Laphroaig – Another Awesome Islay Dram

September 24, 2017daviddistilled Leave a comment

I love peaty Islay whiskies. I used to be in charge of Caol Ila which makes 6.7 million ltrs* of peaty spirit a year so I should like peaty whisky. Caol Ila was always one of my favourite single malt whiskies before I moved to Islay so to become manager was a dream come true for me.

*That’s not strictly true as Caol Ila often produces unpeated spirit for a month or two a year. Typically known as Highland Caol Ila because the resulting spirit is made in the highland style, you can see cask ends with the word ‘Highland’ stencilled on to them in the lovely Victorian dunnage warehouse on site.

Laphroaig

I do however have a love of other Islay single malt whiskies. I have always enjoyed the majority of bottlings produced by Laphroaig, not least the rich, sweet and smokey, everyday 10 year old Laphroaig single malt whisky.

Islay Whisky Tastings

I often show Laphroaig in my whisky tastings. It isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, and I certainly wouldn’t give it to someone who was only just embarking on their journey into the wonderful world of whiskies, or to someone who had never tried single malt whisky before. For those who like a smokey peaty dram though this is an absolute belter, and of all the whiskies on Islay, when you put your nose into a glass of Laphroaig or Caol Ila (peated), there can be no mistake as to the provenance of the spirit. Islay introduces herself to the imbiber, is to the point, and instantly recognisable.

The Laphroaig Advert

Laphroaig is a marmite whisky. You love it or hate it. During my whisky tastings, I often talk about one of their recent adverts which in my opinion is the best whisky advert there has ever been. It is great to see a few old faces on the video too, old friends like Ginger Willie and farmer Sandy make an appearance.

Laphroaig Distillery Tours

We regularly arrange bespoke Guided Islay Distillery Experiences where we look after groups of guests on a week long or sometimes shorter basis. We provide all food, accommodation and transport once guests are on Islay.

You can find out about our Guided Islay Distillery Experiences by clicking here. As part of our experiences we always like to take guests to Laphroaig not least because of it’s beautiful situation in Laphroaig Bay, but also because it has a fantastic visitor centre with a good selection of tours and tastings to choose from. We also like to take guests to Laphroaig because it is one of the only distilleries on Islay to malt some of it’s own barley on it’s traditional malt floors.

You can check out Laphroaig Distillery website here and find out more information about their awesome whiskies, distillery visitor centre, and tour times by clicking here.

All pics courtesy of Joe Scrivens of One Little Daisy Photography. Joe joined us on one of our Guided Islay Distillery Experiences. You can see all of the other fantastic photos that he took during the trip by clicking here.

Hope to see you on Islay soon!

Slainte and happy drams!

David

david@distilledevents.co.uk

Whisky Tastings For Special Birthdays – With Distilled Events

August 8, 2017July 23, 2023daviddistilled Leave a comment

Whisky Tastings for Special Occasions

If you are looking for a very special gift for your whisky loving partner, maybe for their 40th birthday celebration or a 50th birthday party, what better way to celebrate than with a whisky tasting masterclass for your guests?

Private Whisky Tastings

We host whisky tasting events and masterclasses all over the UK and can arrange a private tasting for any group size at your home, party venue or business address. Our whisky tastings take many formats from regional whisky tastings to rare whisky tastings and we also host whisky dinners.

Your host, David Wood has worked in the whisky industry for many years, recently he worked at both Lagavulin and Caol Ila distilleries on the Isle of Islay and more recently was distillery manager at Caol Ila Distillery. David’s tastings are as authentic as can be. Whilst most whisky tastings are hosted by sales reps or brand ambassadors or even people who have never visited a malt whisky distillery, David has worked at the coal face of whisky production making an ideal and extremely knowledgeable host for your guests.

Our tastings are fun and informative, they are suitable for the newcomer to the wonderful world of single malt whisky and for the seasoned enthusiast.

Regional Whisky Tasting

Our regional whisky tastings are an imbibing journey around the whisky producing regions of Scotland. Guests enjoy a whisky from the regions of Highlands, Speyside, Lowlands, Islands, Campbeltown and Islay. During this tasting David demonstrates the diversity in whisky profiles produced by many distilleries in Scotland.

As part of the regional malt whisky tasting, guests will learn how single malt whisky makes the special journey from field to table. David often takes guests on a virtual distillery tour so that he can offer an in-depth explanation about the whisky making process.

Islay Whisky Tasting

We have lived on Islay and still work on this beautiful island. There are no less than 8 iconic malt whisky distilleries in production on Islay at the moment with a 9th, Ardnahoe Distillery being built right now and rumours of more in planning process. Islay distilleries produce an incredible array of whisky profiles from rich and sweet drams to smokey, medicinal, phenolic, big peaty monsters. There is a dram for everyone on Islay, the whisky isn’t all about the peat. Given our experience at the coal face of whisky production on Islay, we offer a real insight in to what it is like to live and work on the island and an in-depth look at each distillery and the whiskies made there.

This tasting is a must for anyone who is thinking about visiting the magic Isle of Islay. Like all of our tastings it is fun and informative and suitable for the newcomer to single malt whisky and for the seasoned enthusiast.

Rare Whisky Tasting

Our rare whisky tastings showcase whiskies that are hard to find. They may be drams from distilleries that no longer exist, they might be extremely rare distillery only bottlings or limited editions. Often drams in our rare whisky tastings are from single cask bottlings most of which are bottled at natural cask strength.

Whisky Dinner

If you are planning a dinner for your guests we can match each course with the perfect dram. Usually David will talk about the history of Scotch whisky and how whisky is made before dinner and then will introduce each whisky before each course. David will explain why he has paired that whisky to that particular course before guests enjoy their dram with the

Contact Us About Your Whisky Tasting

If you are thinking about having a whisky tasting at your party, business meeting or corporate event, please call David on 07875 405 980 and he will answer all your questions, recommend a package and discuss costs with you.

Get in touch with us today if you would like us to host a very special whisky tasting at your event.

Slainte

David

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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