Guided Islay Experience Podcast Interview – The Yorkshire Gent

August 4, 2017August 8, 2017daviddistilled Leave a comment

I was hosting a whisky tasting event at a lovely venue in Leeds in March where I had the pleasure of meeting Rob from The Yorkshire Gent website. Rob is a keen whisky enthusiast and a fly fisherman so he was keen to hear all about Fly Fish Islay as well as understanding exactly what we do at Distilled Events.

We have hosted Guided Islay Distillery Experiences for many years but myself and my good friend Glen Pointon also take anglers, especially anglers who appreciate single malt whisky, to Islay on week long fly fishing trips. Rob has kept an eye on Glen’s antics on Facebook over the years and was keen to interview us both whilst we were on Islay in April hosting our first Guided Islay Fly Fishing Experience of 2017.

The interview took place very late one evening as the guests were relaxing in front of the spitting fire with large glasses of Bunnahabhain and Laphroaig single malt whiskies. Rob had originally suggested that we record the interview over skype but the weather had turned very stormy and our internet was disrupted to we had to record it over the phone, which I think adds to the remote feel.

During the interview we talk about why Islay is such an amazing destination for the whisky and / or fly fishing enthusiast. We talk about how we came to set up Fly Fish Islay and how guests join us on a Guided Islay Fly Fishing Experience. Glen talks in-depth about what to expect from the fishing and what tactics he finds to work best as well as offering a comparison between Scottish loch style fishing and English stillwater fishing. I also talk about how I ended up living and working on Islay in the whisky industry.

Pour a dram and enjoy.

Please click the logo below to go to the podcast:

Join Us on a Guided Islay Experience

We would love to host your trip to Islay, whether it be to enjoy the fishing, to visit distilleries, or maybe for a little bit of both! If you are interested in joining one of our guided experiences or if you would like us to arrange a bespoke trip for you and your friends or colleagues, please call David on 07875 405 980 or get in touch via our contact page.

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

Bespoke Islay Whisky Tours With Distilled Events

July 29, 2017November 17, 2017daviddistilled 4 Comments

The first time you visit Islay is a magical experience, there is nowhere in the British Isles quite like it. I first visited in 2005, having fallen in love with a whisky called Caol Ila a couple of years before. I didn’t think I liked whisky, until the then landlord of my favourite pub, The Earl Grey in Leek, thrust a glass of Caol Ila in my hand. I nosed it, tasted it, and right there Islay introduced herself to me and it was a life changing moment. Little did I know that ten years later I would be the Distillery Manager of Caol Ila.

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. 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 an Islay Whisky Trip?

Islay is the perfect base for any holiday. If you have a week or two to spare, and if you are intending to return again, then you can spend your week leisurely exploring the island, visiting distilleries, joining a tour or two, and sampling the local delicacies and drams.

If on the other hand 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.

Fresh Local Islay Seafood

If you join us on an Islay whisky trip, and take part in our Guided Islay Distilleries Experience your accommodation is a very comfortable, spacious, traditional Scottish sporting estate house with roaring fires and beautiful spaces to relax with a dram with friends in the evenings. The house is very well equipped and we ensure that it is packed with all the provisions that you need. On our most recent trip, guests enjoyed a seafood banquet, all freshly caught local shellfish, matched perfectly with Islay whiskies.

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 send an email to david@distilledevents.co.uk 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

Guided Islay Distilleries Experience, April 2017

April 11, 2017August 8, 2017daviddistilled 6 Comments

It All Started With Whisky Tastings in Leek

Thats me just back from a fantastic trip to the magical Isle of Islay. I’ve hosted trips to Islay for groups of whisky enthusiasts for many years, and this was the first of 2017. Our group was made up of 7 enthusiastic folk, some new to whisky, some seasoned enthusiasts, all set to visit Islay for the first time. We’d first talked of arranging this trip way back in September 2017, and it didn’t take long to fill it as word got round the regulars at The Earl Grey Inn in Leek that we would be Islay bound next spring.

