New viewer here. Enjoyed these topics. Islay- been 3 times now, love the place, I think it’s becoming less fashionable than 5 years ago, the focus seems to have shifted over to Campbeltown and Arran and Ardnamurchan as Diageo play silly buggers with pricing on Lagavulin the Johnnie Walkering of Caol Ila and the closing off Port Ellen maltings to other Islay distillers. The islanders don’t seem happy about the Frankensteins monster the Feis has become and the cash grab the new start ups represent. I think we are on the decline into another whisky Loch which for years I have feared is coming only to be told it’s not a bubble anymore it’s more of a froth and it’s safe as houses. In my opinion the island only needs 6 distilleries - the Kildalton 3, Bruichladdich, Bowmore and Bunnahabhain. I know there’s Kilchoman fans but it’s always been more expensive than it’s worth, I don’t see Ardnahoe or the Elixir distillers project doing anything different from Kilchoman or improving on what they have done so far. Port Ellen, like you, I fully expect to be another premiumised product that probably bears little resemblance to the old stuff. Who can tell these days anyway and will just be a fancy shiny new distillery built over the top of a ruin. A Triggers broom of a distillery like the new Rosebank. The Brora project seems a bit more genuine. The 18 year old Laddie. I will probably end up buying but I’m a bit afraid because if I feel they are taking the piss it will spoil my love for them. Springbank put their 18 or Longrow 18 out at £100-£110 rrp and it’s impossible to find. Springbank needs other distillers to step up and take the demand off them and Bruichladdich should be in that discussion but they shoot themselves in the foot with pricing on this and stuff like Octomore. Ardnamurchan have blown right past them same with Arran. Bunnahabhain right now is where I go on Islay to find a knockout dram and has been for a while. It just feels like as good as Bruichladdich are they are underachieving a bit. Yes, Diageo seem to have a monopoly on the distillery tourist market. Their portfolio almost seems calculated that way. Day trip to Oban and it’s raining. Pissing down on Skye go to Talisker. Need a toilet break on the way back from Loch Ness there’s Dalwhinnie. I wonder what Glenkinchies visitor numbers are like now after the Johnnie Walker Princes Street venue has opened? unfortunate thing is once you’ve been to one Diageo distillery you’ve been to them all. There’s good people working there and the shops are nice and polished but you don’t get to see a malt floor or a peat stack or a dunnage warehouse so they are all a bit soulless. Since Iain MacArthur retired from Lagavulin I can’t see any real reason to go back there if the warehouse demo is discontinued. Anyway, I’ve rambled on long enough. Sorry your video raised a few points I have wanted to talk about for a while😂
Hi, thanks very much for taking the time to watch - and to engage with your thoughts. The Springbank / Ardnamurchan cult-like following has definitely taken some focus away from Islay, certainly among the diehard whisky lovers. For many American or Asian tourists, I think Islay is still one of the top destinations, though. The passion for Springbank has created another set of problems, but that's for another conversation. I agree with much of what you say on Bruichladdich - it's always been a favourite of mine and remains my favourite place to visit on the island but Remy seems determined to push the prices further and further, which as you say, is taking the brand out of the equation for many people. And yes, when considering whether or not to build another distillery on Islay, I wish people would ask the very question you mention, what can I bring to the table that hasn't been done before. Sadly, too many of these distilleries appear to be legacy projects. Maybe even vanity projects. Men of a certain age who have been in the business for many years and are perhaps wondering what they'll leave behind, maybe even wanting their name down in the whisky history books. That's speculation, of course, I don't know these people personally, it's just how it feels to an outsider. Surely, if you were looking to build a distillery, you wouldn't go to a place already saturated and creaking under the strain?! Anyway, I could talk for hours on this stuff, like you, I have real concerns about it all, but some seem determined to plough on anyway. I hope they're right and all find the success they want, I just hope the greed of old men chasing their place in history doesn't bring Islay crashing down around them.
@@scotonscotch yeah islay is so iconic and distinguished as a region its such an obvious choice as far as location goes to ensuring success. apart from campbeltown its probably the only place where the regions name on the bottle will boost the interest. i remember reading an atricle by Rachel Macneill a few years ago titled "not another Farkin distillery" which stuck with me and has in a lot of ways negatively coloured my perception of the Islay expansion and viewed the Hunter Laings and the Whisky Exchange as a bunch of vampires. its a but unfair to hold that perception as its job creation at the end of the day and there will be good whisky to come im sure.
