Laphroaig Distillery sent out the following mailing about this years Laphroaig Live event which will be held later this month. If you are a friend of Laphroaig you've probably received it already, and if not here is the full announcement.

John Campbell So the secret is out! We are broadcasting our fourth web show live from inside the Harvey’s Bodegas in Jerez, Andalusia, Spain on Thursday 23rd September 2010 at 20:00 Eastern Central Time(ECT). Please bookmark it in your diaries as it really will be our best show yet. As you all know last year’s show was broadcast live from the Makers Mark distillery in Kentucky. This was because our two best selling expressions, 10 year old and Quarter Cask are matured exclusively in Bourbon casks. However this is only part of the Laphroaig story. We have been using the finest Sherry casks from Spain since our inception nearly 200 years ago and still use them to this day as they impart a completely different flavour to our spirit.

During the show we will be comparing classic bourbon matured Laphroaig –in this case Quarter Cask, with three other Laphroaig expressions. Our new Triple Wood which enjoys its third maturation in Spanish Oak, our cask strength 25 year old which uses both Fino and Oloroso sherry Butts in its maturation and a very special third, exclusively Oloroso matured expression – but you will have to watch the programme to find out more about this one! Continue reading....

I like Bruichladdich Distillery, not only for their excellent drams, but also for the way they get their message across the globe. They are masters in PR. At the annual Edinburgh festival Royal Miles Whiskies held a whisky tasting, already for several years now. Bruichladdich has won several times but not this year. Are they worried? no they aren't! They turned their 6th place into a victory by claiming they have beaten some 40 year old whiskies with their 3yr old X4+3 expression, which is quite an achievement for such a young whisky, it can hardly stand on its own feet. To celebrate this and to promote the limited bottling of this very special and very young whisky, there are only 15.00 numbered bottles bottled at 63.5% ABV, Mark Reynier sent out the following press release:

A controversial 3 year old single malt whisky inspired by a 1695 account of 'perilous whisky', deemed irresponsible by the Scotch Whisky Association and feted in song by bards has been rated better than some 40 year old single malts. Specialist whisky retailer Royal Mile Whiskies organised a tasting of 126 whiskies during the Edinburgh Festival where customers voted on their preference. It was in 1695 when Martin Martin, explorer of the west of Scotland, wrote in his diary: "Their plenty of corn was such, as disposed the natives to brew several sorts of liquors, as common usquebaugh, another called trestarig, three times distilled, which is strong and hot; a third sort is four times distilled, and this by the natives is called usquebaugh-baul, which at first taste affects all the members of the body: two spoonfuls of this last liquor is a sufficient dose; and if any man exceed this, it would presently stop his breath, and endanger his life." I haven't found a health warning on the bottle so I assume it's safe to drink, I guess taste has changed dramatically over the years. Continue reading...

First there was a pillage video and now I can let you read the story about the last pillage. The story is written by Carl Reavey, Ileach editor, and was published in the Ileach of 14 August. Carl: The last Pillage departed Port Askaig at 8am on Sunday 8th August heading for Tobermory. Its primary purpose was to escape the midges, but there was also a plan to plunder enough whisky from the Mull distillery to provide one third of the spirit for the last edition of Pillage Malt. Fishing boats Highlander, Maggie B and Clansman towed three skiffs, the two Lagavulin Fundraisers ‘ISIS’ boats plus Boo’s ‘Isabella’. The fleet was supported throughout by tenders provided by Bertie Brown and Minty Cracknell.

Aboard the fishing boats were a pretty fearsome group of Pillagers who spent the journey sharpening their swords and preparing to do terrible deeds once they arrived. Blood-curdling tales of expeditions past were told and spirits were high as we steamed north to across a glassy sea preparing to do battle. On arrival at Tobermory Bay, (scene of many terrible naval battles and littered with the wrecks of Spanish galleons) the skiff crews boarded their craft in full battle dress and roared towards the shore, to be met with a nice cup of tea and an excellent meal at the Posh Nosh cafe. Continue reading....

Iain McArthur, warehouseman at Lagavulin Distillery on Islay, marked his 40 years in the whisky business on 4 August 2010.

Iain was presented with a certificate signed by distillery managers who had worked with him at Lagavulin over the last 40 years. Iain has become a celebrated figure to thousands of devotees of Lagavulin, especially those who make the pilgrimage to Islay and participate in his warehouse tours. Iain was born into a farming family at Ardtalla, on the eastern coast of Islay a few miles north of Lagavulin. His uncles, grandfather and many of his relations had worked at Lagavulin over the years: one of his uncles had worked at Lagavulin for 50 years. Iain started working at Port Ellen distillery, up the road; and when that closed, he transferred to Lagavulin.

