Islay - A Quick Taster of all 8 Distilleries

So for my latest blog entry I fancied something snappy on a topic close to my heart - the wonderful whisky island of Islay!

Join me for a quick trip around all 8 Islay distilleries with a handy guide on what to expect from each - particularly useful as a quick intro if you are unfamiliar with Islay. There's notes on the 'house style' of each (although of course each distillery produces a variety of expressions), and I have also added in some recommended drams that shouldn’t break the bank and should be relatively easy to get hold of, intended to give you a great example of what each distillery does really well.

So here goes...

The Unpeated One - Bunnahabhain

House style - Fresh and salty

It often surprises people that Islay produces a non-peated malt and whilst Bunnahabhain do produce a smoky dram or two, by far the majority of their output is of the unpeated kind. But overlook these guys at your peril. They produce some great whiskies, especially some of their older-aged expressions. Bunnahabhain is in an absolutely stunning location near Port Askaig, overlooking the breath-taking Sound of Islay, a narrow strait between the islands of Islay and its close neighbour Jura, with views of Jura’s beautiful landscape. A visit to Bunnahabhain reveals that many areas of the distillery such as the rooms which now form the ticket office and visitor’s centre haven’t altered much for generations. It’s a charming location packed with character. Bunnahabhain's whisky is often overlooked even by Islay fans focussing on a peaty dram which is a mistake. They produce a well-balanced whisky that is greatly enhanced by long periods in wood and is a great all-round whisky. You should look out for their occasional peated expressions too as these are well worth a try!

Recommended Dram - I'd go for the 18YO. It's not super cheap but it's better balanced than the 12YO (RRP £80)

The Experimental One - Bruichladdich

House style - Floral, sweet and slightly salty

There has been much talk about Bruichladdich in recent years and they are somewhat the golden boys of the whisky press and with good reason. Brought back from the brink after years being in and out of production it has now become the largest employer on Islay. Bruichladdich pride themselves on a few key principles, keeping as much of the process as possible on Islay (from some of the barley to bottling from cask storage to marketing), focussing on production of a high quality spirit and most importantly not being frightened to try something different. Bruichladdich's 3 key brands are the unpeated Bruichladdich, the heavily peated Port Charlotte and the super heavily peated Octomore. Whilst each of these whiskies is very distinct the character of the base spirit really shines through. Bruichladdich is such a light and sweet whisky that even when shrouded in record-breaking levels of peat, it can still retain a lighter palate than it’s lesser-peated neighbours such as Ardbeg.

Recommended Dram - Port Charlotte Scottish Barley. Somewhere in the middle of their massive breadth of expressions and levels of peat (RRP £55)

The Refined One - Lagavulin

House Style - Rich and smoky

Many whisky fans swear by Lagavulin, and I’m no exception! Lagavulin 16YO is the archetypal, readily available premium dram for those who know a little about whisky - and with good cause, it is a cracking whisky! Lagavulin 16 YO is heavily marketed as their core expression, as well as being one of Diageo's original ‘Classic Malts’. As such it’s likely to be the only Lagavulin many whisky fans have come across or had the pleasure of sampling. In my humble opinion, whilst there are definitely other expressions worth a sample, you can’t go far wrong with the 16YO, especially given the considerable RRP of some of the more unusual expressions! Lagavulin is one of the three famous Islay malts situated close together along the coast on a road just south of Port Ellen, the others being Laphroaig and Ardbeg. It’s a beautiful spot and offers a pleasant if somewhat underwhelming tour versus the competition on the island which does feel like an opportunity missed. In summary: If you are looking for a complex, smoky Islay malt where the peat is kept at bay by the aging in casks, creating a well-rounded but big taste, then this is the dram for you!

Recommended Dram – The 16YO tells you all you need to know about Lagavulin (RRP £50)

The New Kid on the Block - Kilchoman

House Style - Sweet yet smoky

Kilchoman represents everything that is good about the malt whisky business today. A small, new, family-run farm distillery that does their darnedest to do everything themselves. They are super small and very low-fi but produce phenomenally good whisky. It’s still young at the moment (the 10YO has only just been released) but even at 4-5 years this dram could more than hold its own vs the big boys. Kilchoman is special. The majority of their whisky is heavily (although not super heavily) peated but the spirit itself is very light and sweet (if you like Bruichladdich you’ll probably like Kilchoman). Their standard release, Machir Bay is a great all-rounder and you can now pick this up outside of specialist whisky shops (e.g. M&S stock it) and if you are looking to move from Speyside to Islay this may be the best place to start. In addition to Machir Bay (all their whiskies are named after parts of Islay near to the distillery) they release an annual sherry cask release, Loch Gorm (which is sublime), a whisky that is made 100% in Islay (from barley to bottling) imaginatively titled 100% Islay along with the heavily sherry cask influenced Sannaig. The distillery is a bit off the beaten track (it’s the only one that is inland for a start) and it’s tiny when compared to the other big boys on the Island but well worth a visit as you can see the true end to end process there, including the malting floor for the 100% Islay.

