Essential Islay Single Malt Whiskies

This dram is a fine example of the different elements one can typically find in maritime whiskies. One of only a handful of distilleries that still do floor maltings of their barley, it is certainly worth paying them a visit to see how it's done.

This is the flagship peated whisky by Kilchoman, named for a beach on its Islay home. It is matured in both bourbon and ex-sherry barrels, and carries a 50 PPM peat level. It is bottled at 46% ABV.

First introduced in 1979, Bunnahabhain 12 Year is a core single malt in the portfolio. It is matured in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and since 2010, it has been bottled without chill-filtration at 46.3% ABV

The sequel to Bunnahabhain Toiteach which means 'smoky' in Gaelic, Toiteach A Dhà means 'smoky two.' While Bunnahabhain isn't necessarily known for creating peaty whiskies, its Toiteach release was so popular that the brand created this follow up. This takes the Bunnahabhain Mòine whisky and matures it in ex-bourbon and sherry casks in the coastal warehouses on Bunnahabhain Bay.

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie is the Islay distillery's flagship single malt. It is unpeated and made from 100% Scottish barley with some barley sourced from Islay. As for the exact recipe of the whisky, this changes from batch to batch with the brand using different barley types from various Scottish farms. Furthermore, various barrel types are used to mature the whisky and this too will vary with each batch with ex-sherry, ex-bourbon, and ex-wine casks among them. That said, since 2016 the brand has a recipe code on each bottle. You can view their website to have your recipe revealed. Bottled at 50% ABV without chill-filtration or added color.

Fans of sherried scotch and you wine lovers out there, step right up! Bowmore 15 Year is a whisky aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, but it's the portion of the whisky that gets aged the final 3 years in 1st fill sherry casks that really give this whisky that deep rich color and fruity taste. Note: Formerly called Bowmore Darkest 15 Year.

Caol Ila, pronounced as “Cull Ee-la” is a small Islay distillery founded in 1846 nestled in a hidden cove near Port Askaig overlooking the strait between Islay and Jura. Caol Ila is readily known as one of the lighter, more nuanced and delicate of the Islay single malts with the 12 year as their entry level offering originally debuting in the summer of 2002. It is bottled at a modest 86 proof.

This peated single malt expression is named for an inlet on the Atlantic coast off Islay. It is matured predominantly in ex-Oloroso sherry casks as well as ex-bourbon casks. It is bottled non chill-filtered.

An Oa (pronounced an oh) is a peated Islay single malt comprised of whiskies that were aged in several types of casks of including Pedro Ximenez, virgin oak, and ex-bourbon. These whiskies were then married together in a large French oak vat in Ardbeg's Gathering Room. The whisky is named for the Mull of Oa located on the Oa peninsula. This is the most southwesterly point of Islay. This Ardbeg release marks the first permanent addition to their portfolio in close to ten years. Bottled at 46.6% ABV, this is non chill-filtered. Released September 2017.

Lagavulin 8 was released in conjunction with the distillery's 200th anniversary in 2016. It's meant as a throwback to the style of whisky Lagavulin may have been producing around the 1880s. That's when author, Alfred Barnard, visited all the distilleries in Great Britain, over 150 of them, and came away with the opinion that Lagavulin was just one of a few putting out single malt worthy of drinking on its own, as opposed to being solely destined for a blend. As of November 2017, this is whisky is now a core bottling for the distillery instead of a limited edition with new labels to follow.

The Ardbeg 10 Year is the flagship bottling for the distillery. The peat level is on the higher end of the scale at 55 parts per million or ppm. It's aged a minimum of 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels and is bottled without chill-filtration at 92 proof.

Laphroaig 10 Year is the flagship bottling from the Islay distillery. The peated single malt is aged for a minimum of 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels, many sourced from Maker's Mark in Kentucky. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland with its own malting floor used in part of its production. Using a peat kiln built in 1840, the malted barley is cold-smoked for 10-12 hours. Then it's fully dried using hot air. NOTE: Sold at 40% ABV or 43% ABV depending on your market.

Harking back to the days of the 19th century, this bottling takes 5-11 year old aged whisky into smaller casks only 125 liters large (a quarter of a Sherry cask). This was the size that two men could carry to market for sale back in the day. Giving more surface area to the amount of liquid in the barrel brings out more vanilla and oily notes from the wood.

Port Charlotte 10 Year is a permanent addition to Bruichladdich's portfolio and replaces the multi-vintage Scottish Barley bottling. Made using 100% Scottish barley from the Inverness Shire region. This 10 year old bottling matures in a variety of casks: 65% in 1st fill American whiskey, 10% in 2nd fill American whiskey, and 25% in 2nd fill French wine casks. Port Charlotte bottlings are the heavily peated single malt line distilled at Bruichladdich with the barley peated to 40ppm. Bottled at 50% ABV, it is non-chillfiltered and has no color added. Available beginning May 2018.

The whiskies used to compose the 18 year have spent their time exclusively in either ex-Bourbon barrels or in ex-Sherry casks. They are then blended together to produce this treasure. One note doesn't outshine the other, but rather it is a marvelous symphony of aromas and flavors.

If it has been a couple of years since you've tried this, you must give this another go. As with the rest of the line up for Bunnahabhain, they are now bottled at 46.3%, up from 40%, and non-chill filtered. They use both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for maturation.

Cauldron of the speckled sea (aka Corryvreckan) is a whirlpool, the 2nd largest in the world, located between the Isles of Islay and Jura. It is also the name of this whisky. Here are some more facts for you, kid. It is, at its base, Ardbeg 10 with whisky added that spent its life exclusively in French Limousin Virgin Casks. At least it did until it was married with the 10 year old and into your bottle.

Released in spring 2016, Lore is a no-age statement whisky created by John Campbell, Distillery Manager, and their blending team to represent over 200 years of the company's knowledge and traditions, which have been passed down through the generations of distillery managers and custodians, "our story, bottled." The whisky, which they consider to be "the richest ever Laphroaig" is created using a combination of different ages of whiskies (some from as far back as vintage 1993) and types of casks ranging from first-fill sherry, first-fill bourbon, refill bourbon, and whisky finished in European ex-sherry hogshead casks. It is bottled at 48% ABV.

First launched in 2003, Ardbeg Uigeadail [Oog-a-dal] is a marriage of some young and some very old oloroso sherry aged single malt along with Ardbeg aged in ex-bourbon barrels. The name Uigeadail means "a dark, mysterious place." Fun to say and even more fun to drink. It is also the name of the loch from which Ardbeg gets its water. Bottled at cask strength with no age statement.

Though not officially established until 1816, there are records of illicit distillation that date as far back as 1742. Located on the southeast coast of Islay, Lagavulin produces single malt whiskies made with peated malted barley sourced from neighboring Port Ellen Maltings. Aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 16 years, this is the flagship bottling from the distillery.