Islay whisky

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Whisky producing regions of Scotland
Whisky producing regions of Scotland
Distilleries on Islay (click to enlarge)
Distilleries on Islay (click to enlarge)

Islay whisky is Scotch whisky made on Islay (pronounced /ˈaɪlɑː/ eye-luh), the southernmost of the Inner Hebridean Islands located off the west coast of Scotland. There are eight active distilleries on the island, as of early 2008, with a ninth being made ready for production. Islay is a centre of "whisky tourism", and hosts a "Festival of Malt and Music" each year at the end of May, with events and tastings celebrating the cultural heritage of the island.

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[edit] Styles of whisky

The distilleries along the southeastern coast of the island, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg, have the strong peaty character which is considered to be so characteristic of the Islay malts, and is ascribed to both the water from which the whisky is made as well as the peating levels of the barley. Many describe this as a “medicinal” flavour. They also possess notes of iodine, seaweed and salt. Caol Ila on the northern side of the island, across from Jura produces a strongly peated whisky as well.

The other distilleries on the island tend to make whisky in a variety of styles. Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich make much lighter whiskies which are generally lightly peated. Bruichladdich does produce several heavily peated products. Bowmore, produces a whisky which is well balanced, using a medium strong peating level (25ppm) but also using a fair number of sherry casks in their mix. The newest distillery, Kilchoman, started production in 2006. In location it is unlike the other seven distilleries, which are all by the sea.

[edit] Former distilleries

The island has also been the home to a number of distilleries which are now closed, the most famous being Port Ellen which operated from the 1825 to 1983. There is still a maltings at Port Ellen which supplies many of the Islay distilleries with malted barley to their individual specifications. In March 2007 Bruichladdich Distillery announced the reopening of the distillery at Port Charlotte which was closed in 1929 and was also known as the Lochindaal Distillery.

[edit] Distilleries

[edit] Active Distilleries

Distillery Pronunciation Meaning Years active Location Notes
Ardbeg — small headland 1815–1981, 1997— 5 km east of Port Ellen owned by Glenmorangie, some blended as Wardhead
Bowmore bo-moore great sea reef or sea rock 1779— in Bowmore, the island's capital owned by Suntory, sells 7-year-old malt as McClelland’s
Bruichladdich brook-laddie bank on the shore 1881–1995,‡ 2001— on western Loch Indaal, across from Bowmore reopened as an independent distillery
Bunnahabhain bū-na-ha-venn mouth of the river 1880/1883— 4 km north of Port Askaig owned by Burn Stewart, a notable part of the Black Bottle blend
Caol Ila cull-eela The Sound of Islay (between Islay & Jura) 1846–1972,‡ 1974— 1 km north of Port Askaig owned by Diageo
Kilchoman kil-homan St. Comman's church 2005— on the Atlantic coast first all new distillery since 1881
Lagavulin lagga-voolin the hollow where the mill is 1742/1816— 4 km east of Port Ellen owned by Diageo
Laphroaig la-froyg beautiful hollow by the broad bay 1815— 2 km east of Port Ellen owned by Fortune Brands
Port Charlotte — named after Frederick Campbell's wife 1829–1929, 2007— in Port Charlotte, 3 km south of Bruichladdich owned by Bruichladdich
‡ Except during the Great Depression (~1930–1937) and World War II (~1940–1945)

[edit] Closed distilleries

  • Achenvoir (pre-1816–1818+), in Argyll
  • Ardenistle (1837–1849) / Kildalton (1849–1852) / Islay (1852–1852), subsumed by Laphroaig 1853
  • Ardmore (1817–1835), taken over by Lagavulin 1837
  • Daill (1814–1830), ruins on road between Port Askaig & Bridgend
  • Freeport (1847–1847), location unknown
  • Hazelburn (1825–?), uncertain relation to the Hazelburn distillery of Campbeltown
  • Kildalton (1817–1837), merged with Lagavulin
  • Killarow (c.1760–1818) / Bridgend (1818–1822), ruins in village
  • Lochindaal/Port Charlotte/Rhinns (1829–1929), near BruichLaddich
  • Lossit (1821) / Ballygrant (1826–1860), ruins south of the village A846
  • Malt Mill (1908–1960), part of Lagavulin
  • Mulendry (1826–1831), location unknown
  • Newton (1818–1825), ruins immediately south of A846 between Port Askaig & Bridgend
  • Octomore (1816–1852), ruins near Port Charlotte
  • Port Ellen (1825–1929, 1967–1983), large port village of Islay, converted to a malting
  • Scarabus (1817–1818), no evidence of production
  • Tallant (1821–1852), Tallant farm south of Bowmore
  • Torrylin (?–?), may have been on the Isle of Arran

[edit] External links

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