Bunnahabhain Feis Ile 2023: Canasta Cask Matured Scotch Whisky
51.2% ABV (102.4 proof) | 700mL | No age statement | Fèis Ìle 2023 festival bottling — Bunnahabhain Fèis Ìle 2023: Canasta Cask Matured is the official festival bottling for Islay's 2023 Fèis Ìle — unpeated Islay single malt Scotch whisky fully matured in rare Canasta sherry casks.
Founded in 1881 at the mouth of the Margadale River, Bunnahabhain is Islay's most remote distillery and famously its unpeated outlier — known for sherried, coastal, delicate malts. For the 2023 festival, Master Distiller Brendan McCarron drew inspiration from the distillery's Warehouse 9 cask-tasting experience. The "Canasta" casks come from Bodegas Williams & Humbert in Jerez: Canasta is a cream-style sherry blending roughly 75% Oloroso spice with 25% Pedro Ximénez richness. Non-chillfiltered, no added colour — a cask-driven rare top-shelf Islay malt, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
Tasting notes
Per the distillery's June 2023 release: polished mahogany colour; sweet caramelised fruits, honey-roasted nuts, cinnamon, clove, and a hint of rancio on the nose. Maple syrup and creamy vanilla lead the palate with dried figs, poached pears, cocoa, and background orange — finishing long and sweet with brown sugar, red apples, and vanilla custard.
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- Fèis Ìle 2023 official bottling — the Islay Festival release
- Full Canasta sherry-cask maturation — not a finish
- 51.2% ABV, unpeated, natural colour, non-chillfiltered
- Inspired by the Warehouse 9 cask-tasting experience
How to serve it
Neat in a Glencairn — this is sherry-cask Islay at its most elegant. A few drops of water open the honeyed fruit.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Canasta cask?
A sherry butt from Bodegas Williams & Humbert that held Canasta — a cream sherry blending about 75% Oloroso with 25% Pedro Ximénez for spice plus richness.
What is Fèis Ìle?
The Islay Festival of Malt and Music, held each year on Islay — distilleries release special festival bottlings for the occasion.