Islay, Scotland: Whisky Island

Dunlossit Castle, Port Askaig, Isle of Islay

The Isle of Islay (pronounced EYE-lah), the southernmost of the Inner Hebrides, is home to eight distilleries that produce immensely complex and appealing single malt whiskies. Islay’s malts are known for two things: their peaty smokiness, and a distinctive marine tang. Before being distilled, their malted barley is carefully smoked over a peat fire, and afterward, many of the warehouses store their whisky barrels outside, just steps from the Atlantic, where they breathe in the sea air. To reach the island, I boarded a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry at the little port of Kennacraig on Scotland’s southwest coast for a very pleasant two-hour journey. Ever the dedicated journalist, I then proceeded to spend a few days visiting all eight working distilleries on Islay. Just reciting their names is an incantation to malt lovers’ ears: Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. Read More