Bunnahabhain giants (50 years) from old vintages!
Bunnahabhain has always been the odd one in the family of Islay distilleries. Famously aiming to be the one non-peated single malt coming from this island, it is actually funny that in recent years their peated variant Staoisha has become such a standard for high quality peated malt. Let us not forget there was another distillery on Islay who took pride in making unpeated malt, which is of course Bruichladdich. Coincidentally, the home of Octomore and Port Charlotte. I guess making solely unpeated Islay malt is a thing of the past!
According to the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2026, Bunnahabhain splits the peated and unpeated production 50/50 these days. The most heavily peated production peaks at 70 ppm of phenols, while the regular standard is 35-34 ppm for peated output. Interestingly, I never really go the official peated stuff by Bunnahabhain, mostly because I do not truly know under which label to find it. The independent bottler makes it more easy, they just put Staoisha on the label and done!
Today, we go back in time with a long matured whisky. In the glass, we have a 50 years old single malt that is presented as the “Old School Single Malt – Coastal Edition”, with enough hints of this being Bunnahabhain. The naval officer in the background gives the most prominent hint. Bottled in 2026, one could wonder about the vintage, although I must say in the past I had a fantastic Bunnahabhain from 1976 stock, this one, with the beautiful shark label. That was when the liquid had aged for 32 years. Now, 18 years down the line, let’s see what we got. But first, a warm up dram. We are not beasts, we do not attack a 50 years old without a palate fluffer!
Bunnahabhain 1981, 13 years old, bottled at 40 % abv by Signatory Vintage
First things first: Bottled for the famous Velier in Genova, 1200 bottles were produced of this Bunnahabhain that is just one month shy of being a 14 years old. Distilled in May 1981, hogsheads # 1015 and 1016 were put together in glass in April 1995. For a series called On the Road.
Upon Sipping: Incredibly white wine in colour, opening on whiffs of lemon and barley on the nose. Very pure stuff, as you would imagine knowing the Italian palate of some decades ago. They like the stuff light and accessible. This is such an example, but by no means is this a Glen Grant 5 years old, if you get what I mean. There is a slight salinity in the background, like drying seaweed on the beach. This is all covered in a healthy dose of vanilla and lemons. On the palate, we can safely conclude that this Bunnahabhain travelled with difficulty through the ages. The whisky is a tad bitter with hints of wet cardboard and overcooked porridge. The vanilla sweetness is lovely, and the oily waxiness is nice too. The 40 % abv is a problem.
Word to the Wise: A very fragile and light Bunnahabhain, but enough soul remains to make this a good dram to have in the glass.
Score: 81 points.
Old School Single Malt – Coastal Edition, 50 years old, bottled at 43,1 % abv by Signatory
First things first: Batch 3 of the Old School Single Malt – Coastal Edition produced 672 bottles from an oloroso sherry butt. Bottled in 2026.
Upon Sipping: Delicate on red fruit and soft oaky notes. That is quite an accomplishment after 50 years of course, to show the wood, but do not let it overpower. Some wood polish comes through after a long breathing. Pine sap, resin, some minty freshness. All very sharp and talkative. The fruit has made way for a more spicy character after twenty minutes in the glass. The only thing missing on the nose is the “coastal malt” character the label speaks off. I would have trouble recognizing a coastal malt in this Bunnahabhain, as it has such a strong Spanish character because of the cask. After one hour, more raisins come through via the wood works. It is a complex dram!
The arrival on the tongue is quite something to get used to. There is without a doubt a lot of wood, and the challenge is to “taste through it”, because in the beginning is feels like a protective layer over everything this Bunnahabhain 50 years old has to offer. Moving towards the finish it packs a good punch, that is fuelled by oak and smoke. On repeated sipping, you do get a fruity note from forest berries. With a tiny drop of water, more fruits break through, without every getting tropical or whatever, it remains close to the oaky side.
On the palate, there is more room for nuance however, and that brings me to deeper layers of this Bunnahabhain 50 years old. Pumpernickel bread, copper coins, and finally something that reminds me of a coastal note. Brine, broth, made near the sea, perhaps some cod in it.
Word to the Wise: Rich whisky inside a narrow spectrum, but it all works without ever being over the top. Beautifully austere, without being boring, and very reminiscent of early versions of more or less the same vintage. This giant does not run anymore, that is true, but the stride is confident. This is whisky to play with for hours.
Score: 90 points.