Islay Distilleries: Ardbeg Single Malt Distillery; Address: PA42 7EA Port Ellen Islay, Argyll Scotland. Tel: +44 (0) 1496 302244 Website: http://www.ardbeg.com/ardbeg History of the distillery: Founded: 1815 by John MacDougall. In 1981 the distillery was mothballed until1997 when Glenmorangie plc stepped in to revive, repair and restore the distillery back to its former glory. Over £1.4 million has been spent on new heating tanks, steam lines, feed tanks and more Whiskies it produces: 10 Year Old Airigh Nam Beist Blasda Corryvreckan Supernova Uigeadail Rollercoaster The Bowmore Distillery; Address: School street, PA43 7JS Bowmore Isle of Islay , Argyllshire Scotland Tel: +44 (0)1496 810671 Website: http://www.bowmore.com/age-verification History: History of the distillery: Founded: 1779 by John Simpson. When founded by John Simpson it was Islays first legal distillery. In 1852 W & J Mutters added kilns and warehousing. After a couple of ownertransfers Stanley P. Morrison bought the distilley in 1963. Whiskies it produces: Legend 12-year-old 15-year-old 18-year-old 25-year-old Bruichladdich Single Malt Distillery; Address: Bruichladdich Distillery, PA49 7UN, Bruichladdich Isle of Islay, Argyll Scotland Tel: +44 (0)1496 850 190 Website: http://www.bruichladdich.com/ History: History of the distillery: Founded: 1881 by Barnet Harvey. Built in 1881, whisky flowed, apart from a break in the 1920's and 1930's, until 1983. In 1985 it’s current owners Invergordon where taken over by Whyte and Mackay who focused on their other distilleries Dalmore and Isle of Jura. Invergordon where taken over by Jim Beam Brands in 1993 and mothballed Bruichladdich after a year. Six years went by until the spirit once again flowed in 2001 under the watchful eye of Production Director Jim McEwan, backed up by the wine merchant Mark Reynier and private investors. Whiskies it produces: Unpeated: 2008/2009 Core Range: Rocks, Waves, Peat, Organic 2003, 2001, 1998 Sherry Editions, 16-year-old, 18-year-old, 21-year-old. Peated: First Cut, PC5, PC6, PC7, PC8 / Multi vintage Bunnahabhain Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distillery Address: Bunnahabhain Distillery , PA46 7RP Port Askaig Isle of Islay , Argyll Scotland Tel: +44 (0) 1496 840646 Website: http://www.bunnahabhain.com/ History: The Greenlees brothers built the distillery between 1881 and 1893. Bunnahabhain was run from 1887 by the Highlands Distillers group who sold it Burn Stewart Distillers in 2003. Whiskies: 12, 18, 25 YO Caol Ila Distillery; Address: Caol Ila Distillery PA46 7RL Port Askaig Islay Argyll Scotland Tel: +44 (0) 1496 302760 Website: N/A History: The site was choosen by its founder Hector Henderson in the middle of the 19th century. One of his attractions was of course the plentiful supply of good, clean water from Loch nam Ban. From the surrounding rocks the distillery was built together with comfortable homes for the employees (the distillery still owns seven houses in the small village of Caol Ila). Hector Henderson’s business was, however, less successful than his choice of site and the distillery was taken over by Norman Buchanan, owner of the Isle of Jura Distillery. In 1863 he sold it to Bulloch Lade & Co, of Glasgow, traders in whisky stocks at a time when blended whisky was increasing in popularity. They extended and improved the distillery and in 1879 built the pier for the puffers. By the 1880’s over 147,000 gallon (668,000 litres) of whisky was being produced each year. In 1920 Bulloch Lade went into liquidation, along with many other Scotch whisky companies. After a couple of owner transfers Caol Ila ended up in the hands of United Distillers (today Diageo). Whiskies it produces: 12-year-old cask strength 18-year-old 25-year-old Kilchoman Distillery; Address: Rockside Farm, Bruichladdich, Isle of Islay PA49 7UT Tel: +44 1496 850011 Website: www.kilchomandistillery.com/ History: The distillery began production in June 2005, and was the first to be built on the island of Islay in 124 years. The distillery uses barley grown on site at Rockside Farm and malted at the distillery, as well as malt from the Port Ellen maltings and intends to release separate bottlings depending on the source of the grain. Whiskies it produces: 3 Years (due Sept. 2009) 5 Years (due 2011) 8 Years (due 2014) 10 Years (due 2016) 12 Years (due 2018) Lagavulin Distillery; Address: Lagavulin Distillery, Port Ellen, Argyll PA42 7DZ Tel: +44 (0)1496 302400 Website: N/A History: The distillery of Lagavulin officially dates from 1816, when John Jonston and Archibald Campbell constructed two distilleries on the site. One of them became Lagavulin, taking over the other—which one is not exactly known. Records show illicit distillation in at least ten illegal distilleries on the site as far back as 1742, however. In the 19th century, several legal battles ensued with their neighbour Laphroaig, brought about after the distiller at Lagavulin, Sir Peter Mackie, leased the Laphroaig distillery. It is said that Mackie attempted to copy Laphroaig's style. Since the water and peat at Lagavulin's premises was different from that at Laphroaig's, the result was different. The Lagavulin distillery is located in the town of the same name. Whiskies: 12-year-old (cask strength) 16-year-old Distiller's edition 21-year-old 25-year-old 30-year-old Laphroaig Single Malt Distillery Address: Laphroaig Distillery, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay PA42 7DU Tel: +44 (0)1496 302418 Website: www.laphroaig.com/ History: The Laphroaig distillery was established in 1815 by Donald and Alexander Johnston. The Johnstons who founded Laphroaig were from the Clan Donald and are likely to be from the MacIain of Ardnamurchan branch of the clan. The family anglicized their name to Johnston. Their descendants ran the distillery until 1887, when it passed to the Hunter family. They in turn ran the distillery until 1954, when Ian Hunter (who had no children) died and left the distillery to one of his managers, Bessie Williamson. The distillery was sold to Long John International in the 1960s, and subsequently became part of Allied Domecq. The brand was in turn acquired by Fortune Brands in 2005, as one of the brands divested by Pernod Ricard in order to obtain regulatory approval for its takeover of Allied Domecq. Fortune Brands then split up its business product lines in 2011, forming its spirits business into Beam Inc.. Laphroaig has been the only whisky to carry the Royal Warrant of the Prince of Wales, which was awarded in person during a visit to the distillery in 1994. The 15-year-old is reportedly the prince's favourite Scotch whisky. Whiskies: 10-year-old 10-year-old (cask strength) Quarter Cask 15-year-old (now discontinued) 18-year-old 25-year-old 27-year-old 30-year-old 40-year-old Port Charlotte Single Malt Distillery Address: Port Charlotte, Islay, Scotland Tel: + 44 (0) 1496 850221 Website: www.portcharlotte.com/ History: It is owned by The Bruichladdich Distillery Co. Ltd Port Charlotte Distillery was a purpose-built distillery, founded in 1829, which was still in operation until 1929. It was formerly called the Lochindal distillery. The distillery is located in the centre of Port Charlotte village. After various owners, the distillery finally was closed in 1929. However, the buildings have remained intact Whiskies: Port Charlotte An Turas Mor Port Charlotte PC8 / Ar Duthchas Islands Abhainn Dearg Distillery Address: Carnish Isle of Lewis Outer Hebrides HS2 9EX Scotland Tel: 01851 672429 Website: www.abhainndearg.co.uk Whisky: The Spirit of Lewis 3 Year Old Single Malt Highland Park Distillery; Address: Highland Park Distillery Holm Road Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1SU Tel: +44(0) 1856 874619 Webstie: www.highlandpark.co.uk/ History: Founded by Magnus Eunson in 1798 above Orkney's capital, Kirkwall, on a rise with fine views out to the northern isles; known as the High Park and it was here that Magnus Eunson started to produce whisky. Chosen for its fresh water and plentiful source of peat it was also a good spot to watch out for the exciseman. In those days most distillers operated outside the law due to heavy taxes. Several stories exists about Magnus Eunson; that he stored his casks under the pulpit of a local church, other suggests that he was a front man for a cartel of businessmen called the ‘Orkney Mafia’. Under the hand of Robert Borwick ‘Highland Park’ became legal by 1826. He ran the distillery until 1895 when he sold it to James Grant, who in turn passed to the Highland Distilleries