Bunnahabhain Distillery

Bunnahabhain is the Islay malt for people who think they do not like Islay. Most of what it makes is not peated at all, and the whisky is known for sherry, nuts, toffee and a gentle sea breeze instead of smoke. It sits on the remote north-east coast of the island, at the end of a single-track road, and it has been making whisky there since 1881. If you want to see a different side of Islay, this is the place to start.

Who owns Bunnahabhain?

Bunnahabhain is owned by CVH Spirits, a Scottish whisky company that was split off from the South African drinks group Distell in 2023, when Heineken took over Distell. CVH Spirits is the former Burn Stewart Distillers and is majority owned by Remgro, a South African investment group, with the Italian spirits company Campari holding a minority stake.

Burn Stewart bought the distillery in 2003 from the Edrington Group, which had kept it mostly idle, and Distell bought Burn Stewart in 2013. CVH Spirits also owns Deanston and Tobermory, the maker of Ledaig. For the wider picture of which company owns which whisky, see our guide to who owns what in whisky.

The history of Bunnahabhain Distillery

Bunnahabhain was built in 1881 by the Islay Distillery Company, led by William Robertson and the Greenlees brothers of Glasgow, on a remote stretch of coast with deep water for ships to dock. The name comes from the Gaelic for the mouth of the river. In 1887 the company merged with another to form Highland Distillers, and Bunnahabhain stayed in that group for over a century, supplying whisky for blends such as Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse.

The single malt only became widely known in the 1990s and 2000s. After years of low output, the distillery was sold to Burn Stewart in 2003, and the focus moved to the bottled single malt, with a range led by the 12 Year Old. To place it against the island’s other names, read the Islay whisky boom and our beginner’s guide to Islay whisky.

How Bunnahabhain is made

Bunnahabhain makes its whisky from malted barley, water and yeast. The main difference from its neighbours is the malt. The standard Bunnahabhain spirit is made from almost unpeated barley, at around 2 ppm phenols, which is why it tastes so different from Caol Ila, Laphroaig or Ardbeg. The distillery also makes a smaller amount of heavily peated spirit, sold under names such as Moine, Ceòbanach and Staoisha. Our guide to how peat works in whisky explains the difference.

The water comes from the Margadale Spring, which does not pass through peat, and that also helps keep the spirit clean. The distillery has four copper pot stills, two for the first distillation and two for the second. The 12 Year Old and most of the core range are bottled at 46.3% ABV without chill filtration or added colour. For the wider context, see how whisky is made.

Why is Bunnahabhain not smoky?

Because the barley is barely dried over peat. The style is built on the sherry casks and the sea air instead. The spirit is matured in a mix of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks, and the sherry gives the dried fruit, toffee and nutty notes that people most often point to. A touch of salt in the finish is the only real hint of the coast.

The Bunnahabhain range

The core range is built around age statements and sherry influence, with a separate peated line. The main expressions are:

• 12 Year Old (46.3% ABV), the core bottle and the best place to start. Read our Bunnahabhain 12 review.
• 18 Year Old (46.3% ABV), a richer and rounder older bottling, with more sherry and dried fruit.
• Stiùireadair (46.3% ABV), a no-age-statement bottling matured in sherry casks. See our note on age statements versus NAS.
• Toiteach A Dhà (46.3% ABV), a peated Bunnahabhain, a first taste of the distillery’s smoky side.
• Cruach-Mhòna (50% ABV), a stronger peated bottling, with more smoke and a salty finish.
• Older and limited releases, including cask strength and finished bottlings that change from year to year. See our guide to cask strength whisky.

New to the brand? Start with the 12 Year Old, then try one of the peated bottlings to see the other side. To see how the island’s headline names compare, read Laphroaig vs Ardbeg vs Lagavulin, and try our Caol Ila 12, Bowmore 12 and Lagavulin 16 reviews. If you like the sherry side, our note on sherry cask versus bourbon cask shows why it matters so much here. CVH Spirits also makes Ledaig, a peated Tobermory, which we reviewed in Ledaig 10.

How to drink Bunnahabhain

Bunnahabhain 12 is made for sipping, neat or with a few drops of water, and it is a good after-dinner dram. Because it is not smoky, it works well as a first Islay for anyone who is new to the island, and it can be used in an Old Fashioned if you want a sherried twist. If you are new to the style, our beginner’s guide to Islay whisky suggests an order to try things in.

Visiting Bunnahabhain Distillery on Islay

The distillery stands on the north-east coast of Islay, about three miles from Port Askaig, at the end of a narrow road that winds along the Sound of Islay. It is one of the most remote and scenic on the island, with a small village of white cottages around it and views across to Jura. Tours and tastings are offered through the visitor centre. Islay is reached by ferry from Kennacraig, which docks at Port Askaig, or by a short flight from Glasgow. Summer and the Fèis Ìle festival in late May book out early, so reserve ahead and check the distillery website for the current tour list and opening hours.

Bunnahabhain: quick answers