Bottled to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the distillery. Classic Bunnahabhain-toffeed and quite nutty. Almost rummy in nature, with rich molasses notes throughout and layers of sweetness. Some salt emerges on occasion, as do notes of honey, coconut, and candied fruit, with a pleasingly dry, gently spicy finish to round everything out. Surprisingly youthful for its age, nicely balanced, and very drinkable. A great Bunnahabhain!

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2006)

The nose is nutty and yields sweet sherry, Jaffa orange, old leather, instant black coffee, and a suggestion of ozone. The palate is oily and textured, with more sherry, dried fruits, nutmeg, and dark chocolate. The finish lingers with brine and pepper.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2019)

Older expressions of this unpeated Islay dram are often quite delicious, but they aren't easy to come by. The best ones, like this one, take the sweetish toffee/nutty foundation of younger expressions and add layers of depth and complexity. This whisky just continues to evolve on the palate. The entrance is creamy in texture with layers of sweetness (caramel, vanilla fudge, toffee), becoming nutty and marzipan-like with subtle background fruit. The finish is long and pleasingly dry, with a hint of salt. Very entertaining and satisfying.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2005)

Nougat and dates to the fore, then becoming increasingly nutty with suggestions of Demerara rum and cinnamon and underlying polished leather. Lovely dried spice notes and an appetizing salty tang teases the palate on the finish.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2006)

Very fragrant on the nose, and thick on the palate. The flavors are chock full of thick chewy toffee, chocolate fudge, roasted nuts, burnt raisin, black currant, and spiced oak. There’s a hint of salt and Earl Grey tea on the finish. Very dynamic.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2007)

Distilled in 1969, the oldest Bunnahabhain ever released was matured in second-fill sherry butts. The nose yields sweet resin, marzipan, ginger, glacé cherries, a hint of cloves, and red berries. The silky palate features Jaffa oranges, dark chocolate, prunes, and more glacé cherries. The finish dries steadily, with slightly bitter tea, white pepper, a savory note, and quite subtle oak tannins for a dram of this vintage. (198 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2017)

A no age statement Bunnahabhain destined to replace the existing 12 year old, matured in first and second-fill sherry casks. Raisins, fruit spice, furniture polish, and roasted nuts on the nose, along with an edge of brine. Rich and full-bodied in the mouth, with malt, sweet sherry, and cotton candy, plus cloves and a sprinkling of sea salt. The finish offers red berries, lively spice, and dark chocolate. £40

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

The nose is fresh, with sea salt, tangerines, and light smokiness. Vanilla, sultanas, malt, a hint of sherry, hazelnuts, and woodsmoke are present on the oily palate. Lingering in the finish, with salt and drying smoke.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2019)

Spicy sultanas, greengage plums, toffee, and new leather on the nose. Damsons, prunes, black pepper, mint, and old oak on the palate. The finish is musky, slightly smoky, with fruit spices, dark chocolate, licorice, and tannic oak. An intriguing take on Bunnahabhain. (1,260 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2019)

This has a lovely light fruitiness on the nose with lemon meringue pie, lime marmalade, apple blossom, vanilla fudge, gentle wood spices, barley water, and seasoned oak. It’s a sweet, polished dram where butterscotch, vanilla custard, lemon, and fudge meet tempered pepper and clove spices followed by a ripening of tropical fruit flavors with passion fruit, dried mango, and red fleshed pears. (165 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2021)

Toiteach A Dhà means ‘smoky two’ in Gaelic and follows the previously released Toiteach. The nose opens with aromatic smoke and brine, while red berries, caramel, nutmeg, and cloves develop. Significantly greater sherry wood influence on the palate compared to the last version, plus Jaffa oranges, pipe tobacco, nougat, cloves, black pepper, and smoked fish. Medium to long in the finish, with drying sherry, oak, pepper, salt, and dark chocolate.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2020)

Smoky! Can you get dessert seaweed? Because that’s what this smells of. Candied ginger notes alongside a distinct salinity—think winkles—and in time a hint of verjus, even lanolin with water. The palate shows balanced smoke, paprika, then white pepper. The best smoky Bunna’ I’ve come across, showing maturity, balance, and no rubberiness. In time, there’s notes of old (refill) sherry cask. Released for the 2014 London Whisky Show but still commercially available. £75

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

Bunnahabhain has been marketing batches of peated spirit under the Mòine banner since 2004, and this example is the first to have been fully matured in Bordeaux red wine casks. Damp peat, sweet antiseptic, and subtle raspberry aromas. Lots of red berry notes on the palate, backed by milky coffee, peat, and vanilla. Black pepper and berry fruits in the smoky finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2018)

There have been several lovely older expressions of Bunnahabhain over the past decade, and this is one of them. The vanilla cream and toffee nuttiness is balanced perfectly by polished oak, bright fruit (apricot, sultana, cherry pits), and subtle anise. There’s a calming quality to this whisky that is very more-ish. All the maturity of an older whisky without the tired, dominating oak.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2008)

This limited-edition Bunnahabhain was aged in sherry casks until 2011, when it was transferred into first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry butts. The nose offers leathery sherry, red berries, ozone, and a little black pepper. Rich, sweet fruit notes on the palate; overt sherry, plus toffee, dark chocolate, and a hint of background salt. Cinnamon, honey, and raisins in the long finish. (2,154 bottles for U.S.)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2018)

Peated whiskies definitely have a dropping off point where they become too old and tired, and the nose for this one would indicate it’s past its prime, with gravel, rubbery smoke, and raisin. On the palate it’s a different story, as ashy smoke combines with raisin and rancio, turning the peat age detriment into an asset. Strangely alluring, it’s like sitting on a park bench next to a weathered old man who ends up having a real tale to tell.  (U.S. only)

Reviewed by: Geoffrey Kleinman (Winter 2014)

This was matured in second-fill sherry casks and then spent 3 years in first-fill Pedro Ximénez butts. The nose features fruit and nutty milk chocolate, fudge, sultanas, and mixed candied peel. Lush, sweet sherry on the palate, with a carryover of fudge and sultanas from the nose. Long in the nutty, spicy finish, which offers nutmeg and peppery oak. (5,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

Dried peat smoke, a papery column of cigar ash, sizzling bacon fat, baked earth, and a shower of sea spray, coupled with hints of fresh peach and ripe fruits. The palate has a light, oily consistency ingrained with smokiness throughout, tasting of vanilla toffee, pick ‘n’ mix foam bananas, tangy citrus, and sweet tropical fruits, the whole arrangement given a peppery lift before succumbing to a late nuttiness. It’s not named after the Gaelic for smoky for nothing, you know.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2016)