Bunnahabhain distillery

Bunnahabhain distillery (Scottish Gaelic: Taigh-staile Bun na h-Abhainne, [t̪əˈs̪t̪alə punəˈhavɪɲ]) was founded in 1881 near Port Askaig on Islay. The village of Bunnahabhain was founded to house its workers.

Bunnahabhain distillery
Region: Islay
LocationIslay
Coordinates55.883230°N 6.126261°W / 55.883230; -6.126261
OwnerDistell
Founded1881
StatusOperational
Water sourceMargadale River
No. of stills2 wash (30,000 litres)
2 spirit (15,000 litres) [1]
Capacity3,500,000 litres per annum
Websitebunnahabhain.com
Location map
Map of distilleries on Islay

History

The Bunnahabhain is one of the milder single malt Islay whiskies available and its taste varies greatly from other spirits to be found on the island of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland.

Initially the distillery was owned by the Islay Distillery Company, but in 1887 it was taken over by the Highland Distilleries Company.[2] The earliest records of the use of electricity on Islay are from 1894 when the Bunnahabhain Distillery was provided with electric light.[3]

Originally the distillery was supplied by ship, but in 1960 a road was built to the distillery. The last delivery by ship was in 1993.[4] The distillery closed in 1981 but was reopened in 1984 when demand picked up.[5] In 2003 it was acquired by Burn Stewart which merged with Distell in 2014[6] and is one of nine active distilleries on the island.

The name Bunnahabhain is an anglicisation of Bun na h-Abhainne, Scottish Gaelic for Mouth of the River.[7][8]

Managers
  • Mr. Grant 1886 - 1902[9]
  • James Falconer from 1902[10] (formerly manager of the Scapa distillery)
  • Bob Gordon - late 1970s
  • Douglas Eccles - there in 1985
  • Sandy Lawtie - 1985 - 1989
  • Hamish Proctor - 1989 - 1998
  • John MacLellan - 1998 - 2009
  • Andrew Brown - 2011–present

Products
Bunnahabhain Distillery logo

Core products as of 2022 include:[11]

  • Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old ABV 46.3%
  • Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old ABV 46.3%
  • Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old ABV 46.3%
  • Bunnahabhain 30 Year Old ABV 46.3%
  • Bunnahabhain 40 Year Old ABV 41.9%
  • Stiuireadair ABV 46.3%
  • Toiteach A Dhà ABV 46.3%

There are several independent bottler releases from these brands, including That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Douglas Laing & Co, and Duncan Taylor.

Empty casks at Bunnahabhain distillery

See also

References
  1. Bunnahabhain on Whisky.com
  2. "Commercial Items". Dundee Courier. Scotland. 18 October 1888. Retrieved 28 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "Enterprise in Islay". Oban Times and Argyllshire Advertiser. Scotland. 3 February 1894. Retrieved 28 September 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. "About Us". Bunnahabhain.com. Bunnahabhain Distillery. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  5. "Distillery on Islay to Reopen". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 4 November 1983. Retrieved 28 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Distell buys Scottish whisky distiller". Financial Times. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  7. "LearnGaelic - Dictionary". learngaelic.scot. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  8. "Bunnahabhain". www.ainmean-aite.scot. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  9. "Bunnahabhain". Oban Times and Argyllshire Advertiser. Scotland. 6 December 1902. Retrieved 28 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "Commercial Items". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Scotland. 22 October 1902. Retrieved 28 August 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "Core Range". Bunnahabhain.com. Bunnahabhain Distillery. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
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