The West Coast Island Whiskies
From Islay Medicinal Peat to Skye’s Pepper to Jura’s Heather Honey.
The West coast Scottish island single malts are very different beasts from each other. This article looks at their characteristics and how they differ.
Mention island whiskies, and the talk will usually turn to peat reek, iodine, tarry ropes and more smoke than a 60s jazz club. But this is somewhat misleading and representative of only two of the five whisky producing West coast islands. What are the other ones like and are they worth investigating? This article will take a tour from Arran up to the Skye and discuss each of the island’s standard whisky expressions.
Arran
Opened in 1995, Arran already has a huge following. Its 10 year old is a light, fruity, zesty whisky with a lovely vanilla sweetness. It is more like a Highand or a Speyside than it is an island whisky.
Islay
Next we come to the most famous whisky producing island of them all – Islay, producing five big peaty whiskies plus two lighter, fruitier ones. The most extreme of them all, Laphroaig is the marmite of whiskies. Its 10 year old has huge peat, iodine and smoke elements to it, yet has a certain sweetness that takes the edge off the pungency. Lagavulin 16 year old is a more medicinal beast, less sweet but with a certain saltiness and coffee and sherry tinges to it. Fabulous but not for the feint hearted. Ardbeg, the most heavily peated of all whiskies, is, surprisingly, more approachable in its 10 year old expression than either of the previous two. There is an endearing sweetness that makes this a very easy drinking whisky indeed with additional hints of fruit and chocolate.
Caol Ila is one of the less well-known Islay malts. Its 12 year old is still hugely smoky but also spicy and nutty with just a touch of saltiness. Bowmore, the last of the heavily peated Islay malts has a sweet medicinal smokiness to it in its 12 year old form, with definite ferny and heathery notes with perhaps just a smidgeon of Parma violets. The Bruichladdich distillery was recently reopened. Its 10 year old is a lovely salty slap in the face with a great balance, producing elements of light smoke, fruit, and a biscuity dryness. Lastly Bunnahabhain is another very different dram. In its 12 year old form it is more of a Highland whisky in style, with lovely fruity, malty and floral hints. If you don’t like your whiskies peaty and smoky, Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich are well worth seeking out.
Jura
The Isle of Jura is probably Scotland’s most remote distillery. Its 10 year old expression is a sweetish, piney and heather-honeyed dram with just the faintest hint of smoke, but not enough to deter those who avoid smoky whiskies. The Jura 10 develops into a slightly drier and saltier finish. An underrated whisky.
Mull
Mull has just the one distillery but produces two very different whiskies. The Tobermory is similar to a lowland or speyside whisky. Its 10 year old is light, honeyed, floral with minty undertones and very low peat. Its alter ego is the Ledaig produced in the same distillery. This is an uncommon but highly-peated whisky with a welcome sweetness. Its 7 year old expression is peaty, saline and iodiney but with a kick of spice and herbal elements.
Skye
Lastly, we come to Skye, home to Talisker and the favoured tipple of James Bond, at least in the books. Talisker's 10 year old is a huge smoky and peppery goliath, but with a certain restrained spiciness and sweet barley and dried fruits.
So the West coast islands produce very different whiskies, from light and floral to sweet, honeyed and fruity, to peppery and then on to full smoke and iodine. Happy discovering.
