- What's New
- Islay Malts
- Speyside Malts
- Island Malts
- Highland Malts
- Lowland Malts
- Campbeltown Malts
- Blended Whisky
- World Whiskies
Founded 1815 and situated on the Kildalton peninsular on the rocky south east coast of Islay. Basking in glorious sunshine on
good days and North Atlantic gales on exciting days. Whiskies are generally peaty, rich, smooth and very complex. Sweet malt, sea salt, dried fruits and rich Islay peat reek. Subject to closures, most recent reopening was 1997; the new 10 year old will be unveiled in 2008, eagerly anticipated throughout the whole whisky world.
Founded 1779. Fabulous views across Loch Indaal and all the way to the Rhinns of Islay as you unravel your wee dram out
on the balcony of their spanking new visitor centre. Here to hear the sea, here see the sea, here to inhale the sea, here to
sample a dram of sublime sweet-smoky-marine whisky. And behind you a peat fire in the hearth and a fascinating display of Bowmore bottlings of yesteryear. 228 years of fine tuning and we have deep and complex whiskies with fabulous Bowmore
reek, salt, spices, dried fruits, smooth and lasting.
Founded 1881 and situated on the Rhinns peninsular by the sandy bays of Loch Indaal on the south west of Islay. Independent
and privately owned; oceans of enthusiasm, tuns and tuns of attitude. Peating ranges from a few crumbs to a whole moor, and that’s just per bottle. Subject to closures, most recent reopening in 2001; its new whisky distilled 2001 and first bottled 2006 is the
highly acclaimed Port Charlotte.
Founded 1881. Tucked away at the end of the single track road on the north east of Islay. Fantabulous scenery all the way. The distillery in the village produces The Bunnahabhain which is one of the milder Islay whiskies available and its taste differs greatly from other spirits to be found on the island. A hint of salt, a touch of caramel, sherry and malt, soft and gentle.
Situated on the north east of Islay the distillery has been overlooking the Sound of Islay since 1846. Famous for its stunning view from the still house looking across the sound to the Isle of Jura and the Paps of Jura, and also for the objects which have passed by including naval battleships, smugglers in dinghies, submarines and whales. In Islay terms this whisky is gentle, notwith-
standing, there is malt and reek and salt and sweetness so sublimely and completely interwoven to make the whisky even more stunning than the view from the still house window.
The most westerly of Islay’s distilleries and this the newest, having been built at Rockside Farm, and opened in 2005. Own farm grown barley is used in its own maltings with Islay peat in its own kiln fire. The first spirit distilled in 2006 and now maturing at the distillery will become whisky in 2009. It will be a further impatient wait for release of its very first bottling.
Situated on the Kildalton peninsular on the rocky, south east coast of Islay. The rocks and salty rock pools with their garlands of wet, glistening seaweeds from red to green and every ginger in between, just like the silky-smooth spirit. Founded in 1816, with Malt Mill Distillery an in-by neighbour from 1908 to 1960. Basking in glorious sunshine on good days, shrouded in damp sea harr on not so good days. A fabulous complexity of sweet mellow malt, Islay peat reek and a few of those fine, tinsy grains of sea salt.
Situated on the Kildalton peninsular on the rocky, south east coast of Islay. Founded in 1815 on the rim of its own little bay with
its own little pier, the tide washes right close to its own little sea walls twice a day. An ocean going distillery with maltings and warehouses and its very own peat reek. A stupendous complexity of sweet malt, Islay reek, Islay salt, all that is Islay, all that is
the Scottish islands, that flows across the palate, that benefits from a chew and, finally rocks your own little foundations with a little blast of incredulity at the journey afforded by that little splash of gingery liquid.
Port Charlotte is the name of the first new spirit produced by Bruichladdich distillery following the historic re-opening in 2001.
The village of Port Charlotte is 2 miles from Bruichladdich distillery and in March 2007 Bruichladdich announced plans to reopen
the Port Charlotte distillery on the site of the Lochindaal Distillery which closed in 1929. Much of the distilling equipment to be used at the new Port Charlotte distillery comes from Inverleven Distillery itself demolished in 2003.
