Island Single Malt Whisky
The whisky producing islands that pepper the north and west coast of Scotland are home to a number of historic distilleries, producing between them some of the finest Single Malt Scotch in the world.
Island Single Malt Whisky
Firstly, let’s get a slightly sticky piece of categorisation out of the way. The islands of Jura, Arran, Skye, Mull, Islay, Lewis and the confusingly named Mainland all produce Single Malt Whisky, yet the Scotch Whisky Association only officially recognises Islay as a distinct region, lumping all the others into the broad Highland category. However, most whisky enthusiasts, including ourselves, do find it useful to draw the distinction. The use of peat smoke to dry and to flavour malts is traditional across all of the Islands, lending a characteristic smokey undertone to the Whiskies. The similarities end there though, and among Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilleries, drinkers are rewarded with a huge variety of styles and expressions. Explore this fascinating ‘region’ with us here today.