Relaxing on the long Easter weekend includes a nice Islay single malt whisky for me. For that there isn’t much better than a single cask dram like one of the Bruichladdich valinches. I pulled out one of the Port Charlotte valinches from my collection, the SYC: 04 2010, cask number 3844, distilled on 11/Nov/2010 and then aged for 12 years. It being Easter I added a nice 70% (highest I could find) dark chocolate Easter egg:
My Islay Easter dram 2026
Both very nice and enjoyable. I hope you’re enjoying a nice Islay dram (and maybe some nice chocolate) as well. Have a nice Easter!
Merry Christmas! Christmas day is almost over, but I still wanted to share the Islay drams I enjoyed this evening together with some Islay chocolate. As hinted yesterday I moved from Port Ellen across the island to the Rhinns of Islay:
My Christmas day 2025 Islay dram and chocolate
The whisky is the Kilchoman Batch Strength Islay single malt whisky, aged in re-charred red wine casks, oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels. First time I had this expression, I hope they will continue with it as I think it could become one of my regulars. The chocolate I’ve had before, every once in a while I treat myself to some Salty Sea Dog (can’t have it too often, as due to high blood pressure I try to keep my salt intake low. Christmas is one of the times I make an exception). Keeping with the Rhinns of Islay theme of today it is made with some Orsay Sea Salt.
That’s all for today, let’s see where my moods or whims will take me tomorrow.
And suddenly the end of 2025 is rapidly approaching. But before that it’s time for some blogging, food and drink. Islay drink of course. It’s been quiet here since early October (driven by an injury followed by an Islay holiday), time for a bit of catching up. Here is what I’m enjoying tonight:
My Christmas evening 2025 Islay dram and chocolate
Slightly more difficult to get as it’s only in travel retail and at the distillery, this is the PX Cask, one of my favourite Laphroaig Islay single malts. With it I had a first for me, a special chocolate from Islay Cocoa. I believe it’s only available at the distillery, it’s a dark chocolate bar filled with a Laphroaig whisky ginger caramel and crystallised ginger. I usually mainly have plain dark chocolate (usually around 80-85%), so the ginger isn’t something I’m used to. I very much enjoyed the experience, I thought the ginger went very well with the whisky.
Tomorrow, Christmas Day, I will probably wander over to the other side of Islay. For the whisky that is, the chocolate will also be from Islay Cocoa (although with a collaborator from the Rhinns of Islay).
It’s been a while since I last blogged here, time to get going again. Life and work got in the way of blogging, luckily a good part of the life were two Islay visits. As I’m writing this from England I’m currently enjoying the late August bank holiday, perfect time for a nice Islay dram:
My August 2025 bank holiday Islay dram
Not entirely sure when I picked this one up, if it was during one of this year’s visits or earlier. As the label indicates it was distilled in 2010 and the back label states it was matured for 13 years in Bourbon cask 3170, so maybe I got it a year or two ago?
Either way, what matters is that it tastes good, and that it certainly does. I enjoyed 3 drams of it this evening with some nice juicy raspberries and later some 85% dark chocolate. Doesn’t get any better as far as I’m concerned.
Back to a more traditional schedule after last year’s late start and AI New Year 2024. Following a fairly noisy night (no, not fireworks, but quite strong and blustery winds in West Berkshire) I left for an early walk, just avoiding the rain which set in mid morning and has turned quite heavy while I’m writing this. Then it was time for the New Year’s Concert 2025 from Vienna, while eating my usual New Year’s Day brunch, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and homemade rolls. For the encore (including the famous Blue Danube Waltz and Radetzky March) I moved on to dessert:
New Year 2025 Islay Whisky and Chocolate
The whisky is of course the Bruichladdich Port Charlotte valinch OLC: 01 2013 opened on Christmas. The chocolate is another offering from Islay Cocoa, the Salty Sea Dog. I normally avoid salty foods (high blood pressure), but for an occasional treat I make an exception. Very much enjoyed the chocolate, the salt and the chocolate go well together, also nicely complemented by the whisky (and the music from Vienna).
With the concert now over I’m looking forward to a relaxing afternoon, should the rain stop early enough I might venture out for another short walk.
Swiftly following on from yesterday’s Christmas 2024 Islay whisky nr.1 yesterday I’ve opened the second bottle I had picked for this year’s Christmas today on Boxing Day. Not only that, I also got out some nice chocolate to enjoy with it after enjoying some Salmon with lemon pepper earlier this evening.
Christmas 2024 Islay whisky nr.2 (and some Islay chocolate)
This is a Kilchoman 12 Year Old Single Cask bottling, cask 504/2012. Matured in a bourbon casks for over 9 years before being finished in a Calvados cask for over 3 years. My bottle is 114/240. I think it’s a distillery shop only release, so not available online. Quite different to the Port Charlotte I enjoyed yesterday, I’d say much sweeter with my untrained palate. But I also like it a lot.
Now on to the chocolate: I picked up some Islay Cocoa chocolate during my visit in November. I can’t seem to find it online, but the one I started tonight is called “Festive Dark”. It’s a 70% Colombian chocolate filled with salted hazelnut praline and toasted almond pieces. Or in other words, brings together what I like, 70%+ (ideally 80-85%) dark chocolate and nuts. I think I finished probably 80%+ of the bar today, it’s that good. I’ve got another chocolate bar to start, but that’s for New Year’s Eve, so watch this blog….
Happy Easter! Enjoying a nice Easter weekend in West Berkshire despite some changeable weather. Got some baking done, had a nice long chat with my sister while out on a long walk along the canal, kicked off a photography experiment/learning experience I’m hoping to apply to some Islay pictures at some point, those kind of things. And of course I’m enjoying an Islay Easter dram.
My Islay Easter dram 2024
This is the Bunnahabhain 2013 Banyuls Cask Finish I picked up during my last visit in November 2023. I had originally planned to open this at Christmas, but for various reasons that didn’t happen. So I pushed it out to this Easter and am very much enjoying it now, with some dark chocolate Easter eggs (of both the hollow and solid variety).
I hope you’re having a nice Easter as well, maybe with a good Islay whisky.
