Islay single malts are thesingle maltScotch whiskies made onIslay (/ˈaɪlə/EYE-lə) orÌle inGaelic, one of the southernmost of theInner Hebridean Islands located off the west coast ofScotland. Islay is one of fivewhisky distilling localities and regions in Scotland whose identity is protected by law.[1]
The region is characterised by whiskies with a peat smoke aroma, such asLaphroaig,Lagavulin andArdbeg.[2] In total, there are ten active distilleries on this island which measures only 25 by 15 miles (40 by 24 kilometres), and the industry is Islay's second largest employer after agriculture.[3][4] Islay is a centre of "whisky tourism", and hosts a "Festival of Malt and Music" known asFèis Ìle each year on the last week of May, with events and tastings celebrating the cultural heritage of the island.
Some sources indicate that Irish monks may have been the first to distill whisky on the island in the early 1300s.[5] According toVisit Scotland, "most of Islay's original distilleries [some no longer in business] started as farm distilleries and retreated to secluded glens and caves during the 17th century when theexcise man came calling."[6]
Another source is more specific: "Islay’s past is pervaded by innumerable tales of home distilling, smuggling and illegal whisky production" and adds that the eight older distilleries all began as small, illicit producers. All were built near water since grain was shipped on boats and the finished whisky was transported via water. For centuries, the whisky was usually aged in sherry casks but bourbon casks from the U.S. are now also frequently used.[7]
In 1806, the Right Hon.Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank at the Circuit Court at Inverary heard the case against Donald, Duncan and Neil, sons of Dugald Mackiachan,all residing in the island of Islay, accused ofbreaking into a room or cellar possessed by Benjamin Campbell, activing supervisor in said island, and stealing from thence 125 gallons of whisky, and they failing to appear to stand trial, sentence offugitation was pronounced against them.[8]
The whiskies of the distilleries along the southeastern coast of the island,Laphroaig,Lagavulin, andArdbeg, have a smoky character derived frompeat, 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 ofiodine,seaweed andsalt.[9]Caol Ila, on the northern side of the island, across fromJura, also produces a strongly peated whisky. Trees, other than plantations, on these islands are scattered and the peat is free of rotting wood. (Normal peat bogs are invaded by trees and periodic fires kill the encroaching tree line.) Islay peat is reputedly the best flavoured for scotch production.
The other distilleries on the island make whisky in a variety of styles.Bunnahabhain makes much lighter whiskies which are generally lightly peated.Bowmore, which started business in 1779, produces a whisky which is well balanced, using a medium-strong peating level (25 ppm) but also usingsherry-cask maturation. TheKilchoman distillery started production in late 2005; in location it is unlike the other distilleries, which are all by the sea. The newest distillery isArdnahoe, the island's ninth, which opened in 2019.[10]
In general however, the whiskies from this island are known for a "pungent peaty, smoky and oily flavours, with just a hint of salty sea air and seaweed" because of the use of peat and the maritime climate.[2] The Island's own web site is more specific. Distilleries in the south make whisky which is "medium-bodied ... saturated with peat-smoke, brine and iodine" because they use malt that is heavy with peat as well as peaty water. Whisky from the northern area is milder because it is made using spring water for a "lighter flavoured, mossy (rather than peaty), with some seaweed, some nuts..." characteristic.[11]
In future however, the whisky industry on this island may be moving to a broader range of products, some less peaty than the current majority as well as new types of whisky.[12]
| Distillery | Pronunciation† | Scottish Gaelic form†† | Meaning of Gaelic form | Years active | Location | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardbeg | /ɑːrdˈbɛɡ/ard-BEG | An Àird Bheag | small promontory[13] | 1815–1981, 1990–1996, 1997– | Ardbeg village, on the south-east coast of the island | Glenmorangie Company Ltd, a subsidiary ofLVMH |
| Ardnahoe | àirde an t-slèibh | height of the hollow[14] | 2019 – | At the road betweenPort Askaig andBunnahabhain | Hunter Laing | |
| Bowmore | /boʊˈmɔːr/boh-MOR | Bogh Mòr | the big bend[15] | 1779 – | In the town ofBowmore, the island's largest settlement on the eastern shore ofLoch Indaal | Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd, a subsidiary ofSuntory Global Spirits |
| Bruichladdich | /brʊxˈlædi/bruukh-LAD-ee | Bruthach a' Chladaich | brae of the shore[16] | 1881–1995,‡ 2001– | Bruichladdich village, on western shore ofLoch Indaal | Reopened as an independent distillery in 2001 and purchased in 2012 byRemy Cointreau[17] |
| Bunnahabhain | /ˌbuːnəˈhævən/BOO-nə-HAV-ən | Bun na h-Abhainne | mouth of the river[18] | 1880/1883– | Bunnahabhain Bay, on the north-east coast of the island | Distell Group Limited |
| Caol Ila | /kʌlˈiːlə/kuul-EE-lə | Caol Ìle | TheSound (Strait) of Islay[19] | 1846–1972,‡ 1974– | Close toPort Askaig, on the north-east coast of the island | Diageo |
| Kilchoman | /kɪlˈxoʊmən/kil-KHOH-mən | Cille Chomain[20] | St. Comman's church | 2005– | On the western side of theRhinns of Islay, near the settlement of Kilchoman and Machir Bay | Independently owned and established in 2005 as the first new distillery on Islay since 1881[21] |
| Lagavulin | /ˌlɑːkəˈvuːlɪn/LAH-kə-VOO-lin | Lag a' Mhuilinn | the hollow of the mill[22] | 1742/1816– | Lagavulin village, on the south-east coast of the island | Diageo |
| Laphroaig | /ləˈfrɔɪɡ/lə-FROYG | Laphraoig (Believed to beGaelicisedOld Norse)[23] | slope of broad-bay[23] | 1815– | Laphroaig village, on the south-east coast of the island | Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd, a subsidiary ofSuntory Global Spirits |
| Port Ellen | 1825–1929, 1967–1983, 2024– | Port Ellen village, at the southern coast in Kilnaughton Bay | Diageo | |||
| ‡ Except during theGreat Depression (~1930–1937) andWorld War II (~1940–1945) | ||||||
†These reflect what are oftenanglicised re-spellings of Scottish Gaelic. Pronunciation of the Scottish Gaelic from which they are derived may be different.
††The Scottish Gaelic from which the distillery's name was anglicised if applicable, according toAinmean-Àite na h-Alba.Not necessarily an official name of the distillery.
Hunter Laing's Ardnahoe Distillery, located betweenPort Askaig andBunnahabhain, opened in April 2019, becoming Islay's ninth distillery.[24][10]
A new distillery at Gartbreck Farm, just south of Bowmore, was planned in 2014 by Jean Donnay of Glann ar Mor Distillery[25] inBrittany, France, as a joint venture with Hunter Laing of Glasgow but as of December 2018 the project was stalled over a land and management dispute.[26]
In 2020 Elixir Distillers broke ground on a new distillery, which is to be known as Portintruan, on the road between Port Ellen and Laphroaig.[27]
The oldest record of a legal distillery on the island of Islay refers to Bowmore in 1779 and at one time there were up to 23 distilleries in operation.[28] For example,Port Charlotte distillery operated from 1829 to 1929[29]
In March 2007 Bruichladdich Distillery announced the reopening of the distillery atPort Charlotte (Port Sgioba in Gaelic), which was closed in 1929, and was also known as theLochindaal distillery.
