Island Single Malts
Encyclopedia
Single malt whisky
Single malt whisky is a whisky made at one particular distillery from a mash that uses one particular malted grain, which is ordinarily barley.Single malts are typically associated with Scotland, though they are also produced in various other countries...
Scotch whiskies
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
produced on the islands around the perimeter of the Scottish mainland. The exception is Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
, which is considered a separate whisky producing region (see Islay whisky
Islay whisky
Islay whisky is Scotch whisky made on Islay or Ìle in Gaelic, the southernmost of the Inner Hebridean Islands located off the west coast of Scotland. There are eight active distilleries on the island, as of early 2008, with a ninth being made ready for production...
). The islands are not a recognized whisky producing region as such, but are considered to be part of the Highland region
Highland Single Malts
Highland Single Malts are single malt Scotch whiskies produced in the Highland region of Scotland. This categorization includes the whiskies produced on the islands around the perimeter of Scotland , except for Islay...
.
Although people sometimes think that "Island" whiskies have similar smoky or peaty overtones to the whiskies of Islay, this is far from true. The whiskies produced on the Islands are extremely varied and have few similarities.
List of Island malts
- Arran Single MaltArran Single MaltArran Single Malt is a Single Malt Scotch whisky distilled by the Arran Distillery, Lochranza, Scotland, the only distillery on the Isle of Arran. Arran Distillery was founded in 1995 and is the first legal distillery built on the Isle of Arran in over 150 years...
, on ArranIsle of ArranArran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058... - Highland Park Single MaltHighland Park Single MaltHighland Park Single Malt is a Scotch whisky distilled by Highland Park Distillery, Kirkwall in Orkney, the most northerly whisky distillery in Scotland, half a mile north of that at Scapa. Blackwood Distillery in Shetland presently produces only gin and vodka .Highland Park has performed well at...
, on Orkney - Isle of Jura Single MaltIsle of Jura Single MaltIsle of Jura Single Malt is a Scotch whisky distilled at the Isle of Jura Distillery located on the island of Jura located off the West Coast of Scotland...
, on JuraJura, ScotlandJura is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, situated adjacent and to the north-east of Islay. Part of the island is designated as a National Scenic Area. Until the twentieth century Jura was dominated - and most of it was eventually owned - by the Campbell clan of Inveraray Castle on Loch... - Scapa Single MaltScapaScapa is a small settlement and a Scotch whisky distillery situated on The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland on the shore of Scapa Flow near the town of Kirkwall. Scapa is the second most northern whisky distillery in Scotland, being a half-mile farther south than Highland Park Distillery.The...
, on Orkney - Talisker Single MaltTaliskerTalisker is an Island Single Malt Scotch whisky produced by the Talisker Distillery, Carbost, Scotland; the only distillery on the Isle of Skye. The distillery is operated by United Distillers and Vintners for Diageo, and is marketed as part of their Classic Malts series...
, on Skye - Tobermory Single MaltTobermory Single MaltTobermory Single Malt is a Scotch whisky distilled by the Tobermory Distillery, Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, a hebridean isle in western Scotland, north from the isle of Islay.-Production and character:...
and Ledaig Single Malt, both produced at the Tobermory Distillery on MullIsle of MullThe Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....