The Bunnahabhain Distillery Company Profile

Burn Stewart Distillers incorporated the Bunnahabhain Distillery Company as a dormant business to oversee the operation of the eponymous distillery it had recently acquired from Edrington.

The company is directly owned by Burn Stewart’s South African parent company, Distell.

The Bunnahabhain Distillery Company History

Although Bunnahabhain distillery was constructed during a period of confidence in the Scotch whisky industry in the late 19th century, its current owner appeared over 120 years later.

William Robertson (of Robertson & Baxter) founded Bunnahabhain on Islay’s remote north east coast in 1881, in partnership with the Greenlees Brothers. The partnership was incorporated as the Islay Distillery Company Ltd the following year, and became a founding company of Highland Distillers (the precursor to Edrington) in 1887.

Bunnahabhain’s single malt whisky was always destined for blending, particularly for Robertson & Baxter’s The Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and – eventually – Black Bottle blends.

In 2003, despite growing demand for single malt whiskies, particularly from Islay, Edrington sold Bunnahabhain and Black Bottle to Burn Stewart Distillers for £10 million. The distillery’s new owner incorporated the Bunnahabhain Distillery Company the same year to oversee its operation.

Burn Stewart itself was sold by the receivers of its Trinidad-based owner CL Financial – which went bust in 2009 – to South African drinks producer Distell in 2013.

Associated companies

Contact

Address
The Bunnahabhain Distillery Company Ltd
Bunnahabhain Distillery
Port Askaig
Isle of Islay
PA46 7RP
United Kingdom
Phone
+44 1496 840646
Map

See also

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