The new Bunnahabhain distillery exclusive release is a pair of bottlings, and each one shows a different side of the north Islay distillery. The 2020 Mòine is peated spirit fully matured in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. The 2018 Cream Sherry is unpeated, eight years old and bottled at 56.3% ABV for £80. Both were hand-selected by the distillery team under Distillery Manager Andrew Brown, and there are just 504 bottles of each.
Members of the Bunnahabhain community get 24 hours of early access from 12 November. General release opens at midday on 13 November 2026 through the distillery’s online shop.
Bunnahabhain distillery exclusive 2026 at a glance
| 2020 Mòine PX Sherry Cask Matured | 2018 Cream Sherry Cask Matured | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Peated | Unpeated |
| Distilled | 2020 | 2018 |
| Age | 6 years | 8 years (bottled 2026) |
| Cask | Pedro Ximénez sherry, full maturation | Cream sherry, full maturation |
| ABV | 57,1% | 56.3% |
| Bottles | 504 | 504 |
| Price | 102 euro | 102 euro |
| Profile | Maritime smoke, sweet cereal, dark PX richness | Fig, raisin, toffee, cinnamon, coastal salinity |
| Who it’s for | Peat drinkers who like their smoke wrapped in sherry | Sherry lovers who want classic Bunnahabhain at full strength |
What is the Bunnahabhain distillery exclusive release?
Distillery exclusives are small bottlings Bunnahabhain sells directly rather than through its global core range. They tend to be single vintages or single cask types picked by the team on site, and they are where the distillery shows what its warehouses hold beyond the 12, 18 and 25 Year Old.
This pair is built as a contrast. Same distillery, same team, same sherry family of casks, but one spirit is peated and one is not. That makes them a useful study in how much of Bunnahabhain’s character survives, or changes, when you switch the spirit and keep the cask style.
Both are full maturations rather than finishes. The spirit went into sherry casks from day one and stayed there, which typically gives a deeper and more integrated sherry influence than a short finishing period would.
Who is Bunnahabhain?
Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881 on the north-east coast of Islay, the Hebridean island off Scotland’s west coast best known for heavily peated single malts. The distillery sits in its own bay looking across the Sound of Islay to the Paps of Jura, at the end of a long single-track road.
What makes Bunnahabhain distinctive on Islay is that its house style is unpeated. The core range is built on clean, coastal spirit and a large amount of sherry cask maturation, giving nutty, dried fruit whiskies with a salty edge rather than the medicinal smoke many people expect from the island.
Bunnahabhain does also make peated spirit in smaller runs, released under the name Mòine, the Scottish Gaelic word for peat. Mòine releases have appeared in PX sherry before, including a 2004 vintage finished in PX and the 22 year old 1997 Mòine PX Finish. The new 2020 vintage is different in one key way: it was fully matured in Pedro Ximénez rather than finished.
2020 Mòine PX Sherry Cask Matured: young peat, full PX maturation
The 2020 Mòine was distilled in 2020 and fully matured in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. PX is the sweetest and darkest of the sherry styles, made from sun-dried grapes, and it usually brings raisin, date, molasses and dark chocolate to a whisky. Putting young peated spirit in that kind of cask from the start is a bold combination, and the distillery is open about this being a younger whisky.
According to the distillery, the result shows “waves of maritime smoke”, sweet cereal richness and subtle oak.
Andrew Brown explained the choice in the launch announcement: “We wanted to select something that really showcased the character of our peated spirit. This release brings together the maritime influence of Bunnahabhain with the richness of Pedro Ximénez sherry maturation. It’s a whisky that stood out to the team for all the right reasons, proving that exceptional character isn’t defined by age alone.”
Bunnahabhain 2020 Mòine PX Sherry Cask Matured: distillery notes
Nose: Maritime smoke, sweet cereal, dark PX fruit
Palate: Sweet cereal richness, layered smoke, raisin and dark sugar from the PX
Finish: Coastal smoke with subtle oak
ABV: 57,1%| Cask type: Pedro Ximénez sherry, full maturation | Distilled: 2020 | Bottles: 504 | Price: 102 euro
Tasting notes based on the distillery’s description. The Daily Whisky has not yet tasted this release.
2018 Cream Sherry Cask Matured: classic Bunnahabhain at cask strength
The second bottle is the one that sits closest to the Bunnahabhain most drinkers know. It was distilled in 2018, fully matured in Cream Sherry casks and bottled in 2026 at eight years old and 56.3% ABV. It is unpeated, natural colour and non-chill filtered.
Cream sherry is a sweet style traditionally made by blending dry Oloroso with sweet Pedro Ximénez. In cask terms, that gives you the nutty, structured depth of Oloroso alongside some of the sticky dark fruit of PX, which suits Bunnahabhain’s coastal, nutty spirit very well.