Now as ever, when his work at the distillery is finished each day, Iain goes to work on his croft, returning home only when darkness falls. In the video interview below, to mark his 40 years in the business, recorded with whisky writer Dave Broom, Iain talks about his origins on Islay, life many years ago when the summer break in distilling left time for families to cut peat as a fuel for the winter, his love for Lagavulin, and what he does now at the distillery - including the 44 year old cask of Lagavulin that he shares with fortunate visitors to his warehouse.

Tag: lagavulin whisky iain mcarthur

In February I wrote that things were getting ugly at Bruichladdich. At that time the Bruichladdich Distillery managed to get a Lowmand Still which was later installed at the distillery. In April, the first, the Laddieblog announced that they were going to distill gin but many thought this to be a april fools joke but no, gin has been distilled on Islay for the first time, a week ago on a Sunday. The managed to distil a genuine, artisanal Islay gin, flavoured by an unprecedented 31 botanicals from which 22 were harvested from Islay. And guess which still they used? Right, it was Ugly Betty operated by master distiller Jim McEwan. “Ugly Betty”, the original and only Lomond still, was used for the first time in 30 years. Having been saved from a scrap yard it was specially adapted, including for the infusion of botanicals by alcohol vapour in the still neck. Running at an exceptionally low pressure, the still ran for a surprising 15 hours at a steady, gentle simmer, producing maximum flavour and texture. Continue reading....

Mark Unsworth from Islay Studios was kind enough to send me an image yesterday that belongs to the following story Bruce posted in the forum and the one I found on the Herald Scotland website: "Lord Robertson was presented with a special bottle of whisky on behalf of ex-services charity Erskine during a trip to his home island of Islay yesterday. The former Nato Secretary General received the limited-edition bottle of Ardbeg malt when he visited the famous distillery. It came from a special cask created by Ardbeg 10 years ago for Erskine – the former Labour minister’s chosen charity. Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, who was born on Islay, signed more than 200 bottles of the special malt. They will go on sale at the Ardbeg Distillery Visitor Centre and website from tomorrow, priced at £220 each. All proceeds from the sale will go to Erskine, a military charity founded in 1916 and which provides nursing and medical care for former members of the armed forces. Lord Robertson said: “I visited the distillery 10 years ago to receive this cask and I am proud and delighted that this special Ardbeg bottling will be sold in aid of Erskine.”

Tag: charity ardbeg lord robertson

A couple of weeks ago I published two articles on the Islay Blog titled Islay barley makes Islay whisky and an article with information from Mark Reynier about Bruichladdich's barley. Reason for the articles was the inaugurational Feis bottling of organic whisky made from organic Islay barley.

The use of organic barley and the subsequent support the distillery gives to farms on Islay and other parts of Scotland didn't go unnoticed by The Scottish Farmer magazine. At the Royal Highland Show Bruichladdich distillery won an environmental award from Scottish farmers for its green credentials and barley provisioning policy. The Scottish Farmer awarded environmentally aware supplier of the year 2010 to Islay's Bruichladdich distillery for its organic single malt, using Scottish barley and supporting local farmers in remote, rural areas. Bruichladdich Distillery annually commissions 2000 tons of heritage and modern barley varieties from 23 Scottish farms, including 14 on the Isle of Islay itself.

Mark Reynier, said: “Provenance is very important to us in these days of bland globalisation. From barley to barrel to bottle we have total traceability and variety, so our customers can enjoy maximum authenticity and flavour. We highly value our farmer relationships and are honoured to have been recognised by this environmental award. Single malt whisky is made from water and barley; we think it should be exclusively Scottish-grown barley; it is after all called 'Scotch'.

Tag: barley bruichladdich farms award

The Lagavulin Fundraisers have announced their latest (last?) ambitious fund raising extravaganza - ‘The Three Isles Classic Pillage 2010’. The proposal is to plunder whisky from three different islands and then marry them together to produce 200 bottles which will be auctioned to raise money for charity. After pillaging the first whisky from Tobermory Distillery on Mull, three skiffs will set out and sail/row (whatever it takes) to Jura Distillery at Craighouse, from where they will head round to Ardbeg - pillaging more for their precious cargo as they go.

Kevin and Marjorie are adamant that this will be their last Pillage and it will take place over the 8th, 9th, and 10th August 2010. The three skiffs will be towed by the support boats up to Tobermory on Sunday 8th August and are scheduled to leave under sail at 02:00hrs in the morning to catch the tide. Weather and wind permitting, it is hoped to sail as much as possible, but there will be a team of rowers for each skiff in attendance on the support boats should they be needed. Continue reading...