Bunnahabhain Eirigh Na Greine Whisky

I tasted the Bunnahabhain Eirigh Na Greine Islay single malt Scotch whisky for the first time a couple of years ago at a function when Pierre Meintjies poured me a tot. It was delicious, and I asked John to buy me a bottle.

Originally it was only available in travel retail, and he brought me a bottle on one of his trips via Heathrow. I decided to try this again as I need something to cheer me up after nearly 30 days of Covid lockdown.

Bunnahabhain distillery was founded in 1883 near Port Askaig on Islay. The name Bunnahabhain is Gaelic for Mouth of the River. It is different than the traditional Islay malt whiskies. Milder and softer with a lightly peated taste compared to the other well-known heavier peated whiskies.

Since 2014, the distillery has been part of the Distell portfolio and is one of nine active distilleries on the island.

Eirigh Na Greine translates to ‘morning sky’ in Gaelic. It is a reference to the colour of the morning sky on Islay. Bunnahabhain mature this single malt is exclusively in French ex-red wine casks. It is now available more widely than just travel retail.

The Bunnahabhain core range includes the 12 year old single malt whisky, the 18 year old and the 25 year old Scotch whisky. There are various independent bottlings as well as special editions and Distillery releases.

I see that Wild About Whisky has a few bottles left. The Eirigh Na Greine whisky is not too expensive either; it retails for just over R 1050 in South Africa.

Bunnahabhain single malt whisky is produced not chill-filtered, with natural colour.

Also Read: Lagavulin 16 yo Whisky

Bunnahabhain Eirigh Na Greine Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 46.3%

COLOUR: Warm, amber-gold

NOSE: Red fruits, some sweetness, oak with hints of Merlot red wine, raisins and nut and vanilla. Is that the smell of salty sea air in the background? Rich and delicious.

PALATE: Big, bold and delicious. Pears cooked in red wine, with sultanas and stone fruit. Hints of  paprika, sea salt, black pepper, oak and red berry sweetness. Well balanced with a medium body. Bit of alcohol heat that is tempered by a few drops of water.

FINISH: Quite long, sweet and drying with bits of spice.

RATING: EXCELLENT

This dram is just as fantastic as I remember. When you taste whisky at a special event, there is always the risk of event bias. Because everything around you is beautiful, your mind can interpret the food and whisky you are having as delicious. When you taste it later in a normal environment, you wonder what you were thinking.

This Bunnahabhain whisky did not disappoint. It is rich and elegant and simply delicious. Just what I need after four weeks of being confined to our house. It warms my heart and makes me smile. I am pouring a second glass.

But after that, I am stopping.  I need to ration myself as alcohol sales are still prohibited in SA, and I don’t know when I can stock up again.

Hopefully, it will not be too expensive one day when things return to some sort of normal; this whisky is worth getting.  The Eirigh Na Greine is a beautiful tribute to the golden-red Islay mornings. My heart is happy.

Also Read: Macallan 15 vs Glenfiddich 15 yo Whisky