🥃 Bunnahabhain
Distillery and single malt brand at Port Askaig on Islay, founded in 1881; four stills, mostly unpeated style; owned by CVH Spirits.
Bunnahabhain is a distillery and single malt Scotch whisky brand near Port Askaig on the north of the island of Islay. It was built in 1881, and the name means "mouth of the river" in Gaelic. Unlike most of its neighbours, Bunnahabhain is known mainly for an unpeated, soft style, and its owner is considered to be CVH Spirits.
History. The distillery was built by William Robertson and the Greenlees brothers, together with houses, a road and a pier; production began in 1883. From 1887 it belonged to Highland Distillers, then Edrington; in 2003 Burn Stewart bought it for 10 million pounds, and Distell obtained it in 2013; after Heineken acquired Distell in 2023, the Scotch business passed to CVH Spirits. For a long time the whisky went mainly into blends, including The Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. The distillery was mothballed in 1982 and reopened in 1984, and it was released as a single malt in the late 1980s.
How it is made. There are four stills: two for the first distillation and two for the second; according to Whiskypedia, capacity is 2.74 million litres of pure alcohol a year. Regular malt has up to 2 ppm phenols, peated malt from 35 ppm, and about 20% of production is heavily peated whisky, including for Toiteach. Water comes from Margadale Spring, and Loch Staoisha is used for cooling.
Range. There are 12, 25 and 40 year old expressions, and the peated Ceòbanach and Toiteach A Dhà.
Why this matters to you. Islay is not always "smoky" whisky: Bunnahabhain's core range is soft and fruity. The age on the label counts the youngest whisky in the bottle. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1881, William Robertson and the Greenlees brothers (Port Askaig, Islay); production from 1883 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Islay) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | malted barley (regular up to 2 ppm, peated from 35 ppm); water from Margadale Spring |
| Distillation method | twice, 4 copper stills; 2.74 million litres of pure alcohol a year |
| Cask type | oak barrels; the core expression is mostly ex-sherry |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak by law |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | from 40% ABV by law; expressions differ |
What it includes
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Bunnahabhain → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Sherry
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Islay whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Laphroaig, 🥃 Lagavulin, 🥃 Ardbeg, 🥃 Woodford Reserve, 🥃 Woodford Reserve, 🥃 Canadian Club, 🥃 Canadian Club, 🥃 Caol Ila, 🥃 Caol Ila
and 8 more
🥃 Bowmore, 🥃 Bowmore, 🥃 The Dalmore, 🥃 The Dalmore, 🥃 Dewar's, 🥃 Dewar's, 🥃 Tobermory, 🥃 Deanston
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that all Islay whisky is peated?
No. Bunnahabhain is mostly unpeated: regular malt has up to 2 ppm phenols, and peated malt, from 35 ppm, goes into only part of production (about 20%).
What does the name Bunnahabhain mean?
In Gaelic it means "mouth of the river", referring to the place where the Margadale river flows into the bay.
Who owns Bunnahabhain?
Since 2023, CVH Spirits; before that, according to Whiskypedia and Difford's Guide, Distell Group, which obtained it in 2013 together with Burn Stewart; earlier it belonged to Highland Distillers and Edrington.
How many stills does Bunnahabhain have?
Four: the number was doubled from two after 1963. Capacity is 2.74 million litres of pure alcohol a year.
What water does Bunnahabhain use?
Process water comes from Margadale Spring, and cooling water from Loch Staoisha.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🍷 Sherry — Protected wine from the Jerez de la Frontera area of Andalusia, aged in oak casks in the solera system; 14 to 22 % alcohol.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
Similar
🥃 Port Ellen · 🥃 Kilchoman · 🥃 Bruichladdich · 🥃 Isle of Jura · 🥃 Knockdhu · 🥃 Bowmore
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Bunnahabhain (1881 Islay Distillers Co.; production 1883; 4 stills; 2.74 mln lpa; Margadale Spring; peating; owners)
- Difford's Guide: Bunnahabhain Distillery Co. (1881; Port Askaig, Islay; name = mouth of the river; peated barley since 2012; Distell; range)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)