Islay Whisky Tour

July 31, 2018July 23, 2023daviddistilled Leave a comment

Join me, David Wood for an ultimate Islay Whisky Tour. I’ve worked in the whisky industry for many years and was Distillery Manager at the biggest distillery on Islay, the mighty Caol Ila Distillery!

Exclusive Islay Whisky Tours With a Distillery Manager

When you join us on Islay you, whether for a few days or for a week, you will enjoy luxurious accommodation throughout your stay in breathtaking scenery. We take care of all your food, all your transport whilst on Islay and all distillery tours, tastings and masterclasses.

During your stay with us, I’ll be your island guide, we’ll visit as many distilleries as you like and see as much of the beautiful Isle of Islay as possible.

Whats Included?

Luxury traditional farmhouse accommodation with stunning Islay mountain views and roaring fires
All food supplied to your requirements
All transport to and from distillery events and transfers to and from the ferry or plane
A full itinerary of distillery tours and tastings
Myself David Wood, former Caol Ila Distillery Manager as your host for the duration of your stay
The opportunity to fish for wild brown trout on the loch adjacent to the house
Deer stalking as an optional extra

Contact Us

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to make an enquiry about our Islay Whisky Tours, please complete the form below and we will reply to you as soon as we can!

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Islay Distillery Tours With a Distillery Manager

There is nowhere quite like Islay not least because of the fact that there are no less than 8 working distilleries on this relatively small island. The new Ardnahoe Distillery will be in operation in August 2019 and more distilleries are planned.

There is so much to see, from important historical sites such as Finlaggan to the beautiful, empty Atlantic beaches at Machir Bay and Saligo. The scenery is breathtaking and the wildlife abundant, you are more likely to see golden eagle and white tailed sea eagle here than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. Islay has become the eagle island.

If you are a lover of seafood, there is plenty to wet the appetite on Islay. The local fishing fleet brings in crab, lobster and all kinds of shellfish on a daily basis, and there are always oysters available for those who wish to try them as fresh as possible straight from the brine.

Why Join Us on a Guided Islay Whisky Distillery Trip?

If you want to pack as much in to your trip as possible, whatever your time constraints may be, to visit as many distilleries as possible and enjoy the very best of distillery tastings and experiences whilst seeing as much Islay as possible, we can host and plan your trip for you to ensure you get the most out of your trip to Islay.

Each of our Islay whisky tours is different. Many of our trips are bespoke to our clients requirements. Some of our guests like to relax in front of the fire after a busy day visiting distilleries, and we’ll enjoy dinner there. Other guests prefer to enjoy the hospitality of local pubs and restaurants, meeting the locals and enjoying traditional Islay music. Whichever you prefer, we can arrange it for you.

Islay Whisky Distillery Tours and Experiences

We carefully plan your itinerary to ensure that you get the very best use of your time whilst on Islay. We try to fit in as many of the special distillery tours, warehouse experiences and tastings as possible on each Islay whisky tour. Each of the 8 distilleries has a visitor centre and each offer tours and experiences from a simple guided tour of the distillery to an in-depth masterclass with someone who works at the distillery.

Distillery Tours

On a distillery tour you spend about an hour walking through a distillery with a very knowledgable tour guide. Your guide will show you how the whisky makes the very special journey from field to table. After the tour you will enjoy drams with your guide and then be able to ask any questions that you may have about the process and the whisky.

Distillery Warehouse Experiences

We love warehouses, they are the most wonderful, atmospheric places. Each cask sleeping on an Islay warehouse is a piece of history. Each cask end has its own story to tell. Spending time in a traditional dunnage warehouse is an absolute treat, and when you are back at home enjoying a Islay dram, it is to these warehouses that you will be magically transported such an impact they have on your senses. Dunnage warehouses are often earthen floored, the atmosphere is damp and full of sea air, and whisky vapours from the casks of course, otherwise known as the angels share. We like to take guests to Lagavulin where the legend of Lagavulin, Iain MacArthur is your host on the warehouse experience. We also like to take guest to Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich where similar wonderful experiences can be enjoyed, at Bunnahabhain guests also have the opportunity to fill their own bottles straight from the cask.

Islay Whisky Tastings and Masterclasses

In between visits to distilleries, I will be on hand to answer any questions that you might have about distilling on Islay and the whisky industry in general. Guests enjoy masterclasses where we taste rare single cask whiskies and distillery only bottlings from each of the distilleries. I’m often accompanied by my infamous wooden sample box containing rare delights from the past, and one or two cask strength drams.

Your Transport Whilst on Islay

We arrange transport for our guests while they are on Islay. We work closely with a local coach company when designing each itinerary to ensure that your Islay whisky trip runs smoothly and that your time is used efficiently. All of the drivers are extremely friendly and knowledgable, some have even worked at Islay distilleries. I always accompany guests on the coach so that I can point out places of interest as we travel between distilleries and so that I can answer any questions that guests might have. We ask guests to make their own travel arrangements to Islay, whether by ferry or plane, and we then collect from the ferry terminal or Islay airport.