Pinkie Lagavulin

Preparing for an Islay Whisky Trip Of a Lifetime

I had tried to prepare those that signed up for the expedition, I’d tried to explain what incredible experiences awaited them on the whisky isle, but it is very hard to do, very hard to describe the beauty and magic of Islay. The only way is to experience it at first hand, to make the long journey by road to the Calmac ferry terminal at Kennacraig, around the sea lochs of Argyll, to visit the distilleries and historic sites and to meet the people of Islay who make most beautifully complex whiskies in the world.

There is nowhere else in the world that makes whisky that truly speaks of the landscape, whisky that when you stick your nose in the glass and have a good sniff it transports you to where it was distilled, the peat reek betraying it’s provenance. The island is certainly responsible for luring me in to the whisky world many years ago, I remember being given a glass of Caol Ila for the first time and being left in a state of shock by the intensity of its nose alone, even before I experienced the wonderful acidity and zestiness on the palate.

My guests were in for a life changing treat.

Islay Distillery tours

The Perfect Base For a Whisky Trip

Our guests were due to arrive on the Monday evening ferry arriving at Port Askaig, they would then be collected by minibus from Islay Taxi and Minibus Hire. After a long journey from Staffordshire I knew they would be ready to sit in front of a roaring log fire and enjoy a couple of drams, even if they’d probably taken advantage of the malt of the month offer in the bar on the ferry.

Our accommodation for the week was to be Octovullin Farmhouse which I often use for both whisky and fishing trips as it is extremely comfortable, spacious and well equipped.

Islay Whisky Trip Itinerary

TUESDAY

After a grand night’s sleep, and a hearty breakfast with meats supplied by Porters Butchers in Bowmore it was time to introduce our guests to Islay. (I’ve included our full itinerary below so that you can see exactly what one of our Guided Islay Distilleries Experiences looks like in detail). At 9am our cheerful driver Kenneth arrived to collect us and off we weeched our guests to their first distillery, the first distillery being Ardbeg no less. Here our guests enjoyed an in-depth tour with Ross and after that, they were to be treated to a tasting of many whiskies from the full range of Ardbeg. Smiles were all around, the biggest of all being on the face of our Paul who had set himself the challenge of finding a whisky to beat his favourite, Ardbeg 10 year old. He was to have much fun in his quest. And so were we.

After our tasting we wandered down to the pier with a dram and gazed out to sea. Who else should put in an appearance but the otter. Perfect, right on cue.

Ardbeg Distillery

Islay Distillery Tour

A packed itinerary meant that there was no time to stay for lunch at the popular Old Kiln Cafe as we had a date with Bruichladdich Distillery at 1pm. No horses were spared during Kenneth’s mission to deliver us in time for our next tour and tasting at Bruichladdich. This distillery built in 1881, the same year as Bunnahabhain in the North of the island, was built at a time when the whisky industry was in boom, due not least because of the decimation of the vineyards in Europe through the outbreak of the phylloxera epidemic. Cognac and Claret had been the alcoholic drinks of choice at the time and the canny Scotts stepped in to save the day by developing and marketing the Scotch industry.

We had another great tour at what is about as close as one can get to being a working Victorian distillery, and then it was time for our guests to enjoy their first visit to one of the island’s fine dunnage warehouses for a tasting, this time straight from casks, and hosted by my former Caol Ila colleague Heather. Heather has first hand experience of many of the Islay distilleries, after being lucky enough to work in many of them. She was good craic and kept our guests fully entertained and supplied with awesome vintage Laddies.

Islay Distillery Tour

We tasted some wonderful drams straight from the cask, the most popular being a stunning 1989 vintage American oak matured laddie. Delicious. After a full range tasting at Ardbeg, and now another flight of truly awesome drams my guests were beginning to feel the effect so it was off to the shop to pick up some bottles including the distillery only bottling known as ‘Valinch’. There is always at least one cask at Bruichladdich where visitors can bottle their own whisky, it is named valinch after the pipette type instrument used to draw cask samples. I’m told that valinch means ‘cask thief’ in Gaelic.

Islay Distillery Tour

We thought that after all that whisky, a little fresh air was the order of the day so Kenneth pointed the bus in the direction of Machir Bay and of we set for the beach, however, we would of course need to call in to Kilchoman Distillery as it seemed a while since we’d had a dram. Once again, bottles were eagerly gathered and finally we made our way to the beach. For one of us, tired and emotional, a wee paddle in the sea was the perfect antidote.

