Bunnahabhain (Bu-na-ha-venn), meaning 'mouth of the river', was purpose-built for blending. In 1881, Bunnahabhain produced whisky destined for Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. Much of what Bunnahabhain makes today still goes into blends – it is a dominant part of Black Bottle - however, the distillery also produces some outstanding single malts, and a visit to Bunnahabhain Distillery is a fantastic opportunity to try them. In addition, a visit to Bunnahabhain Distillery offers travellers exceptional views of Jura from the new Bunnahabhain visitor centre.
Bunnahabhain Distillery and the Sound of Islay, with Jura Paps in the background
How to Pronounce Bunnahabhain
Pronounced 'bu-na-ha-venn'
Bunnahabhain Whisky
Bunnahabhain 12 is one of my go-to whiskies. It’s a lovely clean, crisp dram that goes down very nicely. It has never occurred to me to add water. I was fortunate enough try a 9yo heavily peated bottling at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Edinburgh, and more recently, a Bunnahabhain 13 yo finished in Moine Olorosso – available only at the distillery. Unlike the other Islay distilleries, heavily peated whiskies are not what Bunnahabhain has historically produced as their primary product. However, they do this style incredibly well. Click here to check out Bunnahabhain’s core heavily peated range Ceobanach. If you’re visiting the distillery, see what small batch heavily peated bottlings they have on offer, as they are well worth trying.
Bunnahabhain Warehouse 9 Single Cask Release AR13000007 13 year old Moine Oloroso Finish. Bottled 26/10/17.
Where is Bunnahabhain Distillery?
Located on the Isle of Islay, Bunnahabhain is 4 miles (6.5 km) off the A846 and 4.6 miles (7.4 km) from Port Askaig.
Car
If you’ve got a car, Bunnahabhain is a straight forward drive, not too far along from Ardnahoe distillery. It is a single lane road, so watch out for oncoming cars and lorries. There are many passing places along the asphalt route. You can’t miss Bunnahabhain it as it’s at the end of the road.
Taxi/Tour Bus
North Islay Whisky Tour: £180, day long tour, runs on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from April to October, however, other days may be available on request. Bunnahabhain have partnered with neighbours Ardnahoe and Caol Ila, in collaboration with Islay Taxis for transport, so you can now easily discover Islay’s three northern distilleries in one day! Includes transport, tours, tastings and lunch. This is an excellent option if you're not driving yourself - I wish they had this tour available when I first visited Islay! For more information, call Bunnahabhain on 01496 840 557 or to book, contact Stuart at Islay Taxis or email info@islaytaxis.com
Bus
If you’re on foot (as I have done!) it is a fabulous walk along the road, with sweeping views across the Sound of Islay – just ask the bus driver (route 451 Port Askaig) to drop you off at the road to Bunnahabhain. Please note, it is a 4 mile walk each way, although I have always found fellow travellers to be very helpful in providing lifts, and it never hurts to ask at a distillery if someone is going your way. Be sure to check the bus timetable as Islay buses are infrequent. They also finish early on Saturdays and don’t run on a Sunday.
Ardnahoe Distillery is also now at the half way point between Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila, so you'll have somewhere to stop for a rest (and perhaps a wee dram?) on the way/way back.
Islay Maps and Photographic Prints
Whisky Gifts, Wall Art and Man Cave Decor. Made By Whisky Lovers For Whisky Lovers
Bunnahabhain Distillery Tours, Pricing & Bookings
Children of all ages are welcome at the distillery (visitors centre), but must be 12 years or older to go on a tour.
For tour times see https://bunnahabhain.com/pages/distillery-experiences
Distillery Production Tour
An expertly guided tour of Bunnahabhain Distillery followed by a tasting of two (2) 20ml drams of Bunnahabhain whisky. £15 per person and 50 minutes duration. Children over 12 years of age may accompany their parents on this tour. Advanced online bookings are highly recommended.
Warehouse 9 Tasting
The Warehouse 9 tasting is one of Bunnahabain's most popular events. Enjoy an exclusive tasting of 3 x 15ml drams of cask strength whisky straight from the cask and 1 x 15ml dram of new make Bunnahabhain spirit while hidden away from the outside world in Bunnahabhain’s Warehouse 9 (originally one of the the malt floors). £40 per person, 60 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings are highly recommended. Persons must be aged 18 years or older to attend the Warehouse 9 Tasting.
Visitor Centre Tastings
Fabulous whisky with an even better view - enjoy a few drams in the shiny new purpose-built Bunnahabhain Distillery Visitor Centre.
Bunnahabhain Premium Tasting (£35)
Whiskies tasted include:
- Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old
- Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old
- Dram taken straight from the cask in Warehouse 9
- Feis Ile special release
Bunnahabhain Cask Strength Tasting (£40)
Four (4) cask strength drams including:
- Single cask expressions
- Annual Limited Edition Releases
- Special Releases
Ultimate Bunnahabhain Tasting (£275)
- Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old
- Bunnahabhain 30 Year Old
- Bunnahabhain 40 Year Old
- Bunnahabhain 46 Year Old
- Bunnahabhain 1997 Moine PX Limited Release
North Islay Whisky Tour
Runs on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from April to October, however, other days may be available on request. Bunnahabhain have partnered with neighbours Ardnahoe and Caol Ila, in collaboration with Islay Taxis for transport, so you can now easily discover Islay’s three northern distilleries in one day! Includes transport, tours of all 3 distilleries, tastings and lunch. This is an excellent option if you're not driving yourself - I wish they had this tour available when I first visited Islay! £180 per person, day long tour. For more information, call Bunnahabhain on 01496 840 557 or to book, contact Stuart on +44 (0) 1496 850 170 or visit the website Islay Taxis or email info@islaytaxis.com.
