Whisky Lovers Flock to Islay for Malt Festival
The small island of Islay is getting ready for the annual week long Festival of Malt and Music which starts the last weekend in May. The whiskies of Islay, from no less than eight working distilleries, are famous throughout the world and the malt whisky industry is one of Islay’s largest employers and sources of revenue.
The festival programme includes a variety of cultural and musical events including Highland dancing, the Islay Pipe Band, guided walks, sporting events and children’s amusements. However I don’t think anyone would argue that Islay’s whisky will take pride of place. The malt whisky enthusiast will be able to visit each of the distilleries on their open days. On offer will be distillery tours, master classes and whisky tastings. Refreshments and food tastings featuring local produce and ingredients will be available at many of the events.
For those interested in Gaelic Culture an Evening of Gaelic Song and Traditional Music at the Gaelic College Bowmore on the evening of 27th May is a must. Local artists, including the Islay Gaelic Choir, will be performing. There will be refreshments and a raffle.
For those who pride themselves on being able to distinguish Ardbeg from Bowmore or Bruichladdich a whisky tasting Ceilidh will be a highlight. The distilleries with all their whiskies will be there to test your whisky tasting skills, all to the accompaniment of the Islay Fiddle and Accordion Band.
The peaty soil and brown peaty water, together with the exposed position of Islay have combined to create the unique characteristics of the island’s whisky. The island is almost completely covered in peat, soaked through with the salty sea spray brought far inland by winter gales. In balmier summer weather the gentler salty, seaweed scented breeze dries it out. The result is some of the strongest flavoured of all the malt whiskies.
The Southern distilleries, including Ardbeg and Laphroaig, produce the most powerful. They use heavily peated malt and the island’s brown peaty water for a whisky with the flavour of peat smoke, brine and iodine coming through strongly. The flavour has sometimes 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.
In the middle of the island lies Loch Indaal with Bowmore distillery on its shore. The characteristics of Bowmore whisky fall between the whiskies of the north and south. While a peaty flavour is easily detected it is not as pronounced and never medicinal. The flavours of the sea, seaweed and iodine are also undoubtedly present but more delicate floral notes are able to come through and the whisky has a peppery finish.
Visit Islay, the Queen of the Hebrides, this spring and enjoy all that the Festival of Malt and Music has to offer as well as the stunning scenery and amazing wildlife. Treat yourself to a taste of island life.