Other Islay Activities

It isn’t all about the whisky (although most of it is!). There are many other activities that we can arrange for our guests. As well as sightseeing, guests can enjoy bird watching, sea safaris, fishing, shooting and stalking. All of these can be included in your itinerary should you wish. Each of our bespoke Islay whisky tours is different and we can quote to include as many activities as you like.

Book Your Bespoke Islay Whisky Trip

If you are interested in joining us for an Islay whisky trip of a lifetime on one of our Guided Islay Whisky Experiences please get in touch. We can answer all your questions about arranging your special trip to Islay. We can put together a suggested itinerary for you, just let us know the duration of the trip you require, how many guests will be in your party, any dates that you have in mind, and we will set to work!

Call David on 07875 405 980 or click here to send an email for more information or to book a bespoke Guided Islay Distilleries Experience.

We would love to host your very special trip on Islay, we hope to see you there soon.

Slainte

David

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Forthcoming Events – Whisky & Gin Tastings Near You!

September 28, 2017November 29, 2017daviddistilled Leave a comment

We have a busy few weeks here at Distilled Events! We have scheduled plentiful whisky tastings and gin tasting events all over the UK as well as hosting a few private tasting events in between. If you would like us to host a whisky tasting for you at your private party or corporate event, or if you would like us to contact a local venue that you think may be interested in hosting an event with us, please contact us here.

Forthcoming Tasting Events

We would love to see you at one of or forthcoming tasting events. We host regular whisky tastings and gin tastings in our home town of Leek in Staffordshire but most of our tastings are further afield within the UK and next year we’ll be travelling outwith the UK. Below is a list of the events we currently have scheduled. We’ll be adding more so please keep an eye on our Facebook page or on our Forthcoming Tasting & Events page on the Distilled Events website.

Rare Single Malt Whisky Masterclass – Sheffield – 13.10.17 – Picture House Social

Join us at Picture House Social for an evening tasting rare whiskies. This intimate tasting will be for a group of maximum 14 guests. During the tasting you’ll taste 6 whiskies, all cask strength, and all limited editions. You will be tasting whiskies that are only available at the distillery and some will be single cask whiskies. The perfect tasting for the whisky enthusiast.

Buy tickets for the Rare Single Malt Whisky Masterclass here.

Gin Tasting Experience – Leek – 31.10.17 – Spout Brew House

Once again we’ll be at the delightful Spout Brew House showing a range of awesome gins.

Guests will taste 6 craft gins neat before mixing the perfect serve G&T as suggested by each distiller. A great opportunity to learn about the history of gin and how it makes the journey from field to tableThis fun and informative event is suitable for those new to the world of gin and for the seasoned enthusiast!

Buy tickets for the Gin Tasting Experience here.

Gin & Tapas Tasting Experience – Buxton – 01/11/17 – South 16

We’ve been invited back to South 16 in Buxton in the heart of the Peak District National Park to host a Gin & Tapas Tasting Experience. Guests will first taste 6 craft gins neat before mixing the perfect G&Ts with garnishes as suggested by each distiller. Guests will then enjoy tasty tapas perfectly paired with the G&Ts. This fun and informative event is suitable for those new to the world of gin and for the seasoned enthusiast!

Buy tickets for the Gin & Tapas Tasting Experience here.

Whisky Tasting Dinner – Nottingham – 03/11/17 – Alea Casino

We are hoping to host regular tasting events at Alea Casino Nottingham and this will be the first of them. During this fantastic whisky tasting, guests will taste six drams from all around Scotland, three of which will be perfectly paired with a mouth watering three course meal, each course specially selected by chef and David to compliment each whisky. This fun and informative event is perfect for the newcomer to the world of whisky or for the seasoned enthusiast!

Buy tickets for the Whisky Tasting Dinner here.

Gin & Canapes Tasting Experience – Nottingham – 09/11/17 – Alea Casino

We’ve been invited to Alea Casino Nottingham to host a Gin & Canapes Tasting Experience. Guests will first taste 6 craft gins neat before mixing the perfect G&Ts with garnishes as suggested by each distiller. Guests will then enjoy tasty canapes perfectly paired with the G&Ts. This fun and informative event is suitable for those new to the world of gin and for the seasoned enthusiast!

Buy tickets for the Gin & Canapes Tasting Experience here.

Single Malt Whisky Tasting Masterclass – Brighton – 11/11/17 – The Southern Belle

We can’t wait to host our first whisky tasting by the sea in Brighton, we are hoping it is the first of many. During this exclusive event, David will be taking guests on an imbibing tour of the whisky regions of Scotland. He’ll be giving an in-depth explanation of the whisky production process and guests will be taken on a virtual tour of a large malt whisky distillery in Scotland. Oh yeah, there will be 6 awesome drams to enjoy too!

Buy tickets for the Single Malt Whisky Tasting Masterclass here.

More Info?

