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Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Scotch WhiskyIssue 163

Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Bunnahabhain · Bunnahabhain Distillery

92.6 proof25 YearIslay, Scotland
This is patient whisky. Twenty-five years in primarily sherry casks have produced something that feels both generous and restrained — the hallmark of Bunnahabhain's unpeated house style at its most refined. It demonstrates that Islay can whisper as effectively as it roars.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Rich dried fruit and oloroso sherry notes open into dark chocolate, roasted hazelnut, and subtle coastal salinity. A gentle floral sweetness — rosewater and dried orange peel — lingers underneath.

Palate

Luxuriously textured with layers of honey-coated almonds, dark toffee, and dried apricot. The oak is present but measured, contributing clove spice and leather rather than tannic grip. A hint of maritime minerality threads through the mid-palate.

Finish

Extraordinarily long, with dried fruit, cocoa, and a final whisper of wood smoke. The sherry influence fades slowly, leaving clean malt and warm spice.

Specifications
Region
Islay
Cask Type
Ex-Oloroso Sherry Casks
Peat Level (PPM)
1–2 ppm (unpeated)
Distillation
Double distilled in copper pot stills
Maturation
Predominantly ex-oloroso sherry casks, 25 years minimum
Chill-Filtered
Non-chill filtered
Serve & Pair

Food Pairing

The cocoa and dried fruit richness of the whisky finds a perfect partner in a dense dark chocolate torte finished with flaky sea salt. The salt amplifies the whisky's maritime quality, while the torte echoes its sherry-cask sweetness.

The Story

Tucked into Islay's northeastern shore at the mouth of the Margadale River, Bunnahabhain has distilled unpeated spirit since 1881, making it the quiet outlier on an island famous for smoke.

Train These Aromas
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