Islay single malts are the single malt Scotch whiskies made on Islay ( /ˈaɪlə/ EYE-lə) or Ìle in Gaelic, one of the southernmost of the Inner Hebridean Islands located off the west coast of Scotland. Islay is one of five whisky distilling localities and regions in Scotland whose identity is protected by law. [1]
The region is characterised by whiskies with a peat smoke aroma, such as Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. [2] In total, there are nine active distilleries on this island which measures only 25 by 15 miles (40 by 24 kilometres), and the industry is Islay's second largest employer after agriculture. [3] [4] Islay is a centre of "whisky tourism", and hosts a "Festival of Malt and Music" known as Fèis Ìle each year on the last week of May, with events and tastings celebrating the cultural heritage of the island.
Some sources indicate that Irish monks may have been the first to distill whisky on the island in the early 1300s. [5] According to Visit Scotland, "most of Islay's original distilleries [some no longer in business] started as farm distilleries and retreated to secluded glens and caves during the 17th century when the excise man came calling." [6]
Another source is more specific: "Islay’s past is pervaded by innumerable tales of home distilling, smuggling and illegal whisky production" and adds that the eight older distilleries all began as small, illicit producers. All were built near water since grain was shipped on boats and the finished whisky was transported via water. For centuries, the whisky was usually aged in sherry casks but bourbon casks from the U.S. are now also frequently used. [7]
In 1806, the Right Hon. Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank at the Circuit Court at Inverary heard the case against Donald, Duncan and Neil, sons of Dugald Mackiachan, all residing in the island of Islay, accused of breaking into a room or cellar possessed by Benjamin Campbell, activing supervisor in said island, and stealing from thence 125 gallons of whisky, and they failing to appear to stand trial, sentence of fugitation was pronounced against them. [8]
The whiskies of the distilleries along the southeastern coast of the island, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg, have a smoky character derived from peat, considered a central characteristic of the Islay malts, and ascribed both to the water from which the whisky is made and to the peating levels of the barley. Many describe this as a "medicinal" flavour. They also possess notes of iodine, seaweed and salt. [9] Caol Ila, on the northern side of the island, across from Jura, also produces a strongly peated whisky. Trees, other than plantations, on these islands are scattered and the peat is free of rotting wood. (Normal peat bogs are invaded by trees and periodic fires kill the encroaching tree line.) Islay peat is reputedly the best flavoured for scotch production.
The other distilleries on the island make whisky in a variety of styles. Bunnahabhain makes much lighter whiskies which are generally lightly peated. Bowmore, which started business in 1779, produces a whisky which is well balanced, using a medium-strong peating level (25 ppm) but also using sherry-cask maturation. The Kilchoman distillery started production in late 2005; in location it is unlike the other distilleries, which are all by the sea. The newest distillery is Ardnahoe, the island's ninth, which opened in 2019. [10]
In general however, the whiskies from this island are known for a "pungent peaty, smoky and oily flavours, with just a hint of salty sea air and seaweed" because of the use of peat and the maritime climate. [2] The Island's own web site is more specific. Distilleries in the south make whisky which is "medium-bodied ... saturated with peat-smoke, brine and iodine" because they use malt that is heavy with peat as well as peaty water. Whisky from the northern area is milder because it is made using spring water for a "lighter flavoured, mossy (rather than peaty), with some seaweed, some nuts..." characteristic. [11]
In future however, the whisky industry on this island may be moving to a broader range of products, some less peaty than the current majority as well as new types of whisky. [12]
Distillery | Pronunciation† | Scottish Gaelic form†† | Meaning of Gaelic form | Years active | Location | Ownership |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ardbeg | /ɑːrdˈbɛɡ/ ard-BEG | An Àird Bheag | small promontory [13] | 1815–1981, 1990–1996, 1997– | Ardbeg village, on the south-east coast of the island | Glenmorangie Company Ltd, a subsidiary of LVMH |
Ardnahoe | àirde an t-slèibh | height of the hollow [14] | 2019 – | At the road between Port Askaig and Bunnahabhain | Hunter Laing | |
Bowmore | /boʊˈmɔːr/ boh-MOR | Bogh Mòr | the big bend [15] | 1779 – | In the town of Bowmore, the island's largest settlement on the eastern shore of Loch Indaal | Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd, a subsidiary of Suntory Global Spirits |
Bruichladdich | /brʊxˈlædi/ bruukh-LAD-ee | Bruthach a' Chladaich | brae of the shore [16] | 1881–1995,‡ 2001– | Bruichladdich village, on western shore of Loch Indaal | Reopened as an independent distillery in 2001 and purchased in 2012 by Remy Cointreau [17] |
Bunnahabhain | /ˌbuːnəˈhævən/ BOO-nə-HAV-ən | Bun na h-Abhainne | mouth of the river [18] | 1880/1883– | Bunnahabhain Bay, on the north-east coast of the island | Distell Group Limited |
Caol Ila | /kʌlˈiːlə/ kuul-EE-lə | Caol Ìle | The Sound (Strait) of Islay [19] | 1846–1972,‡ 1974– | Close to Port Askaig, on the north-east coast of the island | Diageo |
Kilchoman | /kɪlˈxoʊmən/ kil-KHOH-mən | Cille Chomain [20] | St. Comman's church | 2005– | On the western side of the Rhinns of Islay, near the settlement of Kilchoman and Machir Bay | Independently owned and established in 2005 as the first new distillery on Islay since 1881 [21] |
Lagavulin | /ˌlɑːkəˈvuːlɪn/ LAH-kə-VOO-lin | Lag a' Mhuilinn | the hollow of the mill [22] | 1742/1816– | Lagavulin village, on the south-east coast of the island | Diageo |
Laphroaig | /ləˈfrɔɪɡ/ lə-FROYG | Laphraoig (Believed to be Gaelicised Old Norse) [23] | slope of broad-bay [23] | 1815– | Laphroig village, on the south-east coast of the island | Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd, a subsidiary of Suntory Global Spirits |
Port Ellen | 1825–1929, 1967–1983, 2024– | Port Ellen village, at the southern coast in Kilnaughton Bay | Diageo | |||
‡ Except during the Great Depression (~1930–1937) and World War II (~1940–1945) |
†These reflect what are often anglicised re-spellings of Scottish Gaelic. Pronunciation of the Scottish Gaelic from which they are derived may be different.