Please don’t hesitate to contact David on 07875 405 980 if you would like any further information about any of the above events or if you would like to enquire about having a tasting event at your party, corporate event or if you would like to recommend a venue where you think it would be good for us to host a tasting. Please click here to contact us and we will be back to you as soon as possible.

Slainte and happy drams!

The Islay Whisky Festival

August 1, 2017March 28, 2018daviddistilled 1 Comment

The Islay Whisky Festival

The Islay Whisky Festival comes around once a year and falls on the last week in May. During this fantastic celebration of all things Islay whisky, thousands of excited enthusiasts make their way to the magic Isle of Islay for a week of whisky events, tours, tastings and masterclasses. It is difficult to measure how many extra visitors, and how much extra income, the island gets due to the festival but it is commonly thought the island population rises from 2000 to over 10000 during the Festival week, in no means insignificant for the economy of the island.

Each of the 8 malt whisky distilleries and Jura distillery too, have their own dedicated festival day. There is some overlap, Bowmore day is also Bridgend Square day and Islay Ales and the other businesses there also arrange events and enjoy a busy day of music, drams and general merriment. We love the Islay Whisky Festival and as well as hosting whisky and gin tastings and events in Leek, Staffordshire and throughout the UK, we will always host Islay whisky tastings at the Islay festival in the years to come.

Islay Whisky Festival Distillery Days

Each distillery publishes their festival events and releases tickets a few weeks before the Feis week. Most put on extra tours, special tastings and masterclasses and also other activities such as fast RIB boat rides and special guided water source walks. As the festival has become more and more popular, tickets tend to sell out faster, especially at the Kildalton distilleries of Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig, it is not unusual for all tickets to sell out on the first day of release. So if you are looking to attend an event, you’ll need to be quick!

Islay Whisky Festival Bottlings

To celebrate the festival, each distillery has a special, limited release whisky bottling. In recent years, because the festival has become so well attended, these releases are not as small batch as they used to be. Only 5 or 6 years ago, distilleries were able to release single cask bottlings which enthusiasts would snap up and quite often sell at a profit on auction sites. Now distillers have decided to increase the size of the releases in an attempt to ensure that there are enough to satisfy the demand of visitors. There are still a few gems to be discovered though. During Feis Ile 2017 Bunnahabhain released a run of only 1596 bottles.

The peated spirit was distilled in 2004 and matured in American oak and then transferred to port pipes for a short finishing period. The resulting whisky, ‘Bunnahabhain Moine Port Pipe Finish’, as well as being a beautiful dram, was also a real small batch rarity for festival visitors to buy, and very good value at £95.

As well as official distillery bottlings, it is now not uncommon to find festival releases from independent bottlers who arrange events during the festival. Quite often visitors arrive on the island during the festival only to find that all the distillery events are full. The independent bottlers, who only promote Islay whisky during the festival, are often able to accommodate these visitors on their tastings and masterclasses and therefore offer a valuable addition to the Festival.

I became Distillery Manager of Caol Ila Distillery in 2013 but before that, in 2008, I began releasing my own Islay Festival bottlings for the Queen of the Moorlands Single Malt Whisky brand which I owned at the time. The first was this delicious 1982 26 year old Caol Ila single cask whisky, which was to be the first ever independent Islay festival bottling.

Whisky Masterclasses at The Islay Whisky Festival 2017 – Distilled Events

In late Autumn 2015, I decided to leave Caol Ila and to start my own customer facing whisky events company, Distilled Events. This year this gave me the opportunity to arrange my own events at the whisky festival, and with the help of friends on Islay, we held two very well attended masterclasses at the Gaelic College in Bowmore.

I was incredibly surprised and pleased at the support that my friends in the whisky industry were willing to give me. Guests were treated to ‘As We Get It Islay’ from Ian Macleod Distillers, an incredible pair of drams from Wm Cadenheads in the form of a 26 year old single cask Caol Ila and a 16 year old single cask Bowmore. Port Askaig Malts supplied us with a great young peaty dram, Port Askaig 8 year old, and just like ‘As We Get It’ the cat was really amongst the pigeons with guests arguing about the provenance of these tasty whiskies. From Chorlton Whisky we had an awesome 23 year old single cask Bunnahabhain which, just like all the other drams on show, went down a treat with our guests.

Islay Whisky Festival 2018

We are already making plans for our events at the Islay Whisky Festival 2018, the months will slip away and before we know it we will be enjoying festivities once again on Islay. Keep an eye on our tastings and events page and also on our Distilled Events Facebook page and you will then be able to buy tickets online once they are released.

We also arrange bespoke Guided Islay Distillery Experiences throughout the year, taking groups of enthusiasts to Islay on 5 or 7 day whisky trips packed with tours, tastings and masterclasses and enjoying all that Islay has to offer. If you are interested in joining us on a trip or if you would like more info about our bespoke Guided Islay Distillery Experiences, please click here.

Here are some pics from our events at the Islay Whisky Festival 2017. Enjoy.

Slainte

David