Bunnahabhain Distillery, Islay, 1 Mile
Bunnahabhain Distillery Images
I have been told, by a mostly reliable Islay local, that the original Bunnahabhain distillery architect was usually employed to design prisons. One look at Bunnahabain, and it’s not hard to believe! The high walls and stark design are very reminiscent of a prison, though in this case, the purpose would have been to keep the whisky in, and potential thieves out!
Bunnahabhain has undergone recent renovations thanks to a £10.5m investment by parent company Distell International. A key part of the redevelopment is the new visitor centre, complete with distillery shop. Th new visitor centre has been designed to take advantage of the distillery's stunning views over Bunnahabhain Bay and across the Sound of Islay, towards Jura.
Other areas being improved include the build of a new filling store, refurbishment of the production building and the six cottages that run alongside the distillery, which will eventually be used for holiday accommodation.
The development schedule has been carefully designed to ensure minimal disruption to whisky production and to distillery visitors.
Bunnahabhain Distillery in the distance
Bunnahabhain warehouses, and distillery offices
Rickety pathway from the old village houses to the distillery
Casks outside the former Malt House. The malt floors were retired in 1963. At the same time the number of stills were doubled to four.
Fresh bourbon casks from Jim Beam group, including Wild Turkey (zoom in to see stamps!).
Seaweed, Jura, and Bunnahabhain Distillery
Islay Maps and Photographic Prints
Whisky Gifts, Wall Art and Man Cave Decor. Made By Whisky Lovers For Whisky Lovers
The Bunnahabhain Process
As part of the overall upgrades to Bunnahabhain Distillery, parent company Distell International partnered with AMP Clean Energy and Dallol Energya to build a biomass power plant behind the distillery, which burns wood chips and draff (leftover grain from mashing) and generates steam energy. The biomass plant saves 5500 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, representing a reduction of 95% over oil, and made Bunnahabhain the first distillery on Islay with a net-zero distillation process. It saw them win the 2022 "Sustainable Development of the Year Award" at the Scottish Green Energy Awards.
Porteus machine No. MM-RB-25. Installed 10 March 1964. Bunnahabhain Distillery, Islay, Scotland. The barley elevator is visible behind the malt mill.
The Porteus De-Stoner (above) and Malt Mill (below). The barley is carried up from the grain silos and into the de-stoner for sieving before being dropped (gravity) into the malt mill for grinding into grist.
Copper topped mash tun and Porteus Grist Hopper at Bunnahabhain Distillery, Islay, Scotland.
The copper-topped mash tun at Bunnahabhain Distillery, with a Porteus Patent hopper.
Underneath the mash tun at Bunnahabhain Distillery, Islay, Scotland.
The heat exchanger at Bunnahabhain Distillery. The hot liquids leaving the mash tun (around are passed through the heat exchanger, so the wash is cooled prior to entering the washbacks.
Four of the Oregon Pine washbacks at Bunnahabhain Distillery. They are the biggest washbacks on Islay - each washback contains 100,000 litres of wort.
The four washbacks at Bunnahabhain are immense - each has a capacity for 100,000 litres of wort - though washbacks are usually only filled to 3/4 capacity as they 'grow'/foam while fermenting. The fermentation period is between 56 and 60 hours. One-quarter of a fermented washback (~17,500 litres) is used to charge a wash still.
There are two large wash stills at Bunnahabhain Distillery, with a capacity of 35,356 litres, which is quite considerable compared to Ardbeg's new wash still, which has only 18,270 litres capacity. The two onion-shaped Spirit/Lowwines Stills have a capacity of 15,546 litres each. Between them, they produce around 3.5 million litres of spirit per year.
Spirit and Wash Stills, Bunnahabhain Distillery Islay. Note: normally you wont be able to get a picture of the stills, however I was fortunate enough on my first trip to visit during the silent season.
The ‘mouth of the river’ that the name Bunnahabhain refers to, is the Margadale River. Margadale spring water is used in production of Bunnahabhain whisky (mashing, bottling etc).
Margadale River, Bunnahabhain, Islay
What Other Distilleries Are Near Bunnahabhain?
References & Further Reading
One of Amanda's favourite books. Around 1885, Alfred Barnard was secretary of Harper's Weekly Gazette, a journal dedicated to the wine and spirit trade. In order to provide his readers with the history and descriptions of the whisky-making process, Barnard decided to visit all distilleries in Scotland, England and Ireland. Accompanied by friends, he visited and sketched over 150 distilleries. This is a wonderful step back in time and a must have book for a whisky history geek.
Ingvar Ronde's annual guide to all things Scotch whisky, The Malt Whisky Yearbook is your go-to guide for distillery facts and stats. With comprehensive and up-to-date distillery summaries, editorials on the state of world whisky, profiles on global whisky trail blazers (the people having the most impact on the industry), the Malt Whisky Yearbook packs in a lot of facts and figures and is an essential Almanac for whisky fans.
Whiskies Galore is not your average whisky book. It is not simply a catalogue of distilleries, but a story of discovery and adventure. Join Ian Buxton on a personal journey across Scotland's islands, combining his expert knowledge of whisky with his fondness for anecdote, as he provides a special treat for all who love Scotland's islands and their drams.
In Whisky Island, by Andrew Jefford, Islay's fascinating story is uncovered: from its history and stories of the many shipwrecks which litter its shores, to the beautiful wildlife, landscape and topography of the island revealed through intimate descriptions of the austerely beautiful and remote countryside. Interleaved through these different narrative strands comes the story of the whiskies themselves, traced from a distant past of bothies and illegal stills to present-day legality and prosperity. The flavour of each spirit is analysed and the differences between them teased out, as are the stories of the notable men and women who have played such a integral part in their creation.