All things Islay in a day

Thursday 4.23.15  Islay (pronounced I'- la)

First stop, Skerrols House "signature breakfast" which is the full Scottish breakfast to which we've become accustomed: tea and toast, beans, poached eggs, bacon or sausage, sautéed mushrooms, a grilled tomato cut in half and haggis or "vegetarian haggis." On our drive to Bruichladdich Distillery there were fields of daffodils and sheep with lots of little twin or triplet lambs romping about. Also sighted: pheasants, bunnies (BIG), chatty birds and a massive bumble bee.

me, smelling and feeling the grain to see how peaty it was

 Kelsey was our tour guide at Bruichladdich (pronounced "brook laddie.") We were with about 10 other tourists, smelling peat and tasting mash and walking between the massive vats. I had not realized that Scotch starts out clear and the color and flavor vary by what was previously stored in the cask (i.e. French wine, American bourbon, Spanish muscat, etc.) I also did not realize how much evaporates in 10 years, thus the greater expense the older it is. I wrote down a note that the ullage is referred to as the angel's wing, because of the shape left empty above the liquid level to the top of the cask, but now I cannot find any reference to that effect. This is the distillery where our friends Rick and Sandi purchased a cask with some friends and relatives about 10 years years ago. (We looked for theirs in the cask room) and they're working on the logistics of getting it bottled, labeled, taxed and delivered to America.

 Back in the tasting room, Judd tapped his own bottle of    Laddie Valinch, aged 23 years. I purchased a bottle of their unique Botanist Gin (from the still called Ugly Betty.) It was made from 22 foraged plants right on the island by a "real botanist" so there weren't supposed to be any poisonous plants included.

Other whisky purchases throughout the trip (strictly for comparison's sake): Ardberg 10 years old, Caol Ila, 12 year old special release and Bunnahabhain 12. Real Scotch whisky has no e in it; American or Irish whiskey has the e.  I need a bigger history book to remind me why.

keep that stuff locked up

Ugly Betty (and me)

We made friends with some Brits while shopping at the visitor center and they invited us to coffee at the Port Charlotte Hotel which was in our direction of travel. John and Helen were traveling with friends from school, Paul and Frieda. We exchanged all the permutations of kids and grandkids. It was a little embarrassing not to be able to speak to our own justice system and the local news (ie. the Boston Marathon bomber's sentence.)  After a bit of banter, we pressed on to Portnahaven. It looked just like a Doc Martin's Port Wenn and we took in some local color -- Judd photographing Jean's Fish Truck while I posted a card at the local deli.  Judd came upon a hiker (walking from Glasgow) just airing his feet out at the public toilet (the hiker guy, not Judd.)

Portnahaven

We missed narrow road BB for narrow road A and took a loop north to the Kilchoman distillery (the newest and littlest on the island,) in the middle of a working farm.  We skipped the tour and just had lunch, (football size baked potatoes,) tasting and shopping. We met tasters from one distillery in subsequent tasting rooms, Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain--all in the same bubble of people who only had 1 or 2 days on the island.  Only got to 4 of Islay's 8 distilleries. We simply did not have time to visit Bowmore, Ardberg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin. It'll give us something to do next time.

also Portnahaven

Jean and her Fresh Fish truck

 When  pronunciation is not straight forward (or my brain can't retain it) I tend to make up an already known pronunciation to tide me over. For example:

Kilchoman beomes Kikoman

Caol Ila ("Ka LEE la") = Coal Isle

Port Askaig = Port Ass Kiss.

my favorite whisky so far

Pre dinner reading in back yard of Skerrols House

We had dinner at the Bridgend Hotel Restaurant, just 2 minutes form our Inn. Judd ordered the Islay scallops with butter and parsley,  3 of the biggest scallops I've ever come to know.  We tried the Botany Gin and tonic and Finlaggin Beer. The late spring chill was eased by a pellet stove going in Kate's Bar. After dinner drinks with dessert: Los Condes sauvignon blanc and the Famous Grouse (a blended whisky.)  Eesma (not her real name) our hostess, with no hair and greasy made up face and pinned back wrinkles, must have had to go forage for the raspberries for the panna cotta as it seemed like 30 minutes to dessert. The iced dark chocolate with whisky parfait was worth the wait. We were well fortified for Friday's adventure.

what? wait! Two Judd's in the same pic? Portnahaven was magical