Islay whisky
Encyclopedia
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
made on Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
(icon ) or Ìle in Gaelic, the southernmost of the Inner Hebridean Islands
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
located off the west coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. 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" known as Fèis Ìle each year at the end of May, with events and tastings celebrating the cultural heritage of the island.
Styles of whisky
The whiskies of the distilleries along the southeastern coast of the island, LaphroaigLaphroaig
Laphroaig , is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery and brand name. It is named for the area of land at the head of Loch Laphroaig on the south coast of the Isle of Islay...
, Lagavulin
Lagavulin Single Malt
Lagavulin Single Malt is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky produced at Lagavulin on the island of Islay, United Kingdom. The whisky has a powerful, peat-smoke aroma, and is described as being robustly full-bodied, well balanced, and smooth, with a slight sweetness on the palate.The standard...
, and Ardbeg
Ardbeg
Ardbeg Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the south coast of the isle of Islay, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides group of islands. The distillery claims to produce the peatiest Islay whisky and uses malted barley sourced from the maltings in Port Ellen. It is one of the...
, have a smoky character derived from peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
, 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
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
, seaweed
Seaweed
Seaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
and salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
. Caol Ila
Caol Ila
Caol Ila Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery near Port Askaig on the isle of Islay, Scotland.- History :Caol Ila is derived from Gaelic Caol Ìle for "Sound of Islay" in reference to the distillery's location overlooking the strait between Islay and Jura. It was founded in 1846 by Hector...
, on the northern side of the island, across from Jura, produces a strongly peated whisky as well.
The other distilleries on the island make whisky in a variety of styles. Bunnahabhain
Bunnahabhain
Bunnahabhain is a village on the northeast coast of the isle of Islay, which is in the Argyll and Bute area of Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides group of islands...
and Bruichladdich
Bruichladdich
Bruichladdich Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the Rhinns of the isle of Islay. It is one of eight distilleries on the island, and until the recent opening of Kilchoman farm distillery, the only independent one....
make much lighter whiskies which are generally lightly peated, though Bruichladdich also produces several heavily peated products. Bowmore
Bowmore Single Malt
Bowmore is a distillery that produces scotch whisky on the isle of Islay, an island of the Inner Hebrides. The distillery, which lies on the South Eastern shore of Loch Indaal, is one of the oldest in Scotland and is said to have been established in 1779. The distillery is owned by Morrison...
produces a whisky which is well balanced, using a medium-strong peating level (25ppm) but also using sherry
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
-cask maturation. The newest distillery, Kilchoman, started production in late 2005. In location it is unlike the other seven distilleries, which are all by the sea.
Active Distilleries
| Distillery | Pronunciation | Meaning | Years active | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardbeg Ardbeg Ardbeg Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the south coast of the isle of Islay, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides group of islands. The distillery claims to produce the peatiest Islay whisky and uses malted barley sourced from the maltings in Port Ellen. It is one of the... |
ard-bég | small headland | 1815–1981, 1990–1996, 1997– | 5 km east of Port Ellen Port Ellen Port Ellen is a small town on the island of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland.Port Ellen is named after the wife of the founder, Frederick Campbell of Islay. Its previous name, Leòdamas, is derived from old Norse meaning "Leòd's Harbour".... |
owned by Glenmorangie Glenmorangie Glenmorangie is a distillery in Tain, Ross-shire, Scotland that produces single malt Scotch whisky. The distillery is owned by The Glenmorangie Company Ltd, whose main product is the range of Glenmorangie single malt whisky. Glenmorangie is categorised as a Highland distillery and boasts the... , some blended as Wardhead |
