact a bit too sweet for my taste. – Rating: 79/100
February 17, 2013
The sweetness is the first thing you notice in this excellent dram. But then the fruit and liquorice join in. – Rating: 87/100
February 1, 2013
Simply a nice peated daily dram, nothing stands out here. – Rating: 83/100
January 11, 2013
Not your typical oloroso cask here… The nose is superb, but the ABV has come down to a level that gives it a sightly watery mouthfeel. Surprisingly litte wood influence. – Rating: 87/100
January 4, 2013
Despite the rather strong peat the underlying flavours are rather subtle, the nose has a nice freshness. This feels a bit younger than it actually is. – Rating: 84/100
January 2, 2013
The wood has begun to take over here, but it still is a very fine dram. The finish is a bit on the short side, though. – Rating: 88/100
November 27, 2012
A dram that needs a little time and attention, but the patience is rewarded with delicate and lovely flavours. – Rating: 87/100
May 14, 2012
The nose of this oldie is very impressive, but palate and finish are strangely weak in comparison. – Rating: 84/100
March 25, 2012
A delicious old-style whisky with a creamy and slightly waxy mouthfeel but no overwhelming wood influence. – Rating: 87/100
March 23, 2012
A malt from a rather tired cask with a less than perfect nose, on the palate it catches up a little but overall it remains somewhat lacklustre. – Rating: 80/100
February 28, 2012
Quite pleasant on the nose but palate and finish are a bit disappointing. There is a nice spiciness but it just feels a bit too sugary. – Rating: 81/100
February 28, 2012
A very pleasant combination of sweet fruit and dry wood with just a hint of the signature Bunnahabhain freshness. – Rating: 89/100
February 16, 2012
The fantastic old time sherry nose is in 90+ territory, but palate and finish are strangely weak for such a high end whisky. – Rating: 84/100
February 13, 2012
A very fine and thick dram with a nose that captures the meaty quality some rich sherries can have. Some gentle spices round off this malt. – Rating: 87/100
December 7, 2011
This heavily peated Bunnahabhain is quite unusual for the distillery, but it can well compete with the usual suspects. Its oily mouthfeel makes it stand out. – Rating: 86/100
October 14, 2011
There is a Compass Box whisky called Spice Tree, but this one can safely be called ‘Spice Monster’. Its general character is rather mild, but the flavours are very strong. – Rating: 87/100
August 11, 2011
This very complex malt displays some rather odd flavours which I really like, but it may not be everybody’s favourite. – Rating: 89/100
August 10, 2011
A small dose of sulphur is spicing up this already very rich dram even more. It is extremely densely flavoured, but the quite prominent driness knocks a few points off the score. – Rating: 84/100
March 17, 2011
For a 30 year old whisky this Bunnahabhain seems amazingly immature. This was clearly not the best cask of 1978. But yet there it has a captivating element. – Rating: 77/100
March 9, 2011
The reborn standard Bunna more than convinces with a rich and coating mouthfeel. It has a strong sherry influence but the trademark maritime and herbal notes are well present. – Rating: 86/100
Mentioned in These Articles
April 29, 2013
It all started with Glenmorangie.since the 1990s the concept of multiple cask maturation of whisky ahs been established in the industry.
January 31, 2013
Musings about the 2013 Whisky Bible
January 4, 2013
A closer look at an interesting phenomenon.
December 20, 2012
Because whisky geeks often use abbreviations that may not always be understandable for less experienced whisky lovers here is a list that also includes a few slang terms for whisky distilleries or brands.
November 5, 2012
Lamenting about rising whisky prices has become a regular pastime. So I think it is time to have a closer look at how much prices have actually risen over the last years.
September 22, 2012
I have done some number crunching with the bottle data in the Whisky Monitor to see if there is a noticeable trend how independent bottlings do for a specific distillery.
May 17, 2012
A summary of the Scotch single malt blind tasting competition
March 9, 2012
Here is my selection of distilleries that let their whisky do the talking.
August 24, 2011
Here is an experiment that I have been carrying around in my mind for quite a while. It’s about how chill-filtration actually effects the character of a whisky.
August 12, 2011
Somewhat fitting to this month’s poll topic about using whisky for mixing, I proudly present a cocktail made from 100% single malt whisky. This should get the seal of approval from the most die-hard critics, I hope…
June 13, 2011
Yes, I really mean it!
May 15, 2011
Have you ever noticed a coloured residue in your empty glass the next day? Sometimes, especially with cask strength whisky, there can be a rather thick layer of goo at the bottom of the glass. Now what could this be?
January 1, 2011
Just before Christmas I was enjoying a celebratory dram or three with my old friend Keith Wood of Whisky-Emporium.com and as often happens after a few Drams and when the night draws in, we set about putting the world, or at least whisky world, to rights.
October 17, 2010
Year of Birth: 1966
Place of Residence: Meckenheim, Germany
Profession: Wine and spirits trade
Whisky Involvement: Independent bottler, importer
September 11, 2010
Year of Birth: 1962
Place of Residence: Glasgow, Scotland / Isle of Man
Profession: Undertaker
Whisky Involvement: Video commentator
June 16, 2010
Single malt Scotch whisky is regarded by many as being superior to blended whisky. This is largely due to two notions:
May 23, 2010
No, this is not really supposed to be a tourist guide. In this article I would like to share my experiences of Islay that are not related to specific whisky distilleries. I had never been on Islay before, so I think the title is appropriate.
May 19, 2010
Caol Ila is a strange distillery. Although it is the largest on Islay it is overshadowed by most other distilleries in public perception, perhaps only with the exception of Bunnahabhain. Only since rather recently, Caol Ila single malt has come somewhat out of the closet and seems to be picking up momentum.
May 18, 2010
The central town of Islay is home to the oldest distillery of the island. Many people call Laphroaig the love it or hate it distillery, but for me this label fits even better to Bowmore.
May 17, 2010
The installment of Kilchoman in 2005 was highly acclaimed for two reasons. Firstly because it was the first new distillery to be built on Islay for 124 years. And then the concept of a small farmhouse distillery makes Kilchoman something unique.
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