Andrew Brown on the selection: “This was a whisky that really caught our attention during the selection process. The Cream Sherry cask has brought a wonderful depth and richness to the spirit, while allowing its underlying Bunnahabhain character to shine through. It’s something a little different, and one we felt deserved to be shared as a distillery exclusive.”
Bunnahabhain 2018 Cream Sherry Cask Matured: distillery notes
Nose: Dried fruits, citrus, honey, a hint of gentle coastal salinity Palate: Fig and raisin, toffee, warming cinnamon, a subtle salty note Finish: Lingering dried fruit, dark chocolate, toasted nuts, gentle spice ABV: 56.3% | Cask type: Cream sherry, full maturation | Age: 8 years (2018 to 2026) | Bottles: 504 | Price: 102 euro
Tasting notes from Bunnahabhain. The Daily Whisky has not yet tasted this release.
Price and availability: 504 bottles each, distillery shop only
The 2018 Cream Sherry Cask Matured costs 102 euros on the UK Bunnahabhain shop. The price of the 2020 Mòine PX is 102 euros.
Both bottles are sold through bunnahabhain.com as distillery exclusives, so you will not find them in the wider retail network at launch. Bunnahabhain community members got 24 hours of early access from 12 November, and both go on general release at midday on 13 November 2026.
The UK product pages confirm shipping from the UK with delivery in two to three working days. Bunnahabhain’s website runs regional storefronts for a wide range of countries, but the launch material does not say whether these two releases are offered outside the UK. If you are in the EU, the US or elsewhere, check your regional Bunnahabhain shop at launch time. With 504 bottles of each, it is unlikely the allocation will stretch far.
Is it worth it?
For the 2018 Cream Sherry, £80 is a fair price for what is on paper. You get an eight year old, cask strength, full sherry maturation from a distillery whose house style is built on sherry casks, with natural colour, no chill filtration and a run of 504 bottles. That sits in the same price band as many core cask strength releases from Islay and Speyside, with the extra appeal of a single, distinctive cask style. If you already enjoy Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Cask Strength, this is the obvious next bottle.
The 2020 Mòine PX is the more unusual whisky. Young peated spirit fully matured in PX is not a combination you see often, and it is aimed squarely at drinkers who enjoy smoke and heavy sherry together. If you have liked earlier Mòine releases or other peated sherry cask malts, this is worth a close look. If you prefer your Bunnahabhain unpeated and nutty, the Cream Sherry is your bottle.
Our advice: decide which side of Bunnahabhain you want, and be ready at midday on 13 November.
FAQ
What is the Bunnahabhain distillery exclusive 2026 release? It is a pair of limited bottlings from Bunnahabhain on Islay, hand-selected by Distillery Manager Andrew Brown and the distillery team: a peated 2020 Mòine fully matured in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, and an unpeated 2018 Cream Sherry Cask Matured at 56.3% ABV. Each is limited to 504 bottles and sold through the distillery’s online shop.
What is the difference between the 2020 Mòine PX and the 2018 Cream Sherry? The 2020 Mòine is made from peated spirit and fully matured in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, giving maritime smoke and sweet cereal richness. The 2018 Cream Sherry is unpeated, eight years old and fully matured in Cream Sherry casks, with fig, raisin, toffee, cinnamon and a light coastal salinity. Both are limited to 504 bottles.
How much does the Bunnahabhain 2018 Cream Sherry Cask Matured cost? The Bunnahabhain 2018 Cream Sherry Cask Matured is priced at £80 on the distillery’s UK online shop. It is an eight year old Islay single malt bottled at 56.3% ABV, with natural colour and no chill filtration. Only 504 bottles were released. The price of the sister bottling, the 2020 Mòine PX, is listed separately on bunnahabhain.com.
Where can I buy the new Bunnahabhain distillery exclusives? Both releases are sold directly through bunnahabhain.com. Bunnahabhain community members had 24 hours of early access from 12 November 2026, with general release at midday on 13 November. The UK shop ships from the UK in two to three working days. Readers outside the UK should check their regional Bunnahabhain storefront, as overseas availability is not confirmed.
Is Bunnahabhain peated? Bunnahabhain’s house style is unpeated, which makes it unusual on Islay, an island known for smoky whisky. The distillery does produce peated spirit in smaller batches, released under the name Mòine, the Scottish Gaelic word for peat. The 2020 Mòine PX in this release is peated, while the 2018 Cream Sherry is unpeated.
What is a cream sherry cask? Cream sherry is a sweet sherry style traditionally made by blending dry Oloroso with sweet Pedro Ximénez. Casks that held cream sherry combine Oloroso’s nutty, structured character with some of PX’s dark, sticky fruit. In Bunnahabhain’s 2018 release this shows up as fig, raisin, toffee and warming spice alongside the distillery’s coastal salinity.
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