Festival Celebrates Islay's Malt Whisky Heritage
The last weekend in May sees the small Island of Islay in celebration mood. The Islay Festival of Malt and Music brings crowds of whisky enthusiasts to mingle with fans of Gaelic music and culture. Islay's eight working distilleries produce some of the world's most famous whiskies as well as being one of Islay's most important industries.
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.
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.
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 distilleries in the south of the island include Ardbeg and Laphroaig. These produce some of the most powerful of Islay's whiskies. The brown, peaty water is used together with a heavily peated malt in the distilling process. The whisky has a flavour that has been described as peat smoke, brine and iodine. Sometimes even "medicinal".
The Northern Islay Distilleries, including Bruichladdich, produce a much milder whisky. They use the spring water before it comes into contact with the peat and only lightly peated malt. This results in a much lighter whisky with mossy rather than peaty flavours, with the same dry finish but with less of the flavour of the sea about them.
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.
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. - 18780
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.
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.
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 distilleries in the south of the island include Ardbeg and Laphroaig. These produce some of the most powerful of Islay's whiskies. The brown, peaty water is used together with a heavily peated malt in the distilling process. The whisky has a flavour that has been described as peat smoke, brine and iodine. Sometimes even "medicinal".
The Northern Islay Distilleries, including Bruichladdich, produce a much milder whisky. They use the spring water before it comes into contact with the peat and only lightly peated malt. This results in a much lighter whisky with mossy rather than peaty flavours, with the same dry finish but with less of the flavour of the sea about them.
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.
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. - 18780
About the Author:
Rachel Wilson is a journalist 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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