An austere piece of Victorian architecture on the north-east coast of Islay, Bunnahabhain is a relative outsider on the island, traditionally known for producing an un-peated single malt. The majority of this was used for blending, as was its initial intended purpose. The distillery was shut for 2 years in 1982 following the market downturn of the period, and despite being revived at low production, it was eventually officially bottled as a single malt later that decade, with the self-deprecating tag-line, "the un-pronounceable malt."

Distilled on Hogmanay (31st December) 1968 this rare limited edition Bunnahabhain was bottled in 2002. It has been highly acclaimed receiving 93 points from Serge Valentin on WhiskyFun.com

This is now a very sought-after bottle and is increasingly difficult to find with only 2,002 bottles released.

Not to be mistaken for the 1968 at 43.5% (black label) that was excellent as well but not as stellar. Colour: amber. Nose: really a perfect, fairly delicate but quite assertive sherry, starting with some flints and touches of earth and unfolding with coffee, chocolate, prunes, raisins and many other dried fruits. What’s particularly interesting is that there are also coastal notes behind the sherry, which doesn’t happen too often. Other than that, we have also various herbs and teas and just faint touches of tar and liquorice. In short, it’s both rich and delicate and jammy and coastal. Mouth: a good idea of perfection. An amazing punch at 43.5% and a richness that’s everything but cloying, as if the coastal notes kept lifting the whole to ‘elegant levels’ while it’s still quite massive. Well, I know what I mean. Many dried fruits, herbs, nuts and a faint saltiness. Finish: very long, balanced, fruity… Notes of strawberries. Comments: benchmark sherried whisky, full of… fullness but not heavy. When I first scored this baby in 2002, I came up with a 93-mark. I’m not far from thinking it’s rather worth 94 but for the sake of simplicity, let’s keep it ‘low’. After all, it’s now become an ‘old and unobtainable’ bottling