Tag: whisky

Another 180° VR Islay video, the southern distilleries

Islay on Video

Looks like my hopes are getting fulfilled. After the Ardilistry Bay video in October and the Oa video in December I’ve just spotted another 180° VR Islay video from this channel. This time they are taking us to the three southern distilleries (Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg) with a short stop in Port Ellen:

Scotland Islay Three Distilleries – Stunning Coastal Walk 8K 180 3D

Same as with the other videos it uses some kind of 180° panoramic technology, meaning you can to an extent change the direction you’re looking. Looks like this was filmed over two or more days, while Lagavulin and Ardbeg get some nice sunshine it’s overcast for Laphroaig and Port Ellen.

Some nice views from Dunyvaig Castle, anyone recognise the tall ship you can spot? Is it the Thalassa?

New Year’s Concert 2025 with Islay whisky and Islay chocolate

Islay Fun

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:

Picture of a bottle of Bruichladdich Port Charlotte valinch, a nosing glass filled with whisky and a chocolate bar named Salry Sea Dog
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.

Happy New Year 2025!

Christmas 2024 Islay whisky nr.2 (and some Islay chocolate)

Islay Whisky News & Links

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.

Picture of a bottle of Kilchoman 12 year old single cask Islay single malt whisky, a dram next to it. Also some Islay Cocoa chocolate in the foreground.
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….

Christmas 2024 Islay whisky nr.1

Islay Whisky News & Links

Christmas 2024 is well under way. Yesterday evening (Christmas eve) I enjoyed some nice Wagyu (or at least that’s what they claimed it to be) burgers with a nice bottle of Sublime Stout by Fyne Ales, picked up during the return drive from my last Islay visit. After some nice chocolate ice it was time for the first bottle open of a nice Islay single malt whisky:

Picture of a Port Charlotte valinch bottle OLC: 01 2013 with a filled glass
Christmas 2024 Islay whisky nr.1

This is a Bruichladdich Port Charlotte valinch OLC: 01 2013. ask no. 2582, 2nd fill Oloroso butt matured, distilled 17/Apr/2013, 11 aged years. My bottle is 215/810. I’ll leave the tasting notes to someone else, but I’m enjoying it very much.

I haven’t started the chocolate just yet, hopefully will get to that on Boxing Day together with the second Islay single malt bottle opening. More about that soon.

Merry Christmas with some Islay wreaths

Islay Events

So there we are, Christmas 2024 has arrived, Christmas Eve today. Time for some Christmas greetings and more. A selected few have received the physical form of these greetings, unfortunately I couldn’t send them to everyone. This year’s Christmas cards come courtesy of Islay Prints and have a maritime theme:

Picture of two Christmas cards showing maritime Christmas wreaths
Christmas Wreath Cards courtesy of Islay Prints

A slightly different take on a Christmas wreath, inspired by the sea all around Islay. And I wrote on these cards to relatives and close friends under the light of the Islay lamps I’ve mentioned previously.

Have a great Christmas, hopefully with a few Islay treats. I’ve got some chocolate from Islay Cocoa and of course some Islay whiskies to open. I haven’t decided which ones yet, but I will aim to share my choices over the coming days. Feel free to share your treats in the comments.

Some Islay links for an October Sunday read

Islay Links

It’s a rather wet October Sunday morning where I’m writing this (and rather breezy on Islay), a good time to stay in for some Islay reading. So here are a variety of links to articles and more I’ve found. I hope you’ll find something interesting:

I hope you found something of interest, please leave your thoughts in the comments.

Some Islay distilleries from the air videos by a Japanese visitor

Islay on Video

Islay is a popular destination for Japanese tourists, in particular the famous whisky distilleries (some of course are Japanese owned). On the YouTube channel 空から世界を見てみたい (which according to Google Translate means “I want to see the world from the sky”) I’ve found a few short drone videos of said distilleries and more taken back in 2019:

LAPHROAIG distillery, Islay Island, Scotland

Quite misty and moody, similar conditions just down the road at Lagavulin and Dunyvaig:

LAGAVULIN distillery, Islay Island, Scotland

A bit brighter slightly further down the road:

ARDBEG distillery, Islay Island, Scotland

Much sunnier at the other end of the island, the new Bunnahabhain visitor centre still under construction then:

BUNNAHABHAIN distillery, Islay Island, Scotland

Back to the other end of the island again, no sign yet of the rebuilt Port Ellen distillery:

PORT ELLEN distillery, Islay Island, Scotland

To close a bit of Islay history:

Kildalton Cross, Islay Island, Scotland

I hope you enjoyed the videos and waved back at them.

My Islay Easter dram 2024

Islay Fun

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.

Picture of a bottle of Bunnahabhain Islay single malt whisky with a glass of it, also some chocolate Easter eggs
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.

Reopening of Islay’s Port Ellen distillery receives a lot of press coverage

Islay Whisky News & Links

As was to be expected the reopening of one of Islay’s (not) lost (any more) distilleries received quite a lot of media attention. After a lot of work Port Ellen distillery is back in business, looking quite fancy in parts. They are quite similar to an extent (at least partially based on a press release I’d assume), but here are a few press mentions:

Those are the main ones I came across, there were more….

Islay ferry problems for Fèis Ìle make it on to the BBC website

Islay Whisky News & Links

The biggest (by far) event on Islay’s annual event calendar, Fèis Ìle, has a bit of a problem: Not enough ferries to get the many visitors expected for it to the island. So far working with Calmac hasn’t brought any additional sailings for the crucial period, so they’ve gone on a publicity blitz to hopefully get things moving.

There have been reports in several of the Scottish papers (most unfortunately behind paywalls, so can’t really link to them). Now even the BBC has picked it up and made it a fairly big report:

Islay whisky festival warning over ‘inexcusable’ ferry disruption

Hopefully this will help and get things moving.