The final week of Could brings one of many whisky world’s finest festivals – Fèis Ìle. The annual occasion defines the whisky calendar for many individuals and stretches throughout ten days, bringing the small Hebridean island of Islay to life with whisky and music. Fèis Ìle interprets from the native Gaelic language as ‘Islay Competition’ and sees single malt followers from across the globe flocking to the island on a pilgrimage.
Islay is famend for its peaty and smoky single malt. There may be nothing else fairly like an Islay whisky on the planet of spirits. The island is house to 10 working distilleries: Bowmore is the oldest, based in 1779, whereas on the different finish of the dimensions, Port Ellen solely reopened in March 2024. The island gives a vital glimpse into the historical past of Scotch whisky by means of its use of conventional components and dealing practices, and is also called ‘The Queen of the Hebrides’.
The Fèis Ìle pageant sees every distillery host an open day: their day within the solar, so to talk. This historically kicks off with Lagavulin Day on the primary Saturday and finishes with an enormous occasion for Ardbeg Day. The Jura distillery on the neighbouring island even will get in on the act. Every distillery will launch a particular bottling or two to rejoice, accessible solely to these attending.
For these unable to make it to Fèis Ìle, listed here are a number of the most attention-grabbing latest releases from Islay distilleries that it is best to attempt…
Ardbeg Spectacular
Annually, the long-lasting Islay distillery of Ardbeg releases a particular bottling for Fèis Ìle. Moderately than holding it only for these fortunate few who go to the distillery, they take it out to the broader world. This yr’s Islay Competition restricted version is known as Spectacular. Every launch usually has a unusual twist and is widely known with Ardbeg Day occasions across the globe.
Spectacular is the first-ever whisky from Ardbeg to characteristic ex-Port casks. It’s a heady marriage of spirit matured totally in ex-bourbon and ex-Port barrels, and the result’s equally as heady. Pungent peat smoke and drying seaweed mix with notes of salted caramel, poached pear and milk chocolate. Whisps of menthol, lavender and eucalyptus linger so as to add additional depth and complexity.
Accessible at Home of Malt
Ardnahoe Inaugural Launch 5 Years Previous
That is an thrilling whisky – the primary ever launched from the Ardnahoe distillery on the rugged northeastern coast of Islay. Ardnahoe, which interprets as ‘top of the hole’ in Gaelic, started manufacturing in 2018 and appears throughout the Strait of Islay to the island of Jura and its well-known Paps. The distillery is operated by famend family-owned impartial Scotch whisky bottlers Hunter Laing & Co.
The Inaugural Launch 5 Years Previous marks the beginning of a collection of whiskies deliberate by Ardnahoe, which can seem all through 2024. It has been matured in a mixture of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.
The brand new whisky reveals daring peaty smoke that entwines itself round fruity notes of baked apple and lemon zest. Hints of gingerbread and a complicated mixture of baking spices sit within the background.
Accessible at Ardnahoe Distillery
Bruichladdich 18 Years Previous
Regardless of being recognized for the peated type, not all Islay whiskies are smoky. Bruichladdich is one such instance, though the distillery additionally produces the peaty Port Charlotte and tremendous peaty Octomore.
Straight Bruichladdich has an class not typically discovered on Islay. The latest launch of the 18-year-old is the primary time such an aged whisky has been current within the core vary, and it is usually joined by the 30-year-old.
The Bruichladdich 18 Years Previous options the first-ever batch of spirits produced utilizing domestically grown Islay barley. This has aged for nearly twenty years in ex-bourbon barrels, with a small share additionally matured in ex-Sauternes wine and ex-Port casks.
Anticipate notes of luscious tropical fruit(particularly peach and pineapple), toffee and dusty warming spices married with vanilla pod, earthy malted barley, and candied citrus.
Accessible at Home of Malt
Kilchoman Loch Gorm (2024 Version)
The small distillery of Kilchoman is not like every other on Islay. It’s primarily based on Kilchoman Farm on the uncovered western peninsula of the island and gives a real ‘discipline to bottle’ single malt. They develop barley for whisky manufacturing on the farm, and all phases of manufacturing – malting, milling, mashing, fermentation, distilling, maturation and bottling – will be seen on the distillery. Kilchoman is younger, too, having been based in 2005.
Kilchoman’s multi-award-winning vary of whiskies has gained a cult following worldwide, and this annual launch is very anticipated annually. Named after Loch Gorm, an inky freshwater loch situated between the distillery and the wild Atlantic coast, that is the one common bottling from Kilchoman that’s matured solely in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
Anticipate wealthy, peaty and candy notes with loads of caramel, dried fruit and ash-like embers.
Accessible at The Whiskey Change
Port Ellen Gemini 44 Years Previous
The legendary Port Ellen distillery has as soon as once more began producing spirit after a 41-year sleep. An entire rebuild introduced the distillery again to life after the unique closed its doorways, seemingly for good, in March 1983. So, it is going to be some time earlier than we’ve a brand new whisky from Port Ellen. Nonetheless, there was a dwindling quantity of outdated inventory from the late Nineteen Seventies to the early Nineteen Eighties. Every time that is launched it has collectors scrambling for his or her wallets.
Port Ellen Gemini is one such launch. It encompasses a pair of whiskies – Authentic and Remnant – distilled in 1978 and bottled at 44 years of age. These uncommon single malts are every introduced in a crystal decanter, each housed in an unfolding mirrored casket.
Each are cask power and solely accessible as a set. You’ll need deep pocket, although – it has a price ticket of £45,000.
Accessible at The Whiskey Change
