Bunnahabhain Distillery (pronounced ‘bunn-na-ha-venn’) on Islay is something of an outlier compared to the other distilleries on the island. Whilst Islay is famous for its heavily peated malts (see Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Port Charlotte), Bunnahabhain’s main output is unpeated malt and has been for many years. With its notable use of sherry casks for maturation Bunnahabhain whisky is Islay’s answer to the Speyside ‘sherry bomb’.
One such sherry bomb from the distillery is the Bunnahabhain 1968 Auld Acquaintance, which is revered by legendary scotch whisky reviewer, Serge Valentin. So, this week on Scotch Whisky Legends, I thought I would delve into the ‘unpronounceable malt’, and what makes the 1968 Auld Acquaintance so special.
The Bunnahabhain 1968 Auld Acquaintance
The Bunnahabhain 1968 Auld Acquaintance was distilled on 31st December 1968, and bottled in 2002 in celebration of Hogmanay, one of the biggest annual celebrations in Scotland.
On the packaging of the bottle, Bunna has mentioned some of the significant events to happen in Scotland in the period between the whisky’s distillation and its bottling. Such events include:
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- The 1973 retirement of Scottish racing driver, and three-time Formula One World Champion, Jackie Stewart
- The 1981 release of ‘For Your Eyes Only’ by Scottish singer, Sheena Easton, for the James Bond movie of the same name
- The death of Scottish thriller novelist, Alistair Maclean, in 1987
- The opening of the Skye Bridge in 1995
Such events serve to show just how long the whisky was maturing for: 34 years in total. It was bottled at 43.8% ABV.
Serge Valentin’s Tasting Notes On The Bunnahabhain 1968 Auld Acquaintance
Serge Valentin sampled the Bunnahabhain 1968 Auld Acquaintance for the second time in January 2011, and it remains his favorite Bunna expression to date (according to WhiskyFun). Here is what Serge had to say:
“Colour: amber.
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“Nose: really a perfect, fairly delicate but quite assertive sherry, starting with some flints and touches of earth and unfolding with coffee, chocolate, prunes, raisins and many other dried fruits. What’s particularly interesting is that there are also coastal notes behind the sherry, which doesn’t happen too often. Other than that, we have also various herbs and teas and just faint touches of tar and liquorice. In short, it’s both rich and delicate and jammy and coastal.
“Mouth: a good idea of perfection. An amazing punch at 43.8% and a richness that’s everything but cloying, as if the coastal notes kept lifting the whole to ‘elegant levels’ while it’s still quite massive. Well, I know what I mean. Many dried fruits, herbs, nuts and a faint saltiness.
“Finish: very long, balanced, fruity… Notes of strawberries.
“Comments: benchmark sherried whisky, full of… fullness but not heavy. When I first scored this baby in 2002, I came up with a 93-mark. I’m not far from thinking it’s rather worth 94 but for the sake of simplicity, let’s keep it ‘low’. After all, it’s now become an ‘old and unobtainable’ bottling. 93 points.” – Serge Valentin, WhiskyFun.com, January 2011
Auction Prices
Whilst still a relative rarity, the Bunnahabhian 1968 Auld Acquaintance has triple-figure auction appearances, with 217 sales since November 2005.
In that time, the whisky has increased in value and now sells for around £1,400-£1,700, up from around £160 in 2005.
The current auction record for the bottle is £2,841, achieved at a whisky auction in Australia in 2022.
Behind The Auld Acquaintance’s Name
December 31st is a public holiday in Scotland named ‘Hogmanay’. Related to the New Year’s Eve public holiday, Hogmanay is the Scots word for ‘the last day of the old year’. Scots observe several traditions during Hogmanay such as ‘first-footing’, fireball swinging, and the signing of Robert Burns’s Auld Lang Syne at midnight. It is for the lyrics of this song that the Bunnahabhain 1968 Auld Acquaintance is named. See the lyrics to the first verse below:
“Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o’ lang syne!”
A Brief History of Bunnahabhain Distillery
Bunnahabhain Distillery, established in 1881, is located on Islay. Founded by William Robertson, in partnership with the Greenless Brothers, the distillery’s name, derived from Gaelic, means “mouth of the river,” reflecting its location near the Margadale River (its water source).
Initially, Bunnahabhain produced peated whisky, typical of Islay distilleries, but soon became known for its unpeated style, setting it apart from its counterparts. Today, the distillery produces both peated and unpeated malt.
Bunnahabhain’s remote location posed challenges, relying on sea transport for supplies and distribution. This isolation, however, also preserved its traditional methods and unique character.
In the 1960s, Bunnahabhain expanded its production capacity, adding more stills and increasing output. Despite facing periods of closure and changes in ownership, the distillery survived the 1980s Whisky Loch and continued to produce the Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old, which had been introduced in 1979.
In 2003, Bunnahabhain was acquired by Burn Stewart Distillers, leading to significant investments in its infrastructure. The distillery continued to produce its signature unpeated whiskies, such as the 12 Year Old and 18 Year Old expressions and soon added a 25 Year Old to the mix.
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