Islay Whisky
EuropeWe caught the ferry from Ballycastle to Islay this morning. Here’s a rundown of stuff that I remember from the day.
– Scotland is cold
– all of the buildings are painted white with black trim
– this color theme matches the starkness of the climate
– rode to Lagavulin distillery for tour and tasting
– barley tastes good after it’s roasted and smoked in a kiln
– making whisky is similar to making beer, plus a thousand more steps
– we both enjoyed the 16-year-old batch that we sampled
– rode to Laphroaig distillery for tour and tasting
– Laphroaig uses more old school methods
– they still harvest the peat by hand
– we sample many different bottlings
– I like the triple wood, which is aged in two bourbon and one sherry barrels
– we feel the effects of the whisky and decide not to visit Ardbeg for a third round of touring and tasting
– we camp at Kintra Farm on a bluff overlooking Laggan Bay
– this is the prettiest campsite we’ve ever seen