Although being a bulk producer for blending the Bunnahabhain Single Malts are excellent.  The most underrated Islay distillery produces Sherry maturered and new oak whisky for extraordinary expressions. Some of the malted barley is from Port Ellen and from Simpson‘s of Berwick (1-2 ppm and about 35-38 ppm).

Bunnahabhain Distillery produces about 2 million litres of new make in 2014.  The whisky matures in 10% Sherry first-fill and second-fill butts and the rest mainly in Bourbon first-fill hogsheads. Most of the new make is tankered away to the mainlaind. The distillery was founded in 1881 by William Robertson of Robertson & Baxter together with the brothers William and James Greenless.

The production started in in 1883.The distillery is the spiritual Home of the Black Bottle, a blended whisky which is the most drunk whisky by the locals of Islay. There is a small but very welcoming visitor centre with an excellent Craftsman Tour which is among the best of Islay. Production will increase to 2.7 million litres per year which goes mostly into the blend Scottish Leader. It‘s Burn Stewart‘s big seller of which more than six million bottles are mainly sold in Asia and South Africa.

The Trinidad based CL Financial Drinks Group Ltd. bought Burn Stewart in 2002. In April 2013 the South African Distell Group bought Burn Stewart and their labels Black Bottle and Scottish Leader. They also aquired Deanston and Tobermory for about 244 million Dollar / 160 million Pounds.

Burn Stewart runs a bottling hall in East Kilbride and blending and warehousing facilities in Airdrie near Glasgow.

Character: some sweetness, vanilla, sherry notes, full bodied. Sometimes with peat flavours.

A visit is highly recommended, has to be booked in advance. Normal tour includes a visit of a traditional dunnage warehouse. There are many expressions from various bottlers available.

Distillery Manager: Andrew Brown (2011)

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