Bunnahabhain Launches Cask Strength 12 Year Old Inspired By Warehouse 9

Bunnahabhain recently announced an annual-edition cask strength 12-year-old Scotch whisky inspired by visitor tastings in the distillery’s iconic Warehouse 9.

The Bunnahabhain distillery has been serving up drams straight from the cask in the famous Warehouse 9 for years. Now fans from around the world can recreate this experience at home. The 12 Year Old Cask Strength was matured on the remote, north eastern coastline of Islay and produced using pure spring water from the Margdale River. It is described as an undiluted celebration of the distillery’s popular Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old expression.

Each year the distillery will release a new 12 year old cask strength that celebrates what’s said to be the distillery’s character.

“When people embark on a journey to Islay and try our whiskies straight from the cask, it creates so much joy,” Brendan McCarron, Bunnahabhain’s Master Distiller, said in a prepared statement. “But we understand that not everyone is able to make the trip. With this annual Cask Strength 12 Year Old Cask release, we can give people around the world the chance to experience it themselves.”

The spirit delivers, according to official tasting notes, unpeated, oily notes of dried fruits and cereal, followed by caramel and vanilla on the palate. It is 55.1% alcohol by volume and can be enjoyed neat or with a few drops of water to encourage more floral aromas.

“Not all whiskies work at cask strength and many whiskies don’t stand up to full maturation in sherry casks. Bottling our 12 Year Old at cask strength intensifies the core characteristics of spice, cracked black pepper and cinnamon, but not at the expense of our spirit’s character. In fact, it enhances it,” Macarron said. “The mouthfeel and texture of the whisky increases and it shows off the balance of the spirit and the wood, but in a more concentrated form. This really represents Bunnahabhain in a bottle.”

The Bunnahabhain’s 2021 edition Cask Strength 12-Year-Old will be available from November 18th for £75 in nine international markets, including Switzerland, USA, Australia, Taiwan, China, UK, Bulgaria, Canada and Germany.