Recommended Dram - Machir Bay. A great introduction to this great distillery and at a good price too! (RRP £40)

The Veteran – Bowmore

House style – Medium and smoky

I need to come clean here - I have never been mad about Bowmore. I have wondered if the fault lies with me for not finding the right dram for my tastes. That said, I have tried a variety of their (very pleasant) whiskies over the years but I have yet to be wowed – although I’m always open to being proved wrong! Bowmore whiskies sit neatly in the middle of Islay. Peated but not too smoky or medicinal. A little bit of coastal saltiness and some sweetness but nothing too strong. The distillery itself is in a charming location right in the heart of Bowmore town in the centre of Islay. It’s the oldest of the distilleries still in operation on the island and also malts some of its own barley. The visitor centre is very slick and there is a lovely café nearby serving great food including fresh oysters (if you like that kind of thing, which after sampling, I’m not sure I do…). Bowmore have a wide range of expressions, some with age statements some without and all seem to develop the taste of the spirit in very different ways. As I said, maybe I need to drink more to find “my dram”. Suggestions of expressions welcome in the comments below!!

Recommended Dram – Bowmore Darkest. The heavy sherry influence and 15 years in wood give this whisky a really different flavour to anything else you’ll find on Islay. (RRP £55)

The Self Important One – Ardbeg

House Style - Very medicinal

The last one on the road from Port Ellen when visiting the big 3 is Ardbeg. And this feels like the right place to finish your tour as once you had had an Ardbeg you won’t be able to taste anything but Ardbeg for the rest of the day (which in my opinion is no bad thing). Ardbeg is the big and bold archetypal peat-monster of Islay, with a sure identity that divides the whisky lover in the way marmite divides food lovers (I’m a yes for Ardbeg but a nooooooo for Marmite)! The distillery itself has bobbed in and out of production for countless years but now seems to be going from strength to strength and the distillery staff are keen to extol the successes! Ardbeg are infinitely proud of their product and their brand and for good reason. It really is a great whisky. Despite the fact that they knock out more expressions than you can shake a stick at for various reasons e.g. the Islay festival, Ardbeg Day (a day for your distillery…really?!) etc., their core expressions are the classic 10YO, the difficult to pronounce Uigeadail (named after the loch from which Ardbeg draws its water) which is finished in sherry butts and finally Corryvreckan (named after a nearby whirlpool) which is finished in new French oak barrels. If you want to take Islay whisky to its natural conclusion you really should be drinking an Ardbeg.

Recommended Dram – For me, it has to be Uigeadail, it’s the end of level boss when it comes to peated whisky (RRP £50)

The Classic One - Laphroaig

House style – Medicinal and smoky

Laphroaig for me always feels like the good classic go to Islay whisky. It offers everything there is to love about whisky from this fair island. Bags of character, loads of peat and plenty of personality. Laphroaig are a well-oiled machine when it comes to getting people to buy into the brand, becoming a friend of Laphroaig entitles to you to a plot of land in a field next to the distillery where you can put on your wellies and plant your own flag. You get sent a certificate with coordinates and all sorts. It’s both good fun and great marketing! This approach continues into the tour which is one of the best on Islay, very slick but also comprehensive (you get to throw peat on the fire etc. they are generous with their pouring afterwards too which is always a bonus! In terms of expressions, Laphroaig have been very busy in recent years, launching a quarter cask release (smaller cask = greater wood contact = faster maturation) but for me there is still something great about the classic 10YO. It does everything you’d want an Islay whisky to do. It’s medicinal, but not as medicinal as Ardbeg, smoky and sweet and at the price tag it goes out at I find it hard to beat.

Recommended Dram – Laphroaig 10YO. Affordable Islay in a bottle (RRP £40)

The Underrated One - Caol Ila

House Style - Light and smoky

I wish more people knew about Caol Ila. It really is a fantastic whisky. Hidden away by Diageo for many years, this, the largest distillery on Islay by a country mile and its output is used mostly to add peat to Diageo’s blends. Caol Ila is a bit of a sleeping giant as it isn’t known particularly as a single malt brand. For these reasons, whisky fans can overlook this place which is such a shame as it produces some really excellent whisky. The distillery itself is just down the road from Bunnahabhain and whilst the building is a clear case of function winning out over style, the view from the still house is one of the best on Islay and must compete for the best view from any distillery. The massive floor to ceiling windows overlook the Sound of Islay and beyond to Jura - an absolutely stunning vista! The whisky produced here is really very good indeed. It is less medicinal than Laphroaig but carries that distinctive Islay flavour in a subtler package. It has a lovely sweetness and saltiness in it too. The standard expressions are really great, especially for the price. Diageo have also sold on a fair bit of Caol Ila to independent bottlers over the years, which has produced some exciting and very special whiskies. A sneaky sample of a Cadenhead’s 34YO Caol Ila last year is right up there as one of the very best whiskies I have ever tasted!

Recommended Dram – As I’m sticking to standard bottlings, let’s go with the classic 12YO (RRP £40)

So there you have it folks! Super quick run around the 8 distilleries of Islay. Want to find out more, keep an eye on my blog for a future post where I wax lyrical about my last trip to the Whisky Isle!

Until next time, sláinte!