Whisky Dictionary

Distilleries / Scotland

Bunnahabhain

Scotland / Islay · Founded 1881

A distillery near Port Askaig on Islay's north-east coast. Its mainstay is unpeated spirit — unusual for Islay.

History & character

Founded in 1881 near Port Askaig on the Sound of Islay by William Robertson and the brothers James and William Greenlees, as the Islay Distillers Company. The village of Bunnahabhain grew up to house its workers. In 1887 it became part of Highland Distillers.

After more than a century under Highland Distillers and then Edrington, it was sold to Burn Stewart Distillers in 2003, which became part of Distell in 2014.

In 1963 the number of stills was doubled from two to four. Its water is piped from the Margadale Spring before it can run through peat, and the distillery's core whiskies are unpeated, though it also makes some peated spirit.

Whiskies from this distillery

Sources: en.wikipedia.org / bunnahabhain.com

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