The week that was Whisky Course Islay…. Pt I
What a full on, fun filled, fact saturated, whisky flowing, friend making week. WHISKY COURSE ISLAY from 26 - 30 October 2015 inclusive, brought people from all corners of this round earth to Wild and Magic Islay. We had 15 delegates, most of whom turned out to be...
read moreThe Future of Whisky Making
I have just watched a programme about Dan Barber and Blue HillDining. This restaurant and philosophy illustrate an old, new way of looking at dining and food production. Basically, they are trying to make people think about flavour and good husbandry in food...
read moreFeis Ile 2015
Feis Ile agus Dhiura 2015 ~the busiest we have seen yet! We had extra open days & nights and millions of Events ~ Friday ~ SMWS Open Day at Islay House ~ with two new Festival bottles....... one from SMWS and one from Islay House And the first time meeting a great...
read more#BWSA ~ Cheese Making & Whisky Making are the same (sort of….)
Searching in the rain for Sgriob-ruadh Farm, Home of Isle of Mull Cheese, I took a lift from Chris, who turns out to be the owner of the place. They make Whisky Cheese, amongst others, and a more natural, harmonious pairing one is hard pushed to find. This place is...
read morePortrait Of A Whisky Lover
What makes someone who has never been to Islay, far less to Bruichladdich, get themselves a Bruichladdich tattoo? Derek Mather of Artisan Restaurant in Wishaw is the very man to ask. DEREK MATHER ~ whisky lover from Old Kilpatrick, living in Carstairs ~ but, not in...
read moreWhisky Is Liquid Music
Malt is Music Listening to recordings of Daniel Barenboim, the Argentine born, Israeli pianist and conductor giving the Reith Lectures in 2006, I was reminded of how classical music and whisky resemble one another, both in their construction and in our relationship...
read moreTerroir ~ in Gaelic, is Anam an Fhearainn ~ Soul of the Land
TERROIR : of the land Anyone who thinks there is no such thing as terroir misses understanding themselves and our world. Barley, water, peat, yeast, copper, people ~all come from the land. In making whisky ~ everything is provided by the earth, by nature herself ~...
read moreFirst Whisky & Rum Festival in Graz, Austria
Whisky for Girls (& Guys!) island whisky tasting ~ On Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 October 2013, Graz city in Austria was host to the first Whisky & Rum Festival. Presented by Dr. Bottle Scaria with assistance from The Islay Whisky Chapter Austriaand various...
read moreDrink Whisky, Speak Gaelic
UISGE BEATHA ~ water of life ~ whisky ********** Cuibhle Blaise or Cuibhle Bhlas ~FLAVOUR WHEEL duilleagach ~LEAFY flranach ~FLORAL measach ~FRUITY cbhraidh ~FRAGRANT leathair ~LEATHERY mar thombaca ~TOBACCO toit - fhiodha ~WOOD-SMOKE ioc-shlinteach ~MEDICINAL...
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