Enjoying "The Middle Cut" (and some real ale) in Islay!
So, what's a whisky biased article doing in a real ale magazine huh? Well, whisky is effectively beer distilled right? Well, that's my feeble excuse anyway!
Ever since acquiring a taste for the Islay single malts, Ardbeg in particular, I have for quite some time wanted to visit the isle of Ileach - or Islay to non Gaelic tongued folk! The fact that there are seven distilleries and a new brewery had no influence whatsoever on this particular choice of Holiday location - honest!
What better place to unwind then after a stressful (ahem - to the liver in my case) 3 days at the 2005 CAMRA AGM & members weekend? My GF Jaybee and I departed on the Monday morn from Glasgow via the long and winding but beautiful A83 route to the ferry at Kennacraig on the Mull of Kintyre.
A 2-hour millpond sailing in glorious sunshine with a bottle or two of Islay ale brought us in to Port Askaig. Port Askaig is on the East Coast of Islay, overlooking the Sound of Islay across to the Isle of Jura and its distinctive paps. The tides cause the water to flow quite fast through the sound and create some pretty mean looking currents, making the Jura ferry crossings interesting. The ferry seems to have to angle itself at 45 degrees or more into the current at full steam just to keep going in a straight line!
We checked in to our B & B at Bowmore, then went for a 2-hour local walk in blazing sunshine - I even got sunburnt! - this in April in Islay of all places, it doesn't say that on the tin! Later that evening, we ate very well at a table with a great waterside view at the Harbour Inn, Bowmore. Pricey but great food and, like most of the bars we were to visit on our stay, bottled Islay real ales and tremendous Whisky selections to be had.
Tuesday saw us travelling
by bus and foot to the Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain Distilleries on the North East Coast of the island. Caol Ila was a surprise due it being quite a modern distillery, along with the sheer volume of spirit they produce, the bulk of which is shipped to the mainland for blending. The still house will stay in my mind with its huge glass frontage allowing those looking in an impressive view of six giant copper stills neatly in a row, and those looking out a stunning view across the sound of Islay to the Paps of Jura. A 4-mile walk took us next to the remote Bunnahabhain distillery. The huddled collection of grey buildings by the sea and the grey damp weather gave a real cold, austere and desolate feel to this place. But nonetheless our welcome was warm with one of the distillery workers stopping work to give us a pleasant tour, no entry fee charged either!
We set off walking back only to be kindly given a lift by distillery staff in a crewbus back to Port Askaig. A couple more bottles of Islay ale there before bussing to Bridgend to visit the Islay Brewery which, I believe is an extreme rarity in that it is one not yet visited by Geoff "the beerstalker" Williams!
This is a tiny brewery and shop cum visitor centre. The Islay Ales Company Limited was founded by Paul Hathaway, Paul Capper and Walter Schobert in 2003. These lucky chaps have moved to Islay over the past few years, eventually getting together to realise their dream of an Islay Brewery! Their beers include: -
- Finlaggan Ale 3.7% ABV - Mid brown beer.
- Black Rock Ale 4.2% ABV - Reddish brown ale.
- Saligo Ale 4.4% ABV - Pale summer ale.
- Angus Og Ale 4.5% ABV - brewed for the 2004 Islay Festival of Music and Malt.
- Ardnave Ale 4.6% ABV - Dry hoppy bitter.
- Dun Hogs Head Ale 4.4% ABV - In my opinion, A satisfying stout - my favourite of the bunch!
- Nerabus Ale 4.8% ABV (Winter) - A ruby coloured ale.
The beers are bottle conditioned by hand straight from the cask at the premises and they are quite readily available in most bars and restaurants around the island. The only Handpulled cask examples we found were here and at the Port Charlotte Hotel along with - well have a guess ??? *answer at the end of this article!
Wednesday saw us again travelling by bus and foot to the south of the Island to see Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Port Ellen. Port Ellen is no longer distilling, but the premises are now owned by Diageo and used as maltings for their distilleries. Laphroaig stood out for me as they are one of 5 Scottish Distilleries (2 on Islay) left which still have their own working maltings - you name the other 4 - **yep answers below! They were kilning some malt on our visit and we were allowed to look into the kiln and get a lungful of rich peaty Laphroaig smoke!Could be a market for peat cigarettes?!
Lagavulin gave us quite a steady and relaxing tour with plenty of time to look around the place, finishing off in a very cosy sitting room much like that of a Scottish country lodge.
Visiting Ardbeg was for me a bit of a pilgrimage. It's fantastic to see the distillery alive again after being closed and derelict for so many years. They were most hospitable with bottles of their nectar cracked open and left for all to help themselves! Also there was some very good quality food available at the old Malt Kiln cafe. We even met Shortie, the distillery Jack Russell, who you can see on their website.
On a foul, wet and very windy Thursday, we got to Bowmore and Jaybees fave, Bruichladdich.
The Bowmore tour included a video story of how they got their boiler delivered from Glasgow in the Sixties. Roll on/off ferries weren't the order of the day then so an Army landing craft was used to ferry the trucks. The distillery manager had warned that the delivery should have been put back a week when the tide would have been higher, the Army chose to ignore his advice!
One of the trucks "Big Beanie" - a huge low loader artic type you see used for giant bulldozers etc. was used to carry the boiler. It/he/she? was to have an interesting trip! They sailed fine all the way round to Bowmore up to the causeway to the distillery but due to the tide not being quite high enough the craft could not get fully to the dry bit. They managed to get a couple of trucks through about 4ft of water ok to terra firma, but poor Big Beanie ended up stuck fast up to the windscreen in the drink, plus the boiler was halfway submerged on the trailer behind too. They had to be left there overnight before the following day saw Beanie somehow hauled back onto the boat, which was then moved forward enabling a successful second attempt!
Bruichladdich distillery was very interesting in that it reopened in 2001 as an independent. They have retained and renovated much of the original Victorian plant dating as far back as 1881, including the only remaining open Mash Tun. They gave a passionate, detailed and informative tour with discussions on the use of organic produce and tasting comparisons were given between conventional and organic spirit. Definitely one for the connoisseur.
During our four days on this wonderful island, we saw some great scenery, visited all seven distilleries and between them witnessed just about every stage of whisky production in action. Wonderful drams were sampled along with some pleasant beer from the Islay brewery, which is to be congratulated on making a difference in a real ale desert. The food was good to excellent. The people were very friendly, and the pace of life here is definitely chilled out. However, Islay is a very hard working Island with all the distilleries in full swing, and various trucks scoot about the place transporting new malt for distilling, and the spent "draff" malt for cattle feed - incidentally the Islay Beef is very good! All in all a great place to visit - recommended! Needless to say we left with T-shirts and severely dented credit cards!
Apparently, we learn a new distillery is to open - oh well, will just have to go back then! What's it called? Yep once again - ***answer below!
*The other cask beer at The Port Charlotte Hotel was Black Sheep best!!
**Working maltings also at Highland Park, Balvenie, Bowmore and Spring bank.
***The new distillery is Kilchoman.
Sorry no prizes - I've supped them all!
Slainte!
BM