At the end of the gorgeous little sandy beach, standing on the high tide line, on Islay, washed by the salty sea spray and lashed
by northern-ocean gales, sat Port Ellen distillery for over 150 years. Founded in 1825; closed in 1983. CLOSED, just the thought
of it brings the tears to every eye, of every whisky connoisseur, everywhere. Twenty five years passed since the last
distillation, long maturation, dwindling stocks, awesome whisky.
The Location
The Islay Whisky Region comprises eight working distilleries and Ardbeg is the first of the distilleries whose pristine, white washed, sea sprayed warehouse walls are so clearly visible from the ferry as it sails west towards Port Ellen. It shouts at you to return its stare. These warehouse walls are the home to some awesome graffiti which collects the gaze of every single passenger, every single trip, be they visitor or native, a local, another distillery worker or even an Ardbeg employee. Every single trip. The graffiti is utterly basic, big and bold and brash, just capital letters in that very exciting colour ..black. Black on white. Not artistically appealing, just dalmatian. But by jove it hits a spot, for once captured in a glossy pic. and set in a calendar or dust jacket to lounge on an elegant coffee table the place is self explanatory: a very, very, very neat piece of global advertising. And it sets the standard for all would-be coastal distilleries the length and breadth of Scotland. I bet you’re infected already! Its like a rash, and there, the neighbours at Lagavulin have it, and there at Laphroaig, and at Port Ellen and there, and there, and there……
The Place
No motorways, no motorway, no trunk roads, no trunk road, lots of single track roads with passing places and a good bit of subsidence here and there just to remind you where you are, and just as you would expect on tracks set on peat bogs. The passing drivers wave a cheery wave and you have time to wave back and smile before they have passed you by. Its an island pace of life set by the elements, for you can’t rush a ferry nor a ship in a gale, and most things depend on sea passage. Including the fuel to fuel the engines which fuel the distilleries and their lorries which ferry the barley and the spirit around this island. And even if the ship arrives it may not dock because the harbour has the hiccups; if the fuel does not arrive then the whisky cannot be made, as Bruichladdich so poignantly stated with its Ghost Ship Valinch bottling last year. No railway lines either, but then again this is the twenty-first century and Islay and its distilleries are flying high. Islay Airport to Glasgow in a trice and that’s you connected to the world, just like that.
A Little Colouring
One peatier than all others, some very peaty, many a little peaty, and a few with no peat at all. Most double distilled, some triple distilled and the quadruple distilled one is, of course, more distilled than any other. It’s the designer one, designed to blow your body and your brains to merry hell, and back. Then there’s the salt, but not just any salt, not your fine or coarse, sea or mined in caves stuff, but sublime salt, this salt is so sublimely intertwined with the sweet juicy barley that you cannot find a fragment of a join, and yet they remain separate in a kind of tangle of the isle effect. And the colours, from the ginger of a Highland cow on a warm sunny day, the gleaming golden seaweed all around the shimmering rock pools and along the rocky shores, the sunrises to sunsets of pale lemon to deep plum, white grapes to Thomson raisins. Some moonshine and much sunshine.
Some Time
A little time and a great deal more. Years in the maturing, time to unravel. A blast of pure chocolate, a streak of liquorice, a twist of toffee, a wisp of spices within a clooty dumpling, all along the way. All encased in that ring that surrounds the island, like a perfect yet invisible tide line, horizontal without deviation, to be found in the space where the sea meets the shore, where the shore meets the huge sky. The fruits of the land, the sea and the air. Smooth is too coarse a description, to simplistic. Seek out, touch and gaze upon the satin rocks at Kinta on the southern edge of the ‘Big Strand’ of Laggan Bay to catch the concept. It’s a complex and circular Region with complex, winding, tangle of the isle whiskies.
The Present
All on the ring except one, the new kid on the block. So far out west it must be excused a step back, a step in-land, to keep its poise in the teeth of ocean gales. Kilchoman of the twenty-first century. In no need of a pier or a seawall rash, on its own farm and growing its own barley, spilt grain to the Barnacle and White-fronted Geese, draf to the cattle, and casked spirt to malt whisky very, very soon. A contrast with Bowmore of 1779, which contrasts with Port Charlotte to be rebuilt on the ring in 2009. And demonstration of some optimism in this industry which has weathered peaks and troughs to varying degrees across time. Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila sitting quietly on the ring, at last with a full head of steam for the twenty-first century.