| Bowmore Bowmore Single Malt Bowmore is a distillery that produces scotch whisky on the isle of Islay, an island of the Inner Hebrides. The distillery, which lies on the South Eastern shore of Loch Indaal, is one of the oldest in Scotland and is said to have been established in 1779. The distillery is owned by Morrison... |
bo-moore | great sea reef or sea rock | 1779– | in Bowmore Bowmore Bowmore Bowmore Bowmore (Scottish Gaelic: Bogh Mòr is a village on the Scottish island of Islay and serves as administrative capital of the island. It gives its name to the famous distillery producing Bowmore Single Malt, a single malt scotch whisky.-History:... , the island's capital |
owned by Suntory Suntory is a Japanese brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now offers everything from soft drinks to sandwich chains... , sells 7-year-old malt as McClelland’s McClelland's Single Malt McClelland's Single Malt is a range of Single Malt Scotch whiskies from four of Scotland's key whisky distilling regions—Highland, Islay, Speyside and Lowland.... |
| Bruichladdich Bruichladdich Bruichladdich Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the Rhinns of the isle of Islay. It is one of eight distilleries on the island, and until the recent opening of Kilchoman farm distillery, the only independent one.... |
broo-kladd-ee | bank on the shore | 1881–1995,‡ 2001– | on western Loch Indaal Loch Indaal Loch Indaal is a sea loch on the island of Islay, the southernmost of the Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. Together with Loch Gruinart to the north, it was formed by the Loch Gruinart Fault, which branches off the Great Glen Fault.Along the northwestern coast are the villages of... , across from Bowmore |
reopened as an independent distillery |
| Bunnahabhain Bunnahabhain Bunnahabhain is a village on the northeast coast of the isle of Islay, which is in the Argyll and Bute area of Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides group of islands... |
bū-na-ha-venn | mouth of the river | 1880/1883– | 4 km north of Port Askaig Port Askaig Port Askaig is a port village on the east coast of the island of Islay, in Scotland.-Transport:Port Askaig serves as the main port of Islay, sharing passenger services to the Scottish mainland with Port Ellen... |
owned by Burn Stewart, a notable part of the Black Bottle Black Bottle Black Bottle is a blended Scotch Whisky bottled by Burn Stewart Distillers. The brand was introduced in 1879 and was first produced by Aberdeen tea blenders Charles, David and Gordon Graham... blend |
| Caol Ila Caol Ila Caol Ila Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery near Port Askaig on the isle of Islay, Scotland.- History :Caol Ila is derived from Gaelic Caol Ìle for "Sound of Islay" in reference to the distillery's location overlooking the strait between Islay and Jura. It was founded in 1846 by Hector... |
cull-eela | The Sound Strait A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not... of Islay (between Islay & Jura) |
1846–1972,‡ 1974– | 1 km north of Port Askaig Port Askaig Port Askaig is a port village on the east coast of the island of Islay, in Scotland.-Transport:Port Askaig serves as the main port of Islay, sharing passenger services to the Scottish mainland with Port Ellen... |
owned by Diageo Diageo Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine.... |
| Kilchoman | keel-choman | St. Comman's church | 2005– | on the Atlantic coast | first all new distillery since 1881 |
| Lagavulin Lagavulin Single Malt Lagavulin Single Malt is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky produced at Lagavulin on the island of Islay, United Kingdom. The whisky has a powerful, peat-smoke aroma, and is described as being robustly full-bodied, well balanced, and smooth, with a slight sweetness on the palate.The standard... |
lahk-a-voolin | the hollow where the mill is | 1742/1816– | 4 km east of Port Ellen Port Ellen Port Ellen is a small town on the island of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland.Port Ellen is named after the wife of the founder, Frederick Campbell of Islay. Its previous name, Leòdamas, is derived from old Norse meaning "Leòd's Harbour".... |
owned by Diageo Diageo Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine.... |
| Laphroaig Laphroaig Laphroaig , is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery and brand name. It is named for the area of land at the head of Loch Laphroaig on the south coast of the Isle of Islay... |
la-froyg | beautiful hollow by the broad bay | 1815– | 2 km east of Port Ellen Port Ellen Port Ellen is a small town on the island of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland.Port Ellen is named after the wife of the founder, Frederick Campbell of Islay. Its previous name, Leòdamas, is derived from old Norse meaning "Leòd's Harbour".... |
