When the Bunnahabhain distillery was founded in 1881, it relied heavily on the sea trade. In the 1930s, Bunnahabhain was forced to close briefly, but in 1960 the distillery underwent one of the most significant changes in its history when a new road was built to connect the distillery. Another milestone in Bunnahabhain's history was in 1993, when the last ship docked. At that time, the road was considered the most suitable route for the delivery of ingredients and goods that were constantly needed. In 2006, three years after Burn Stewart Distillers took over the distillery, a major redesign of the brand profile took place. The water used to produce this malt rises from limestone springs and travels through a pipeline to the distillery. This process ensures that the water has no contact with peat on its way to the distillery. Therefore, unlike most other Islay malt whiskies, Bunnahabhain is characterized by a lower peat content.

This single malt is an entry-level bottling from the Bunnahabhain distillery. Stiuireadair (pronounced "Stew-radhu") is Gaelic and means something like "helmsman". The Bunnahabhain STIUIREADAIR has no age statement, but this was stored in first fill and second fill sherry casks.