Bunnahabhain 30 Year Old 1989 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength Scotch Whisky750ml
Product details
| Management number | 253707271 | Release Date | 2026/10/24 | List Price | CA$210.00 | Model Number | 253707271 | ||
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This is a genuinely rare, single-cask release from one of Scotland's most respected independent bottlers — Bunnahabhain, distilled in 1989 and left to mature a full 30 years in a single refill American hogshead, cask #5702, before bottling on October 23, 2019, at natural cask strength. Only 214 bottles emerged from this entire cask, making it a genuine, one-time-only whisky that will never be replicated once the allocation is gone.
Gordon & MacPhail's Connoisseurs Choice range was created in 1968 by whisky visionary George Urquhart, and has since grown to feature single malts from almost 100 Scottish distilleries, comprising more than 2,000 individual bottlings — each one telling its own life story directly through the label: cask type, bottling date, strength, vintage, and tasting note. Gordon & MacPhail itself has been bottling single malt whisky for well over a century, based in Elgin, Scotland, and remains one of the industry's most trusted independent houses. Notably, unlike many independent bottlers who simply buy already-mature casks, Gordon & MacPhail's decades of experience and close distillery relationships mean they're often trusted to buy new-make spirit directly and manage the entire maturation themselves, from cask selection onward.
We don't have independently published tasting notes for this exact cask, but for genuine house-style context, closely related Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength Bunnahabhain releases have shown real, layered complexity — one 2009-vintage sibling described as "sweet and spicy with treacle, baked apple, and raspberry flavours," accompanied by "brazil nut and chocolate," developing "stewed plum aromas with cinnamon and clove" and "toffee apple and zesty marmalade" with water. A closely related 1989-vintage cask, bottled at a similar strength, showed "sweet honeycomb and vanilla aromas" giving way to "ripe banana and juicy pear," with "soft oak" developing alongside "red apple and light floral notes," the palate "smooth with subtle traces of mint," red apple and "sweet liquorice" transforming "into zesty lime," alongside "malted cereal notes" and "roasted hazelnut." This is genuinely rare, patiently aged Islay single malt — a real collector's bottle from one of the category's most consistently respected independent bottlers.
Origins & Craftsmanship
Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength Bunnahabhain 30 Year Old is sourced from Bunnahabhain Distillery on Islay, Scotland, distilled in 1989 and matured a full 30 years in a single refill American hogshead, cask #5702, before bottling on October 23, 2019. Only 214 bottles were produced from this entire cask.
The whisky is bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, based in Elgin, Scotland, which has bottled single malt whisky for over 115 years and now offers more than 350 expressions from around 70 distilleries. The Connoisseurs Choice range itself was created in 1968 by George Urquhart. Bottled at natural cask strength, 47% ABV / 94 proof, 750ml.
Critics Reviews
No independently published tasting notes are confirmed for this exact cask at this time. For house-style context, closely related Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength Bunnahabhain releases have received:
Gordon & MacPhail (official tasting note, related 2009-vintage cask, house style):
"Taste: Sweet and spicy with treacle, baked apple, and raspberry flavours. These are accompanied by brazil nut and chocolate. Aroma with Water: Stewed plum aromas with cinnamon and clove. Toffee apple and zesty marmalade notes lead to a subtle menthol edge."
Gordon & MacPhail (official tasting note, related 1989-vintage cask, house style):
"Sweet honeycomb and vanilla aromas give way to ripe banana and juicy pear. An undertone of soft oak develops alongside red apple and light floral notes throughout. Taste: Smooth with subtle traces of mint. Red apple flavours and sweet liquorice transform into zesty lime. Malted cereal notes are complemented by roasted hazelnut. Finish: Medium; mouth-coating pear and lime with nuances of aniseed."
Tasting Profile
Reflects confirmed house-style character across closely related Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength Bunnahabhain 1989-vintage releases; notes specific to this exact cask are not independently published.
Nose
Sweet honeycomb and vanilla lead, joined by treacle and stewed plum, alongside cinnamon, clove, and toffee apple.
Palate
Sweet and spicy, with baked apple and raspberry carrying the entry, developing brazil nut, chocolate, ripe banana, and pear, alongside soft oak and floral notes.
Finish
Long, closing with mouth-coating pear and lime, nuances of aniseed, and a subtle menthol edge — genuinely complex for a cask-strength dram of this age.
Quick Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Single Cask, Cask Strength |
| ABV / Proof | 47% ABV / 94 Proof |
| Age | 30 Years |
| Cask | #5702 — Refill American Hogshead |
| Distilled | 1989 |
| Bottled | October 23, 2019 |
| Outturn | 214 Bottles |
| Distillery | Bunnahabhain — Islay, Scotland |
| Bottler | Gordon & MacPhail — Elgin, Scotland |
| Series | Connoisseurs Choice — created 1968 by George Urquhart |
| Style / Identity | A genuinely rare, single-cask, 30-year Islay malt — patiently aged, non-peated Bunnahabhain character |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Food Pairings
- Dark chocolate desserts
- Aged, nutty cheeses
- Dried fruit and nut boards
- Fruit tarts
Serving Note
Enjoy neat in a Glencairn glass; a splash of water opens further fruit, honey, and floral character.
Bestseller ranking
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