Bunnahabhain

Bunnahabhain Whisky – The gentle soul of Islay

The Bunnahabhain distillery is picturesquely situated on the north-eastern coast of the Scottish island of Islay, right on the Islay Sound. Its name is derived from Gaelic and translates as ‘mouth of the river’ – a reference to its location at the mouth of the River Margadale.

The distillery was founded in 1881 by the blender William Robertson in partnership with the brothers James and William Greenlees. The first buildings were modelled on a Bordeaux château, and just one year later, in October 1882, the first spirit was distilled. Official production then began in 1883.

The history of Bunnahabhain has been marked by several changes of ownership. Originally founded as the Islay Distillery Company, the distillery was taken over by the Highland Distilleries Company as early as 1887. In 2003, Burn Stewart Distillers acquired the distillery, thereby saving it from imminent closure. Since April 2013, Bunnahabhain has been owned by the South African Distell Group, a subsidiary of Heineken .

Bunnahabhain is characterised by its comparatively mild and smooth single malt, which differs markedly from the often heavily peated whiskies of the neighbouring distilleries on Islay. The water used in production comes from an underground spring fed by the River Margadale. The distillery has two wash stills, each with a capacity of around 35,000 litres, and two spirit stills, each with a capacity of around 15,500 litres . Annual production stands at around 2.5 to 3.5 million litres . An estimated 15,000 casks are stored on the distillery’s premises, with the whisky maturing almost exclusively in sherry casks.

The core range includes, amongst others, the 12- and 18-year-old bottlings, which captivate with aromas of dried fruit, caramel, nuts and a subtle, salty maritime note. Visitors can take part in guided tours that offer an insight into the traditional production process – from the grist mill through the mash tun to the stills and the warehouses.