Ageing gracefully

The quiet son of Islay whiskies, Bunnahabhain, is to launch a one-off limited edition 40 Years Old single malt whisky.

Located on the north-east coast of Islay, Bunnahabhain stands out from the other distilleries on the isle for using unpeated malted barley in their production, result-ing in a whisky which does not carry the traditional peat-smoke characteristics for which Islay whisky are normally famed.

This new release, bottled at 41.7% ABV and un-chillfiltered, is limited to just 750 bottles. All individually numbered and hand signed, the whisky has been maturing in warehouses at the distillery, until master distiller Ian MacMillan discovered the casks listed in the distillery ledgers.
“It was an exhilarating moment to stumble on such a special find,” he said.

“There are very few 40 year old Islays and unlike any other, Bunnahabhain’s taste is considered unique because the distillery does not heavily peat the fine malted barley.”

Matured in casks filled on the 8th April and the 8th November 1971 owned by Glasgow wine merchants 'J G Turney', this expression shows off even older liquid than the age statement would suggest, with the entire contents being matured on the small Inner Hebridean island, where the distillery hold 21,000 maturing casks.

Retailing at £1,999, Bunnahabhain commissioned renowned illustrator, Iain McIntosh, to create a specially designed embossed label with each bottle being housed in bespoke oak wood gift box, with a hidden compartment contain-ing additional designs replicating the journey of discovery for the casks used in the creation of the whisky.