Whisky Galore at The Islay Festival of Malt and Music
The annual, week long Islay Festival of Malt and Music starts the last weekend in May. The small Island of Islay is famous around the world for its malt whiskies with no less than eight working distilleries. This makes the malt whisky industry one of the most important sources of income for the island.
Each of the islands distilleries will be having its own open day during the festival and the whisky lover will be able to enjoy whisky tastings, master classes and distillery tours. In addition a busy programme also includes a variety of musical and cultural events, Highland dancing, the Islay Pipe Band, sporting events, guided walks and children's amusements. Many of the venues will feature food tastings and refreshments using local produce and ingredients.
An Evening of Gaelic Song and Traditional Music at the Gaelic College Bowmore on the evening of 27th May will be a treat for those interested in Gaelic music and culture. This is a great opportunity to see local Islay artists, including the Islay Gaelic Choir, perform. There will be refreshments and a raffle.
A whisky tasting Ceilidh on the evening of the 25th May will challenge the real whisky buffs who can tell Ardbeg from Bowmore or Bruichladdich. All the distilleries will be there with their whisky so go along and test your whisky tasting skills. Musical accompaniment will be by The Islay Fiddle and Accordion Band.
Islay's peaty soil and brown peaty water combined with its exposed position all contribute to the unique characteristics of its whisky. Salty sea spray is brought far inland on wild winter gales, soaking deep into the peat. The same salty, seaweed scented breeze dries it out again in calmer weather conditions. The result is some of the strongest flavoured of all the malt whiskies.
The distilleries of Ardbeg and Laphroaig lie to the south of Islay The distilleries of the south produce some of Islay's most powerful whiskies. The heavily peated, sea scented malt is used with the brown, peaty water in the distilling process. This makes for a whisky that is strongly peat flavoured with the taste of the sea, the brine and the iodine. It has even been described as medicinal.
The distilleries to the north of Islay include Bruichladdich. They produce a much milder whisky. They don't use the brown peaty water but draw water from the springs before it has a chance to come into contact with the peat. A lightly peated malt is also favoured. The whisky produced is still dry but much lighter with mossy overtones rather that peaty and the flavours of the sea are not so pronounced.
On the shores of Loch Indaal, in the middle of the Island, lies Bowmore distillery. In character it is somewhere in between the whiskies of the north and those of the south. While peaty flavours are very much in evidence it is not medicinal. The sea, salt, seaweed and iodine can be still be detected but the more delicate floral notes are able to come through and the whisky has a peppery finish.
Islay is known as The Queen of the Hebrides and a visit offers much more than the festival. Try a taste of island life with stunning scenery and amazing wildlife. - 18418
Each of the islands distilleries will be having its own open day during the festival and the whisky lover will be able to enjoy whisky tastings, master classes and distillery tours. In addition a busy programme also includes a variety of musical and cultural events, Highland dancing, the Islay Pipe Band, sporting events, guided walks and children's amusements. Many of the venues will feature food tastings and refreshments using local produce and ingredients.
An Evening of Gaelic Song and Traditional Music at the Gaelic College Bowmore on the evening of 27th May will be a treat for those interested in Gaelic music and culture. This is a great opportunity to see local Islay artists, including the Islay Gaelic Choir, perform. There will be refreshments and a raffle.
A whisky tasting Ceilidh on the evening of the 25th May will challenge the real whisky buffs who can tell Ardbeg from Bowmore or Bruichladdich. All the distilleries will be there with their whisky so go along and test your whisky tasting skills. Musical accompaniment will be by The Islay Fiddle and Accordion Band.
Islay's peaty soil and brown peaty water combined with its exposed position all contribute to the unique characteristics of its whisky. Salty sea spray is brought far inland on wild winter gales, soaking deep into the peat. The same salty, seaweed scented breeze dries it out again in calmer weather conditions. The result is some of the strongest flavoured of all the malt whiskies.
The distilleries of Ardbeg and Laphroaig lie to the south of Islay The distilleries of the south produce some of Islay's most powerful whiskies. The heavily peated, sea scented malt is used with the brown, peaty water in the distilling process. This makes for a whisky that is strongly peat flavoured with the taste of the sea, the brine and the iodine. It has even been described as medicinal.
The distilleries to the north of Islay include Bruichladdich. They produce a much milder whisky. They don't use the brown peaty water but draw water from the springs before it has a chance to come into contact with the peat. A lightly peated malt is also favoured. The whisky produced is still dry but much lighter with mossy overtones rather that peaty and the flavours of the sea are not so pronounced.
On the shores of Loch Indaal, in the middle of the Island, lies Bowmore distillery. In character it is somewhere in between the whiskies of the north and those of the south. While peaty flavours are very much in evidence it is not medicinal. The sea, salt, seaweed and iodine can be still be detected but the more delicate floral notes are able to come through and the whisky has a peppery finish.
Islay is known as The Queen of the Hebrides and a visit offers much more than the festival. Try a taste of island life with stunning scenery and amazing wildlife. - 18418
About the Author:
Rachel Wilson is a travel writer with a fondness for Bowmore whisky. The Malt & Music Festival is the ideal place to sample a variety of single malt scotch whiskies.
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