Bunnahabhain debuts 21YO annual release
CVH Spirits-owned Islay distillery Bunnahabhain has launched a 21-year-old single malt as the first whisky in a new cask-strength range.
The inaugural release in Bunnahabhain's new annual series, dedicated to limited edition 21-year-old cask strength single malts, has been finished in Pedro Ximénez (PX) casks. The small batch expression is made by combining 21 casks from the distillery's coastal warehouse no.9 and was inspired by unfiltered, straight-from-the-cask tastings enjoyed by visitors to the site. Created by master blender Julieann Fernandez, the expression was initially aged in ex-oloroso Sherry butts and finished for 21 months in PX Sherry casks. Described as a 'harmonious blend of sweet and wood', the whisky displays notes of 'creamy berries, roasted nuts, and a touch of sea spray, sweet and syrupy complexity with lingering notes of figs and molasses on the palate'. Andrew Brown, distillery manager at Bunnahabhain, said: “This 21-year-old cask strength is everything you’d expect from Bunnahabhain; our signature unpeated and Sherried Islay expression, but with a distinct honeyed flavour lent from the PX cask finish.“Visiting our island home and sampling direct from the cask is an opportunity we know not everyone is able to access. This release is as close as you'll get to doing so, and we're delighted to share it with the world.”
Limited to only 2,682 bottles and offered at 53.6% ABV, the 2024 release 21-year-old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish is available globally, including in the UK through Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange. In September 2024, Campari Group acquired a 14.6% stake in the distillery's owner, CVH Spirits.
