Chapter One - Day Six

Chapter One - Day Six
 

This is our last day on Islay, sadly.
 

Today we will visit ARDBEG and after a dinner over there we return home.

Ardberg is also a very peated whisky.

 

 

It's about 55ppm.

Ardbeg is one of the more pretty site's. And instead of painting everything in white and black ( lake all other one's) everything is in White and "ardbeg" green.

 

In this distillery they produce 1.5 mil liters of whisky each year and 98% of that is used in single malt's.

It's a verry commercial company who invests a lot (and gains more back of course) in tourism.
Everything in the shop is just that little bit more special than in others.

Even the "snack" bar is rather big, compared to some restaurants and the shop is the biggest of all distillery's in the Isle.

As this visit is over, it's about time to head bak to Port Askaigh to catch our ferry to mainland-Scotland.

The trip is over, all that's left are a lot of memories and a 24 hrs journy to home.

 

Chapter one - day five

Chapter One - Day Five

Today we visit another distillery from the diagio group.
Lagavullin, one of the classic malts, with a peathyness of 38 ppm.

In the shop there were only two types of whisky's available.
As members of the "friends of classic malts" we got a free tour.
After the tour we took the warehousetasting  brought to us by Iain.




Ian is a legend in the world of Islay Whisky so we very much enjoyed the drams. Especially the 31 years old and the Feis Ile.

Three of us bought a live signed bottle of the Feis Ile by Iain.
There are only 3000 bottles made, so the autograph on these bottles make's it even more exclusive.

This afternoon we wil visit Bowmore again, as their is a free tour and tasting going on.
And we won't miss that of course.

Chapter one - Day four

Chapter One - Day Four

JURA

This Isle is only reachable with a small ferry from Islay.
On this Isle there are only living 200 people and as one of our members is a huge JURA fan we had no other option then to visit it.

This Isle has only one road and it's really a must do.
Nature is so great here, everybody got quiet in the cars. ( exception, Gaetan)

The distillery of Jura is the only one on this island an everybody gets a free tour and dram.
Of course we managed to get a taste of every special edition they had.

 

 

In Jura 2,3 mil liters each year are produced. 95% is used for single malts.

They also have e nice range of special finishes as cabernet sauvignon, Bordeaux,...

 

The rest of the day we travelled around the island and it is really worth doing it.

 

That evening we had diner at port Askaig, the lobster was terrific.

We'll be back here some day.

Chapter One - day three

Chapter one - day three

This day we start our visits in BOWMORE.
As we stay a little farther on the street, Bowmore is really a home-match.

As we arrive, one thing is obvious, this is a very visitor-minded distiller.
It has a very modern visitor centre and is so far the most proper distillery we visited.

On the tour, we discovered that bowmore also still uses their malting floor.
We like.

After the tour, we did the very exclusive warehouse tasting.
A very nice line-up (starting with the pure spirit) was awaiting us in the most refined envirement.
After the tasting, every bottle they had in the bar ( up to 18years) was free to taste.

As the time was passing by way to fast, we needed to hurry up to visit Laphroig.

In Laphroig we did not do the tour but only the special tasting.
We sat there in a very quiet environment in the sofa's en had a tasting with some small dishes.
Laphroig has a very specific taste and we did like it a lot.

 

 

In the shop we really got spoiled, they kept giving presents as little bottles and glasses.

And as there were already two persons of us who had a friends of laphroig pass (now we all own one) they became owner of one square foot of Laphroig property. Next time the rest of us comes in the distillery, they become co-owner also.

 

see here a sofa with a view.

 

 

The rest of the days we will do only one distillery each day.

 

After the tasting we visited KILDALTON, one of the oldest Celtic crosses known on Scotland.700 AD.

 

 

This site is there from

 

We are going to the Isle of JURA tomorrow.

 



Chapter one - day two

Chapter one - day two

This morning we have a appointment at BUNNAHABHAIN.

This distillery is very known for blending.
1,9 mil liter of the whisky they produce is going to the main land for blending.
Only 300000 liter is for single malts.

The scenary couldn't be better, typical scotish weather, and a very old distillery.
This distillery also started in 1881.

After the tour we had a single dram.