WEDNESDAY

If Tuesday wasn’t busy enough for my lucky guests, Wednesday was to packed with distillery activities and once again we headed off down to the South end of the island, to the Kildalton coast to visit the iconic Lagavulin and Laphroaig distilleries.

At 9.30, the guys joined the tour of Lagavulin Distillery hosted by Sophie, before being taken down to a stunning dunnage warehouse where they would meet the Lagavulin Legend, Iain McArthur, a man who I’d had the pleasure of working with regularly in my years at Caol Ila and Lagavulin. Iain’s Warehouse Demonstrations are famous the world over and people travel thousands of miles to hear his anecdotes and to have good craic whilst tasting awesome drams straight from the casks filled with various vintages of lovely Lagavulin. The tasting began though with a wee taste of the 2016 Islay Jazz Festival bottling which were still available in the distillery visitor centre, there would be a few less in the shop that morning.

Islay Distillery Tour

After visiting the Kildalton Cross and Chapel, it was time for Laphroaig where we would enjoy a distillery tour followed by drams. It was great to see traditional malt floors and kilning, and perfect for demonstrating how peaty Islay drams really speak of their provenance. The peat reek was starting to come in to play.

Islay Distillery Tour

We had an hour or so spare at the end of the day so Kenneth took us back up through Port Ellen and Bridgend via the High Road to Finlaggan, once the seat of The Lord of The Isles, and one of the most important historical sites in all of Scotland. The guests certainly appreciated a few lung fulls of good Islay fresh air after another day packed with stunning drams.

Islay Distillery Tour

THURSDAY

And so the final day had come, and it was time to head for good old Caol Ila where until recently I was Distillery Manager. Caol Ila is by far the largest distillery on Islay, but that does not mean that the quality of spirit is any less. My go to dram was, and still is, and probably always will be from Caol Ila. We were met by my successor, Ed Thom who kindly looked after us for the morning, for which I and my guests were most grateful not just because of how well he looked after us but because he was also off on annual leave. Half way through the tasting, I realised that everyone had gone very quiet as we were sat in the cooperage at Caol Ila. I realised that a lot of pennies were beginning to drop and that guests were now really starting to understand the array and diversity of different spirit styles, flavours and profiles. They were also starting to realise that they were having the time of their lives.

Islay Distillery Tour

Proud to boast and show off my signatures and initials on various bottles in the distillery visitor centre, much to the amusement of Ed, many bottles were gathered and it was time to point the bus North, to another old stomping ground of mine, and a distillery very close to my heart. Bunnahabhain. At Bunnahabhain we were treated to a comprehensive tour and warehouse experience by the ever enthusiastic and knowledgeable David. We tasted incredible Bunnahabhains from an array of single casks but this time guests were able to buy and bottle their own drams in wee bottles, many of which will no doubt be proudly displayed in Staffordshire whisky cabinets.

It was time for the last distillery visit of the week, this time at Bowmore, the first distillery on Islay to be given a license to distill back in 1779. Although this was the last distillery visit, it was not the last whisky experience. I had quietly planned with the help of a very good friend that my guests would enjoy a little peat cutting to round off their Islay experience, which all enjoyed, not least because of the tutor host.

Join Us on a Whisky Trip to Islay

We had enjoyed perfect weather throughout our week, the food was fantastic, our hosts obliging, the whisky sang as ever and our guests eager to enjoy the experience as much as possible. Whether it is fishing experiences or whisky trips that I’m arranging it sometimes feels like cheating. Whether stood in a loch casting a line, catching or not catching, whether enjoying a dram on an Islay beach or in a dunnage warehouse, Islay does my work for me, my guests are blown away by the surroundings, the landscapes, the people, and the whisky. It is indeed a stunning place, and a place that is life changing for each who visits.

If you would like to join us for an experience of a lifetime, please get in touch. We arrange scheduled trips during the year but we also arrange bespoke Guided Distillery Experiences for groups of friends or colleagues, we can tailor the trip to suit your time constraints, size of group and the amount of activities you would like to enjoy. As well as distillery tours and experiences we arrange sea safari adventures, shooting, fishing and many other exciting things to do.

Lagavulin Warehouse Experience Distilled Events