Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky
Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky is a 750mL Islay single malt bottled at 46.3% ABV (92.6 proof), matured for twelve years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and bottled non-chill filtered at natural colour. First launched in 1979, it is the benchmark of the Bunnahabhain range — and, unusually for Islay, completely unpeated. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 46.3% (92.6 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 12 years
- Casks: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
- Style: Unpeated; non-chill filtered, natural colour
- Origin: Isle of Islay, Scotland
Islay's Gentle Giant
Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881 near Port Askaig on Islay's north-east coast — a village and pier built with the distillery, reachable only by boat until a road arrived in 1960. Its name means "mouth of the river", its water comes from the Margadale Spring piped clear of the peat beds, and its pear-shaped stills are the tallest on Islay, promoting a lighter spirit; the helmsman on the label comes from the Islay anthem "Westering Home". The 12 Year Old, first launched in 1979 and presented at 46.3% without chill filtration since the 2010 restage, is where the house style begins. The older sibling is the Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old; the range is on the Bunnahabhain vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Per the producer's current notes: a fresh, aromatic nose, fruity and floral, with hints of dried fruit; a light palate of fruit notes, nutty flavours and sweetness, with slight hints of vanilla and caramel; and a long, lingering, rich and full-bodied finish with a hint of sea salt.
How to Enjoy
Neat — the nutty, sherried balance is the signature — or as the gentlest possible introduction to Islay for a smoke-shy friend. More unpeated and lightly sherried malts are in our Scotch whisky collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old peated?
No. It is unpeated — the current official position, and the house style: Bunnahabhain's spring water bypasses the peat beds, and the core range is made without peat smoke. Older copy describing it as "lightly peated" is superseded.
What casks mature Bunnahabhain 12?
A vatting of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, each aged the full twelve years. The brand states no proportion, and published figures from different eras conflict — so the balance is best described as nutty and sherried, exactly as the notes read.
When was Bunnahabhain 12 first released?
1979. It has been the benchmark of the range ever since, and has been bottled at 46.3% ABV, non-chill filtered and at natural colour since the range's 2010 restage.
The unpeated heart of Islay, at full house strength — order Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.