Next to the distillery there lies a shipwreck we would like to take some pictures of.
We knew we had to be very careful on the road to it, but we couldn't stand the temptation to find it.

So the whiskyteers set of on a hunt for the wreck.
We did find it eventually, for the moment everything went well.

 

 

On the walk back our trip-organiser prooved how slippery the track on the clips was.

He stept on a hidden hole and felt down 2m into the rocks. Luckely without harm.

 

That's when we dicided to turn back.

 

As our quest continues, we set course to COAL ILA.

 

 

 

This is a distillery in the Diagio ownership.

They use malts from port ellen and make a lot of spirit for blends like Johnny walker,...

Beside that they stil have a nice range of single malts also.

 

After the tour ( we were not allowed to take pictures) we had a special warehouse tasting as well.

There we could taste a wide range of drams from the Original spirit to a verry exclusive barrel with a whisky who matured 24 years on a sherry cask. (straight from the barrel offcourse!)

 

 

Anyone who ever doubted Caol Ila, this is really worth visiting.

 

After all the tasting we stopped by at FINLAGGAN, this is the home of the lords of the Isles.

The first remains found here go back to the stone age.

Lateron the clan MacDonald were lords of the Isles. At this moent this title is in hands of te crown prince of Great Brittain.

 

 

 

That evening we found a classy restaurant in Bowmore to have our diner.

If you ever get here, the "harbour inn" really is the place to be for a really good dinner in a luxury scenery for a good price.

 



Chapter One - day one

chapter one - day one

On the first day we planned a visit to KILCHOMAN and BRUICHLADDICH.
On the road to Kilchoman , we made a stop at the old (and ruined) church of Kilchoman.

This ruin is surrounded by ancient graves (some even belonged to Templar Knights) and is a must to visit.

Kichoman is the youngest and smallest distillery on Islay.
It's also the only distiller who uses only products grown on Islay.
Kilchoman  produces 250000 L of high quality whiskey every year.
Almost everything (incl. botteling, labelling, packaging,...) is done by hand.

We had a very warm welcome and pleasant tour (+ tasting) in this recent distillery.
They only started in 2005! And already their "Machir bay and 100% Islay are very good matured.

Over noon it's even possible to have lunch next to the shop.
Local ale's included.

When arriving at BRUICHLADDICH, it's quite a contrast.

This is a rather big distillery with a long history (1881).
In this distillery they produce about 1,5 mil. liters a year.

The tour , who was very interesting , led us trough the whole process of distilling spirit and whisky.
After the tour we joined the warehouse tasting.

 

 

 

 

On this tasting we got a dram of a Bruichladdich non peated from 1989, a port charlotte from 2005 and a Octomore 2002.

 

Those were three single cask's. ( cask strength of course)

Needles to say, these are some exclusive drams.

 

In the shop we also had the chance to buy an exclusive bottle ( 500ml) from the "still games" . This is a single barrel, only distilled once. The one they had this time is a 10 years old, port finish.

Eventually, this bottle was a gift from Bruichladdich, as they payed us back 50 pound for the two drivers we had with us and almost didn't taste.

 

as you all know, the best whisky is the one you get for free!!

 

 

 

Of this whisky there are max 500 bottles.

After this successful first day, we went back to the house.

 

Tomorrow, Bunnahaben & Caol Ila

 



first chapter - Islay 2013

first chapter - Islay 2013

In the late summer of 2013 the whiskyteers set of for a journey to the isle of Islay.
This for the benefit of the human kind, in order of discovering all Islay distilleries.
So there would be no secrets left on the Isle.

departure:
We set of on a Saturday evening to drive across whole Great Brittan on a 22hrs trip.
At last we found our new home at Bowmore.

This house stands in a magical scenery of mountains, sea and silence.
We felt like home from the first moment.

For the 6 days to come, we will visit all of Islay's distilleries and the one on the isle of Jura included.

Want to see more,....
follow our blog!!!!

room with a view

How the journey started.

How the journey started.

Once upon a time 7 chaps decided to discover the scotch whiskey right at the source.

As it seems impossible to discover all regions at once, the adventurers divided the trips in different chapters.

see here the redaction of the blog. Late at night.