As Fèis Ìle, the annual celebration of Islay malt and music, approaches, we explore the charm of the island and pick out five of our favourite whiskies from the Queen of the Hebrides.
Ahhhh Islay. For many whisky lovers, a trip to the Hebridean island off the West Coast of Scotland, is something of a pilgrimage. Accessible only by ferry or flight, it’s tricky to get to. But the warm welcome, stunning landscape and, of course, the 14 distilleries either producing whisky or under construction make the journey well worth it. At the time of writing, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Port Ellen, Bunnahabhain, Ardnahoe, Caol Ila, Bruichladdich and Kilchoman are all distilling. Laggan Bay is expected to come online in 2025. That leaves Portintruan, Chivas Brother’s Gartbreck site, and the tiny proposed Ili Distillery to get excited about in the months and years to come.
Islay has always held allure. From the early Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata with its Irish links and the Scandinavian takeover in the ninth century, the island has been the subject of power struggles. Clans squabbled over its lands during the 13th and 14th centuries, eventually setting up Finlaggan Castle as the capital of the Lordship of the Isles. You can still see its ruins today. Clearances decimated the population in the 1800s. And then the land formally became part of the County of Argyll with the Scottish Local Government Act in 1899. This paragraph does not do justice to Islay’s long, storied and often dramatic history. Check out Land of the Ilich: Journey's Into Islay's Past by Steven Mithen for a good account.
Today, the island doesn’t just attract whisky tourists. Foodies, bird-watchers, golfers, hikers, sailors and more all flock to the island. Love beaches? In high summer the likes of The Singing Sands and Knock Bay feel like the Caribbean. Just don’t rely on the weather. Layers are your friend. And don’t forget the bug spray. The Islay midges are brutal.
My first trip to Islay was enchanting. I fell in love with the expanse of the peat bogs, the wildness of the Rhinnes. The crashing waves and the rocky outcrops. That drivers always wave to each other as they pass. That you never have to dress up anywhere. The way everyone just strikes up conversation, whether you’re in the pub or just passing in the street. Yes, Islay makes headlines for the whisky, but there’s so much more to the island than its distilleries.
That said, we’re whisky lovers and Islay’s spirited produce is always going to get us excited. You can’t really go wrong when exploring the island’s bottlings. It was a near-impossible task to narrow this down to just five. But here we go: these are the delicious, distinct and desirable Islay whiskies to taste today.
