Bunnahabhain, Islay’s most remote distillery, has released the latest edition of its annual 12 Year Old Cask Strength expression. Priced at £90 for a 70cl bottle, the limited-edition single malt is bottled at 55.8% ABV and available now from the brand’s website and specialist whisky retailers.
The release brings together whisky matured for 12 years in an equal split of first-fill Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks. It delivers depth from the Oloroso sherry, with dried fruit, gentle spice and chocolate, balanced by vanilla, honey and toasted coconut sweetness from the bourbon maturation.
The combination marks a shift from the sherry-led 2025 edition, bringing a sweeter, creamier character to the distillery’s signature unpeated style.
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READ THE STORYAccording to the official notes from the brand, the nose offers raisins, figs and dates, with honeyed vanilla, cinnamon and clove. The palate delivers stewed fruits, toasted coconut and gentle spice, followed by a long finish of dried fruit, dark sugar and oak.
“Our annual Cask Strength release is a chance to show Bunnahabhain in its purest form,” said Julieann Fernandez, master blender at Bunnahabhain. “The whisky’s character comes from the spirit itself, the casks and the place where it matures and, at cask strength, those characteristics are amplified.”
Fernandez added: “The 2026 edition has a lovely balance between that richness and freshness. On the nose, there’s ripe orchard fruit, dried apricot and hazelnut, with gentle spice and a touch of coastal freshness. There’s nothing quite like tasting whisky straight from the cask. It’s one of the real privileges of being a master blender. Sharing that raw, unfiltered experience with fellow whisky lovers is something I never take for granted.”
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The expression is bottled at natural cask strength, without chill filtration or added color.
Bunnahabhain is known for a milder, mostly unpeated profile that sets it apart from Islay’s traditionally peaty character. Founded in 1881, Bunnahabhain has gained a reputation for its unique, unpeated expressions that contrast with Islay’s traditional peaty character.
The distillery sits on the island’s north-east coast and is matured predominantly in sherry casks and is known for being unpeated, natural in colour and non-chill filtered.
The 2026 edition is available now from bunnahabhain.com.
