Tucked away on Islay’s northeastern corner, Bunnahabhain has always stood apart from the island’s other distilleries. Nearly all Islay distilleries lean heavily into peat, showcasing strong the maritime smoke notes that are the island’s signature. But Bunnahabhain takes its own path, using unpeated malt for most of its whiskies, and focusing on sherry cask maturation.
Bunnahabhain 12 year old has long been great example of that house style. But in 2021, the distillery released a cask strength 12 that was also matured in sherry casks. It was a hit with Bunnahabhain fans and has since become an annual release; this year’s incarnation recently hit shelves, and we tasted it.
Maturation Focus
Bunnahabhain 12 Cask Strength 2026 includes parcels that were separately aged in first-fill oloroso casks and bourbon barrels, which were blended together in roughly equal parts. It was bottled at 55.8% ABV, its natural strength.
Master blender Julieann Fernandez selects all the stocks that go into each Cask Strength batch—usually tapping a mix of first and second-fill oloroso casks, bourbon barrels, and refill casks. She changes the blending ratio every year to give each batch a unique profile. While she doesn’t disclose the exact recipe for each blend, she notes that this year’s batch has one of the highest shares of first-fill in the series, with previous expressions leaning more on second-fills and refills. For example, last year’s batch focused more on second-fill casks, aiming for a lighter, more coastal dram.
While the whisky is unpeated, it’s not totally devoid of maritime influence. Bunnahabhain ages its whisky in warehouses on the shores of the Sound of Islay. The sea air interacts with the whisky as the barrels breathe during maturation, imparting subtle salinity and minerality, rounding out the flavor profile. It’s a phenomenon that we’ve found in other unpeated coastal whiskies that are aged by the sea. Prominent examples include Glenglassaugh Sandend, Oban Heart of the Harbor, Old Pulteney Coastal Series Pineau de Charentes, Clynelish The Jazz Crescendo, Kingsbarns Doocot, and others.
92 points—Bunnahabhain 12 year old Cask Strength Islay Single Malt (2026)
ABV: 55.8%
SRP: $144
Availability: Nationwide
This greets you with a robust, aromatic nose of raspberry tea, cocktail cherries, plums, vanilla custard, strawberry gelato, and baked berries. The palate runs in a similar direction with more plums, raisins, dried peach, fruit leather, and gentle cinnamon spice—with water enhancing a silky, almost ice cream-like texture. It finishes with cherry and a hint of sea salt emerging amid flavors similar to the palate. The sherry influence is pleasantly noticeable throughout, but it’s well-balanced.