Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for whisky from the Islay whisky region in Scotland.
Despite the small size of the island and the limited amount of distilleries, the Hebridean island of Islay is considered as one of the most distinct regions. Because of this, Islay has become a centre of “whisky tourism”. The whiskies from Islay are known for their powerful smoky, peaty character.
Currently there are nine Islay distilleries. They incude Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Port Charlotte. The famous Port Ellen distillery closed its doors in 1983. Bruichladdich is the only distillery on the island that merely produces unpeated single malt whisky.
My husband John is a frequent traveller. Recently, he brought home the Ardbeg Smoketrails Manzanilla edition of Islay single malt whisky. On his way back to the island, he picked it up at ORT airport.
Read More »Ardbeg Smoketrails Manzanilla Edition Whisky
There’s no better way to kick off a new year of whisky reviews than with the Port Charlotte 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky. After the rollercoaster of last year, I wanted to start this year with something memorable, and this heavily peated Islay single malt certainly delivered. If the saying “start as you mean to go on” applies anywhere, it applies here.Read More »Port Charlotte 10 year old: An Elegant Islay Single Malt
It is my second Laphroaig I am tasting this year. Earlier in 2015, I tasted the Laphroaig An Cuan Mor whisky. The Laphroaig PX Cask Islay single malt Scotch whisky and the An Cuan Mor bottling are part of three travel retail exclusive releases from Laphroaig.
Embarking on an Islay adventure, I delve into the exquisite realm of Laphroaig with a head-to-head comparison of the renowned Laphroaig 10 vs Quarter Cask single malt Scotch whiskies.
When Ardbeg announced a new addition to its core range, fans of the smoky Islay distillery took notice. The Ardbeg An Oa single malt Scotch whisky was launched with plenty of fanfare; the first permanent expression to join the Ardbeg lineup since Corryvreckan in 2009. It joins the legendary Ardbeg 10 year old and Uigeadail, forming the backbone of Ardbeg’s core range.
Read More »Ardbeg An Oa Whisky Review: The Softer Side of Islay
During December, I finally had some time to catch up on a few long-overdue blog posts. One of the drams I’d been meaning to write about is the Ardbeg Uigeadail Islay single malt Scotch whisky, which I first tasted back in July.
Read More »Ardbeg Uigeadail Whisky. Dark, Smoky, and Powerfully Addictive