Forgotten Casks, Unforgettable Whisky: Bunnahabhain 30 & 40 Year

BUNNAHABHAIN 30 YEAR & 40 YEAR 
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

 ISLAY, SCOTLAND
 

WHY BUY:
These 40 Year and 30 Year single malts are among Bunnahabhain's oldest releases ever. But it’s not just age they have going for them; both of these beauties spent the past three and four decades imbibing the salt-rich air at Bunnahabhain Bay, developing the distinct and complex coastal character that only time and place can deliver, and that long sherry maturation transforms into something shimmering. Whisky doesn't get more deeply, sighingly pleasurable.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
*  The 30 Year — "the pearl in our shell,” as Bunnahabhain puts it — delivers exactly what three decades of sherry cask maturation ought to: a long note of rich butterscotch and salted caramel on the nose, followed by wave upon wave of strawberries and cream that open out into honey nut cereals and toffee richness. The coastal influence is controlled but unmistakable, adding just enough salinity to keep everything grounded, but not asserting itself and assuming control. The finish is long, sustained, and elegant. 

*  The 40 Year,  whose casks (from the legendary wine merchant J.G. Turney) were forgotten until the blending team discovered them while conducting a review of warehouse ledgers, takes you into even rarer territory. For all its many decades spent in cask, it’s not restrained in the least; on the contrary, it’s fairly bursting up front with fruit, both tropical (pineapple, banana, and mango) and stone. Those fruit notes deepen and darken, as the waves of vanilla, caramel, and toasted nuts arrive, and, trailing them, and edging into the long and complex finish, a wonderful rancio character, of old leather and furniture wax. Sheer gloriousness.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
"To experience these outstanding whiskies," declared Forbes, "is to be part of a select group, and they truly merit the accolade Whisky of Distinction." The 30 Year also claimed a Gold Award at the International Spirits Challenge 2023.

THE STORY:
While the rest of Islay has embraced smoke and peat, Bunnahabhain has perfected the art of eloquent restraint, allowing orchard fruits and honeyed sweetness to take center stage. Established, in 1881, on Islay's northeastern coast, this distillery has always pursued a different vision of what Islay whisky could be. Their approach is built on the superior and abundant natural resources available to Bunnahabhain — namely, the water that sets them apart from the competition: it's the only distillery on the island to use pure spring water with no peat influence, piped directly from the Margadale Spring. Add to that the tallest stills on Islay, which accounts for a more delicate profile in the whiskies, and their wooden washbacks, which allow fermentation to stretch up to 54 hours. The maturation in north-eastern Islay warehouses (where cool, salt-laden air works its magic) builds the subtle salinity and coastal freshness that makes this whisky distinct. Master Blender Julieann Fernandez oversees these releases with the kind of patience the whiskies themselves embody, honoring production methods established 142 years ago while never taking shortcuts. No chill filtering, ever. No added color, ever. And no rushing, ever, of the natural processes that are essential to creating these world-class releases.

FUN FACT:
Master Blender Julieann Fernandez’s original intention was to go into CSI work — though blending whisky, we would argue, involves its own form of forensic investigation: a trial-and-error inquiry into what decades in wood can accomplish.

OUR GUARANTEE:
As always, we buy and source directly from the distiller to ensure pristine provenance. Secure your bottles today!