After a one-year pause, Bunnahabhain Distillery has returned with the 2025 edition of its 12 Year Old Cask Strength whisky, a release that’s quickly become one of the most anticipated dates on the Islay calendar. Bottled at 56.4% ABV, the whisky answers a growing demand for unfiltered, full-strength expressions that reveal the distillery’s character in its purest form.
Bunnahabhain Revives Its Annual Cask Strength Tradition
The break in 2024 only seems to have heightened interest. For fans, the release functions as both ritual and reassurance—proof that Bunnahabhain remains committed to producing Scotch that delivers a direct connection to its windswept coastal warehouses.
A New Flavor Profile: Less Sherry, More Sea
This year’s edition represents a subtle shift in approach. Master Blender Julieann Fernandez selected predominantly second-fill Oloroso sherry casks, dialing back the darker fruit and rich sweetness of earlier iterations. The result is a whisky that foregrounds Bunnahabhain’s maritime DNA—structured, saline, with a briny edge that evokes its setting on Islay’s northeastern shore.
“This whisky is everything that the distillery is known for: unpeated, sherried, and full of intense flavor,” Fernandez explained. “Not every whisky stands up to Cask Strength, but Bunnahabhain is absolutely made for it.”
Her description is fitting. The new profile doesn’t abandon the sherried backbone, but it allows the coastal influence—that elusive blend of sea spray, oak, and time—to take center stage.
Tasting Notes: A Pure Cask Experience
True to the distillery’s philosophy, the 2025 Cask Strength is non-chill filtered and free of added coloring, ensuring authenticity from cask to glass.
Official notes paint the following picture:
- Color: Deep gold
- Nose: Golden raisins, apricots, toasted nuts, and subtle floral lift
- Palate: Malty sweetness balanced by soft oak, dried fruit, hazelnuts, and gentle spice
- Finish: Lingering oak spice with light tobacco, sea salt, and cocoa powder
The profile suggests both familiarity and refinement—a classic Islay malt, but rendered in higher definition.
A Whisky Born of Place and Time
Founded in 1881, Bunnahabhain continues to rely on spring water from the Margadale River and maturation in coastal warehouses that lean into the maritime climate. The limited-edition cask strength bottlings are meant to give drinkers the distillery tour experience without leaving home: a dram drawn as if straight from the barrel.
It’s a gesture that resonates, especially for those who can’t make the pilgrimage to Islay. Each annual release has become something like a postcard—sent in liquid form, bearing the stamp of the Atlantic.
Availability and Price
The Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Cask Strength 2025 Edition is priced at £90 (~$120). Beginning September 1, 2025, it will be available globally through the distillery’s website and select specialist retailers.
As with past editions, availability is limited, and demand is expected to be high. For collectors and casual drinkers alike, it represents not just another bottle, but an invitation to experience Islay’s northernmost distillery in its most unvarnished form.
For more information, head over to the distillery’s official website.
