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
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
November 27, 2010
Light and gentle but yet pretty complex. You need to give this dram some time, but it turns out to be very enjoyable. The high age of this malt as well as the Islay provenance are not really noticaeable. – Rating: 84/100
September 6, 2010
It it were not for the mint hint, this fine sherried dram might be mistaken for a Macallan or Glenfarclas. Surprisingly fresh and un-woody for its age. – Rating: 88/100
July 5, 2010
A great dry sherried malt that even reminds me a little of the 18 year Macallans – but for a much friendlier price. – Rating: 87/100
July 28, 2009
Strong wood is balanced by string and complex other aromatics. If you like “wood whisky”, this one is for you! – Score: 85/100
Mentioned in These Articles
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.
May 15, 2010
Often overlooked or regarded as the least interesting of all Islay distilleries, Bunnahabhain is something like the ugly duckling or grey mouse of the bunch. So I was very eager to learn a bit more about it when I set off to Bunnahabhain on my first morning on the island.
January 31, 2010
Experiments have always played a role in whisky making, especially since the single malt boom took off in the late 1980s and early 1990s. With about a hundred distilleries in Scotland alone, it became neccessary to stand out from the crowd.
August 29, 2009
The result does not have much of a statistical value, but nevertheless the winner is not really a surprise:
August 20, 2009
When you plan to invite some friends to a whisky tasting there are quite a few things that should be considered. And there are some pitfalls you should avoid.
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