††The Scottish Gaelic from which the distillery's name was anglicised if applicable, according to Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba.Not necessarily an official name of the distillery.
Hunter Laing's Ardnahoe Distillery, located between Port Askaig and Bunnahabhain, opened in April 2019, becoming Islay's ninth distillery. [24] [10]
A new distillery at Gartbreck Farm, just south of Bowmore, was planned in 2014 by Jean Donnay of Glann ar Mor Distillery [25] in Brittany, France, as a joint venture with Hunter Laing of Glasgow but as of December 2018 the project was stalled over a land and management dispute. [26]
In 2020 Elixir Distillers broke ground on a new distillery, which is to be known as Portintruan, on the road between Port Ellen and Laphroaig. [27]
The oldest record of a legal distillery on the island of Islay refers to Bowmore in 1779 and at one time there were up to 23 distilleries in operation. [28] For example, Port Charlotte distillery operated from 1829 to 1929 [29] and Port Ellen is also closed although it remains in business as a malthouse [28] that supplies many of the Islay distilleries.
In March 2007 Bruichladdich Distillery announced the reopening of the distillery at Port Charlotte (Port Sgioba in Gaelic), which was closed in 1929, and was also known as the Lochindaal distillery.
Scotch whisky, often simply called whisky or Scotch, is malt whisky or grain whisky made in Scotland.
Island single malts are the single malt Scotch whiskies produced on the islands around the perimeter of the Scottish mainland. The islands are not recognised in the Scotch Whisky Regulations as a distinct whisky producing region, but are considered to be part of the Highland region. Islay is itself recognised as a distinct whisky producing region.
Lagavulin distillery is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery located in the village of Lagavulin on the south of the island of Islay, Scotland.
Lagavulin is a small village approximately 3 miles outside Port Ellen on the Isle of Islay, Scotland. The village is within the parish of Kildalton, and is situated on the A846 road.
Laphroaig distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery on Islay, Scotland. It is situated on the south coast of the island, near Port Ellen, at the head of a small bay known as Loch Laphroaig. The Lagavulin and Ardbeg distilleries are close by.
Ardbeg distillery is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Ardbeg on the South coast of the isle of Islay, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides group of islands.
Jura distillery is Island single malt Scotch whisky distillery located on the island of Jura in the Inner Hebrides off the West Coast of Scotland.
Bowmore is a small town on the Scottish island of Islay, situated on the banks of the sea loch, Loch Indaal. It serves as administrative capital of the island, and gives its name to the noted Bowmore distillery producing Bowmore single malt scotch whisky.
Bruichladdich Distillery is a distillery on the Rhinns of the isle of Islay in Scotland. The distillery produces mainly single malt Scotch whisky and The Botanist gin. Originally established in 1881 but closed many times throughout its history, its current form was opened in 2001. It has been owned by Rémy Cointreau since 2012.
Caol Ila distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery near Port Askaig on the isle of Islay, Scotland, owned by Diageo.
Port Askaig is a port village on the east coast of the island of Islay, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The village lies on the Sound of Islay across from Jura.
The A846 road is one of the two principal roads of Islay in the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of mainland Scotland and the only 'A' road on the neighbouring island of Jura.
Port Charlotte distillery is a inactive Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery on the island of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland.
Tobermory Single Malt is a Scotch whisky distilled by the Tobermory Distillery, Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, a Hebridean island in western Scotland, north of the isle of Islay.
Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll and Bute just south west of Jura and around 40 kilometres north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's capital is Bowmore where the distinctive round Kilarrow Parish Church and a distillery are located. Port Ellen is the main port.
The idea of drinking whisky with food is considered outré by many, but there is a growing interest in pairing whiskies with complementary foods. The Scotch whisky industry has been keen to promote this. Single malts, pot-still whiskies, bourbons, and rye whiskies offer an interesting range of tastes and aromas, which are just as varied as wine. Jake Wallis Simons compares whiskies in bourbon casks to white wines, due to their lighter flavor, and those in sherry casks to red wines, with their greater fruitiness. A few Scottish cook books contain reference to the use of whisky in cooking, and a few traditional Scottish recipes that use whisky exist.
Ardbeg is a small settlement on southern coast of the island of Islay, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, off the west coast of Scotland. It is around 3 miles east of Port Ellen and 1 mile northeast of Lagavulin at the eastern terminus of the A846 road.
Douglas Laing & Co is an independent bottler of Scotch whisky. Based in Glasgow, Scotland and established in 1948, the company has a number of brands including its "Remarkable Regional Malts" range, encompassing The Epicurean, Timorous Beastie, Scallywag, Rock Island and Big Peat, as well as Old Particular, Provenance and Xtra Old Particular, which they collectively call their "Exceptional Single Casks". The firm also creates and sells King of Scots Blended Scotch Whisky, Clan Denny Single Casks and Premier Barrel.
Bunnahabhain distillery was founded in 1881 near Port Askaig on Islay and is owned by the Scotch whisky producer Distell Group Limited a subsidiary of Heineken N.V,. The village of Bunnahabhain was founded to house its workers.
Ardnahoe distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on Islay, in Scotland.