Distilleries
Bunnahabhain Distillery: Islay's Gentle Giant at the End of the Road
Islay's most remote distillery built its name on gentle, nutty, unpeated whisky, then quietly added a smoky alter ego. Here is the full Bunnahabhain story, from the Victorian company village to War...
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Kilchoman Distillery: Islay's Farm Distillery From Barley to Bottle
Kilchoman guide: how Anthony Wills built the first new Islay distillery in 124 years on a farm at Rockside, the 100% Islay whisky grown, malted, distilled and bottled on site, the two-still-house e...
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Bruichladdich Distillery: Islay's Unpeated Rebel and the Smokiest Whisky on Earth
Built in 1881 as Islay's first purpose-designed distillery, closed in 1994 and reborn in 2001, Bruichladdich makes an unpeated flagship, 40 ppm Port Charlotte and the ferociously smoky Octomore on ...
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Bowmore Distillery: Islay's Oldest, and the Vaults Below the Sea
Islay's oldest licensed distillery still turns its malt by hand and matures whisky below sea level in the No.1 Vaults. Here is the full Bowmore story, from Black Bowmore's £100 beginnings to £562,5...
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Laphroaig Distillery: Islay's Great Divider
Every independent bottler sells Laphroaig, and almost none of them are allowed to say so. The story of Islay's most divisive malt takes in a fatal vat of pot ale, a Prohibition loophole, a secretar...
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Ardbeg Distillery: The £16 Million Comeback
A single 1975 cask of Ardbeg sold for £16 million; the whole distillery cost £7 million in 1997. The full story of Islay's great comeback — how Ardbeg makes its citric, tarry whisky, why independen...
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Lagavulin Distillery: Islay's Slow-Burning Legend
Lagavulin distils slower than anyone on Islay and makes you wait sixteen years for the result. Here is the full story of the Kildalton legend, and an honest answer to the question every cask buyer ...
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Caol Ila Distillery: Islay's Quiet Giant
Islay's biggest distillery is also its quietest achiever, and our house malt. The complete Caol Ila guide from the bottler that has released more than 40 of its casks.
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