Co in 1935. Since 1999 it is owned by the Edrington Group. Whiskies: 12, 15, 16 (duty free), 18, 25, 30, 40 years Isle of Arran Single Malt Distillery; Address: Lochranza Isle of Arran Scotland, KA27 8HJ Tel: +44 (0)1770 830264 Website: www.arranwhisky.com History: History of the distillery: Founded: 1995 by Harold Currie, a former Managing Director at Chivas. Once in a time there were more than 50 whisky distilleries on Arran, not many of them leagal and most of them carefully hidden from the eyes of the taxmen. The malt had a good reputation and rivalled those from the 'Glen of Livet'. The former advantage of isolation eventually grow to a problem with the added cost of transport and all of the distilleries soon perished. Whiskies: Single Malt: 10 Years, 12 Years, 14 Years, Single Cask, Robert Burns Single Malt Isle of Jura Single Malt Distillery; Address: Craighouse Isle of Jura , Argyll Scotland PA60 7XT Tel: +44 1496-820240 Website: www.isleofjura.com/ History: Even though the distillery didn't open until 1810, the people of Jura were entitled to distil whisky for personal consumption, until a ban was introduced in 1781. As legend has it, Laird Archibald Campbell awoke in the middle of the night to see the ghostly figure of an old woman hovering over his bed. She berated him over the lack of the golden liquid on the island. It was this apparition that persuaded him to reverse his punitive measure and erect a distillery at an old smugglers' cave in the hamlet of Craighouse in 1810. But the distillery fell into disrepair and it wasn't until the 1960s when, in a bid to entice new inhabitants to the island, two local estate owners Robin Fletcher and Tony Riley-Smith rebuilt the distillery, employing architect William Delme-Evans. By 1963 their work was complete; they had introduced taller stills allowing the distillery to create an eclectic mix of malts, a feature that continues to help differentiate Jura from its island neighbours. Whiskies: Jura Prophecy Jura Diurachs' Own 16 Year Old Jura Superstition Jura Origin 10 Year Old The Jura Lodge
Address: St Ola Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1SE Tel: N/A Website: www.scapamalt.com/ History: The distillery, founded in 1885 by Macfarlane & Townsend, was during the 1950s acquired by Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd (now part of Pernod Ricard) and rebuilt. In 1994 it was mothballed, and faced definitive closure in 2004. During that period, the most commonly available edition was the Scapa 12 years old, which was and still is a most distinctive island whisky for its subtle heathery honey plus sea taste. Still, it was decided to rebuild/restore the distillery, and the first new spirit in 10 years flowed in November 2004. Because of the time-gap, it was decided to stop the 12 years and introduce the 14 years, which is quite different from its predecessor, even though the basic characteristics are intact. Scapa is the second most northern whisky distillery in Scotland, being a half-mile farther south than Highland Park Distillery. Whiskies: 14-year-old Age(s) 16-year-old Age(s) 25-year-old Talisker Single Malt Distillery; Address: Carbost, Isle of Skye Scotland IV47 8SR Tel: +44 (0)1478 614 306 Website: N/A History: The MacAskill brothers from Isle of Eigg founded Talisker as a farm distillery on their estate Talisker House, marked on the map a few miles over on the west coast of the island. The times were hard for the islanders; some lived on collecting seaweed to turn into soap, others on crofting; the poor soil made it impossible to cultivate barley in quantity. Many landlords at the time, cleared crofters off their land to replace them with sheep, thus many islanders migrated to North America. Whisky was dispatched and barley delivered by sea on “Puffers” to the seven licensed distilleries on the island, not to mention the dozens of illicit stills. In 1831 the MacAskill brothers built a new distillery in its current location. In 1863 the distillery was transferred to Donald MacLennan, a son in law, who was declared bankrupt within a few months. The next leaseholder, J R W Anderson, was not only bankrupt but imprisoned in 1880, for accepting payment for whisky he could not deliver. The new owners Roderick Kemp and Alexander Grigor Allan (co-owner of Glenlossie) proved men of substance; they rebuilt and turned the distillery around. A few years later Allan bought the shares of Kemp, who founded the Macallan distillery. In 1895 the lease was taken over by the Talisker Distillery Co LTD and in 1898, the company merged with the Dailuaine Distillery to form Dailuaine - Talisker Distilleries LTD, later acquired by DCL, today part of Diageo. Whiskies: 10 Years 12 Years 15 Years 18 Years 20 Years 25 Years 30 Years Tobermory Single Malt Distillery; Address: Tobermory Isle of Mull Scotland, PA75 6NR Tel: ( +44 ) 01688 302 645 Website: www.tobermory.co.uk History: Founded: 1798 by John Sinclair. In 1998 the 200th anniversary was celebrated in memory of the founder John Sicclair. Purchased and upgraded by Burn Stewart in 1993, the distillery have had a tough past, with extended periods of closure and financial difficulties, among them a period of 40 years from 1836. Whiskies: 10 years old ; 12 years old Ledaig / Tobermory Distillery Address: Ledaig, Tobermory, Isle of Mull Tel: +44 (0)1688 302645 Website: http://www.tobermory.co.uk/tobermory_distillery/tobermory_whisky.htm History: The distillery was founded in 1823 in a former brewery, founded in 1797, by John Sinclair. This unpeated malt is part of the Islands subregion of the The Highlands. Its yeast and water are drawn from dark aromatic Isle of Mull peat lochans. The flavor is described as a light smoky nose, a medium dry profile with a smooth and fruity tang. The distillery also produces a smaller amount of peated whisky, Ledaig, which is also the original name of the distillery. Burn Stewart Distillers, the company that produces Tobermory, Ledaig, Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Scottish Leader, Black Bottle Whiskies: Ledaig Single Malt Campbelltown Glen Scotia Single Malt Distilleries Address: 12 High Street, Campbeltown, Argyll PA28 6DS Tel: 01586 552 288 Website: www.glenscotia-distillery.co.uk History: Glen Scotia was founded in 1832 by the Galbraith family. The family sold it to West Highland Malt Distillers in 1919, although that company went bankrupt in 1924 and control of the distillery was transferred to Duncan MacCallum. Glen Scotia closed in 1928, and MacCallum committed suicide on December 23, 1930 by drowning himself in Crosshill Loch. Whiskies: 12 year old Malt (distillery bottling Distillery Select bottlings of Single / Peated /Heavily Peated single malts Springbank Distillery Address: 85 Longrow Campbeltown Argyll Scotland, PA28 6EX Tel: +44 (0) 1586 552085 Website: www.springbankwhisky.com History: Initially a farm distillery run by Archibald Mitchell, his sons John and William took out a licence in 1828. A few years later William left Springbank to found Glengyle Distillery. Together with his son, John formed J & A Mitchell Co Ltd; the current owners of Springbank. Mr Hedley Wright, The Chairman of the Board, is great-great grandson of Archibald Mitchell. Springbank closed from 1926 to 1935 due to the Depression. When many of the other distilleries in Campbeltown perished Springbank managed to survive thanks to its good reputation and relatively mild taste, prefered by many. Whiskies: Ages: 10-year-old 12-year-old (cask strength) 15-year-old 21-year-old Cask type(s): Bourbon Sherry Wine Rum Glengyle Distillery Address: 85 Longrow, Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6EX, Scotland Tel: +44 (0) 1586 552085 Website: www.springbankwhisky.com/ History founded in 1872 by William Mitchell and completed in 1873. Mitchell had previously been involved with Springbank Distillery but following a quarrel with his brother John, with whom he owned Springbank, he first joined his other brothers at Reichlachan distillery before venturing out on his own. In 1919 the distillery was sold as a result of the post-war economic downturn which was badly affecting all the distilleries in the Campbeltown Region. In 1924 the distillery changed hands again and by 1925 had ceased production with all remaining stock being sold off. After being used as a rifle range, an attempt to reopen the distillery by Maurice Bloch, who, with his brother, also owned the Glen Scotia distillery, failed due to Second World War as did a second attempt by Campbell Henderson Ltd. in the 1950s. Whiskies: Kilkerran
