Bunnahabhain Launches Sweeter Cask Strength 12 Year Old
Last year's Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Cask Strength leaned on mostly second-fill Oloroso sherry casks. This year the distillery has gone in a different direction, putting first-fill Oloroso and bourbon casks in equal parts for a sweeter, creamier result. The 2026 Edition is bottled at 55.8% ABV (110.6 proof), stays unpeated, and is priced at £90 in the UK. In the US, The Bourbon Flight reported a suggested retail price of $143.99.
Did You Know?
The 2025 edition was bottled at 56.4% ABV and used mostly second-fill Oloroso casks. The 2026 edition is a deliberate change of course, not a repeat.
Bunnahabhain says this edition is most similar to its 2023 Cask Strength, which also had an equal split of first-fill Oloroso and refill casks.
The earliest records of electricity on Islay come from 1894, when Bunnahabhain Distillery was given electric light.
The Release
This is a limited edition of the distillery's annual cask strength 12 year old. Cask strength means the whisky is bottled at the strength it comes out of the barrel, without being cut down with water. That is why you get a number like 55.8% instead of the usual 40% to 46%.
The 2026 edition is matured for 12 years in equal parts first-fill Oloroso sherry casks and bourbon casks. First-fill means the barrels held sherry or bourbon only once before, so they pass on the most flavour. Per the brand, the Oloroso brings classic sherry richness, while the bourbon wood adds a softer, sweeter side. The Whisky Shop says this release has a heavier bourbon cask influence than 2023, with more sweetness and a softer structure, and describes the batch as small. The whisky is non-chill filtered, so it skips the chilling and filtering step that can strip out some texture. It also has no added colour, and it pours a burnished copper.
According to the distillery, the nose shows raisins, figs and dates with honeyed vanilla, followed by cinnamon and clove, with a coastal freshness underneath. The palate is described as stewed fruits and comforting spice, balanced by creamy vanilla and toasted coconut with a gentle maritime note. The finish is long and evolving, with dried fruit and spice giving way to dark sugar and polished mahogany. Master Blender Julieann Fernandez is credited with making the whisky.
The 70cl bottle comes in a gift tube. The label calls it Sherried, Fruity and Unpeated, and describes it as small batch.
The Story of Bunnahabhain
Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881 near Port Askaig on Islay, and it has built its reputation on an unpeated, gentler style in a region famous for smoke. The distillery says its signature spirit offers a distinctive take on Islay single malt, with richness and complexity that never need to be overpowering.
The setting has shaped its history. A village was built to house the distillery's workers. For decades the distillery was supplied by ship, and a road only arrived in 1960, with the last delivery by sea in 1993. It closed in 1981 and reopened in 1984. It was taken over by the Highland Distilleries Company in 1887, and by Burn Stewart in 2003. Burn Stewart later merged with Distell, which was in turn acquired by Heineken.
For collectors, the yearly cask strength 12 is one of the clearest ways to see how the distillery's house style shifts with the casks. The same unpeated spirit tastes noticeably different depending on the wood.
Why It Stands Out
Islay cask strength releases are usually pitched around smoke and heat. This one goes the other way, putting fruit, cream and a light coastal note up front. Compared with the sherry-led 2025 edition, it should suit drinkers who want the Bunnahabhain style at higher strength but with a sweeter, more rounded feel. Putting the 2023, 2025 and 2026 bottles side by side would also make a good tasting.
The Details
Style: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, unpeated
Age: 12 years
ABV/Proof: 55.8% ABV (110.6 proof)
Cask/Finish: Equal parts first-fill Oloroso sherry casks and bourbon casks
Other: Non-chill filtered, no added colour, 70cl bottle, gift tube
Release Size: Limited edition, small batch (no bottle count given)
Price (SRP): £90 in the UK; $143.99 in the US as reported by The Bourbon Flight
Availability: UK from the Bunnahabhain website and specialist whisky retailers
US Availability: Reported as available nationwide online and at select retailers
Release Date: US reports date from late September 2026; UK coverage followed in late October 2026
Quick Answers
How much does Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Cask Strength 2026 cost? The UK price is £90. In the US, The Bourbon Flight reported a suggested retail price of $143.99.
Is the 2026 Bunnahabhain Cask Strength available in the US? Yes. It was reported as available nationwide online and at select retailers.
What proof is Bunnahabhain 12 Cask Strength 2026? It is bottled at 55.8% ABV, which US media list as 110.6 proof.
How is it different from the 2025 edition? The 2025 edition used mostly second-fill Oloroso casks and was bottled at 56.4%. The 2026 edition uses equal parts first-fill Oloroso and bourbon casks, for a sweeter and creamier profile.
Tonights Poison Take
The yearly cask strength bottling is a good test of how much the casks can change one distillery's spirit, and this year's mix gives it a distinctly sweeter lean. Fans of last year's sherry-forward bottle should try this one next to it. Anyone new to Bunnahabhain will find it an easy way in, since there is no peat smoke to get past.
Bar Talk: This year's Bunnahabhain Cask Strength is half bourbon casks and half first-fill sherry casks, which makes it sweeter than last year's sherry-heavy release.
Send this to the Islay fan who has never tried an unpeated one, and tell us in the comments which Bunnahabhain you would pour first.
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About the author: Jas Sawhney (Tonights Poison) has spent 18 years in the beverage alcohol industry and shares new releases, tastings and spirits news as @tonightspoison on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
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