owned by Fortune Brands Fortune Brands Fortune Brands was a holding company founded in 1969 as American Brands and later renamed in 1997 and split apart in 2011. The corporate headquarters was in Deerfield, Illinois in the United States. The company historically had a significant diversity of product offerings... |
| Port Charlotte Port Charlotte (distillery) Port Charlotte will be a Scotch whisky distillery on the island of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland. Whisky will be distilled in the village of Port Charlotte on the grounds of the former Lochindaal Distillery two miles southwest from the Bruichladdich Distillery, who are also starting up the... |
— | named after Frederick Campbell's wife | 1829–1929, 2011– | in Port Charlotte Port Charlotte, Islay Port Charlotte is a village on the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. It was founded in 1828.Port Charlotte was named after Lord Frederick Campbell's wife, and it was set up mainly to provide housing facilities for the Lochindaal Distillery work force. Parts of the former distillery... , 3 km south of Bruichladdich |
owned by Bruichladdich, Although Bruichladdich is currently bottling a peated scotch whisky under this name, the new Port Charlotte distillery is not yet built. |
| ‡ Except during the Great Depression Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s... (~1930–1937) and World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... (~1940–1945) |
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Closed distilleries
Islay has also been the home of a number of distilleries which are now closed, the most famous being Port EllenPort Ellen Single Malt
The Port Ellen Distillery is located in Port Ellen on the isle of Islay, Scotland.The distillery was built in the 1820s, and was acquired by Distillers Company in 1925. The distillery closed in 1983, although supplies of the malt are still available. The distillery houses a malting which...
, which operated from 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
Port Charlotte (distillery)
Port Charlotte will be a Scotch whisky distillery on the island of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland. Whisky will be distilled in the village of Port Charlotte on the grounds of the former Lochindaal Distillery two miles southwest from the Bruichladdich Distillery, who are also starting up the...
(Port Sgioba in Gaelic), which was closed in 1929, and was also known as the Lochindaal Distillery.
- 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 distilleryHazelburn distilleryHazelburn Distillery was a distillery in Campbeltown, Scotland, which was in operation between approximately 1825 and 1925. In 1886, it had 22 employees and produced 192,000 gallons of whisky per year, making it the largest distillery in the town. The distillery was bought by Mackie & Co. in 1920,...
of CampbeltownCampbeltownCampbeltown is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Originally known as Kinlochkilkerran , it was renamed in the 17th century as Campbell's Town after Archibald Campbell was granted the site in 1667... - Kildalton (1817–1837), merged with Lagavulin
- Killarow (c.1760–1818) / BridgendBridgend, IslayBridgend is a village on the Inner Hebrides island of Islay off the western coast of Scotland at the tip of Loch Indaal.The island's two main road the A846 and A847 meet in the village just north of the bridge over the River Sorn that gives the village its name....
(1818–1822), ruins in village - Lochindaal/Port CharlottePort Charlotte, IslayPort Charlotte is a village on the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. It was founded in 1828.Port Charlotte was named after Lord Frederick Campbell's wife, and it was set up mainly to provide housing facilities for the Lochindaal Distillery work force. Parts of the former distillery...
/Rhinns (1829–1929), near BruichLaddich - Lossit (1821) / BallygrantBallygrantBallygrant is a small village on the Inner Hebrides island of Islay of the western coast of Scotland.Ballygrant is the longest established village on Islay, pre-dating the clearance and distillery villages on the coast, and nearby place names suggest connections to Viking times.Ballygrant means...
(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 EllenPort Ellen Single MaltThe Port Ellen Distillery is located in Port Ellen on the isle of Islay, Scotland.The distillery was built in the 1820s, and was acquired by Distillers Company in 1925. The distillery closed in 1983, although supplies of the malt are still available. The distillery houses a malting which...
(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 ArranIsle of ArranArran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...