I saw that top 10 visited distilleries …very surprised and couldn’t work the list out but makes sense now. When I have visited in a group I look for the distillery guides to work out the whisky people in the group and have been pleasantly surprised. Talisker took me and my husband to one side and gave us a wee dram of 57 degrees north which we obviously purchased as it was a great dram. Seems a long time since we did the Islay academy in 2016 have great memories and we visit Islay regularly and are back in June …post Feis Ile ..I prefer it on the quiet side with more sheep than people 😂.
Great podcast Neil.
Thanks Peter!
Thanks Neil, really enjoyed watching that. Very insightful 🥃
Thanks for watching 🙏
New viewer here. Enjoyed these topics.
Islay- been 3 times now, love the place, I think it’s becoming less fashionable than 5 years ago, the focus seems to have shifted over to Campbeltown and Arran and Ardnamurchan as Diageo play silly buggers with pricing on Lagavulin the Johnnie Walkering of Caol Ila and the closing off Port Ellen maltings to other Islay distillers. The islanders don’t seem happy about the Frankensteins monster the Feis has become and the cash grab the new start ups represent. I think we are on the decline into another whisky Loch which for years I have feared is coming only to be told it’s not a bubble anymore it’s more of a froth and it’s safe as houses.
In my opinion the island only needs 6 distilleries - the Kildalton 3, Bruichladdich, Bowmore and Bunnahabhain. I know there’s Kilchoman fans but it’s always been more expensive than it’s worth, I don’t see Ardnahoe or the Elixir distillers project doing anything different from Kilchoman or improving on what they have done so far.
Port Ellen, like you, I fully expect to be another premiumised product that probably bears little resemblance to the old stuff. Who can tell these days anyway and will just be a fancy shiny new distillery built over the top of a ruin. A Triggers broom of a distillery like the new Rosebank. The Brora project seems a bit more genuine.
The 18 year old Laddie. I will probably end up buying but I’m a bit afraid because if I feel they are taking the piss it will spoil my love for them. Springbank put their 18 or Longrow 18 out at £100-£110 rrp and it’s impossible to find. Springbank needs other distillers to step up and take the demand off them and Bruichladdich should be in that discussion but they shoot themselves in the foot with pricing on this and stuff like Octomore. Ardnamurchan have blown right past them same with Arran. Bunnahabhain right now is where I go on Islay to find a knockout dram and has been for a while. It just feels like as good as Bruichladdich are they are underachieving a bit.
Yes, Diageo seem to have a monopoly on the distillery tourist market. Their portfolio almost seems calculated that way. Day trip to Oban and it’s raining. Pissing down on Skye go to Talisker. Need a toilet break on the way back from Loch Ness there’s Dalwhinnie. I wonder what Glenkinchies visitor numbers are like now after the Johnnie Walker Princes Street venue has opened? unfortunate thing is once you’ve been to one Diageo distillery you’ve been to them all. There’s good people working there and the shops are nice and polished but you don’t get to see a malt floor or a peat stack or a dunnage warehouse so they are all a bit soulless. Since Iain MacArthur retired from Lagavulin I can’t see any real reason to go back there if the warehouse demo is discontinued.
Anyway, I’ve rambled on long enough. Sorry your video raised a few points I have wanted to talk about for a while😂
Hi, thanks very much for taking the time to watch - and to engage with your thoughts. The Springbank / Ardnamurchan cult-like following has definitely taken some focus away from Islay, certainly among the diehard whisky lovers. For many American or Asian tourists, I think Islay is still one of the top destinations, though. The passion for Springbank has created another set of problems, but that's for another conversation. I agree with much of what you say on Bruichladdich - it's always been a favourite of mine and remains my favourite place to visit on the island but Remy seems determined to push the prices further and further, which as you say, is taking the brand out of the equation for many people. And yes, when considering whether or not to build another distillery on Islay, I wish people would ask the very question you mention, what can I bring to the table that hasn't been done before. Sadly, too many of these distilleries appear to be legacy projects. Maybe even vanity projects. Men of a certain age who have been in the business for many years and are perhaps wondering what they'll leave behind, maybe even wanting their name down in the whisky history books. That's speculation, of course, I don't know these people personally, it's just how it feels to an outsider. Surely, if you were looking to build a distillery, you wouldn't go to a place already saturated and creaking under the strain?! Anyway, I could talk for hours on this stuff, like you, I have real concerns about it all, but some seem determined to plough on anyway. I hope they're right and all find the success they want, I just hope the greed of old men chasing their place in history doesn't bring Islay crashing down around them.
@@scotonscotch yeah islay is so iconic and distinguished as a region its such an obvious choice as far as location goes to ensuring success. apart from campbeltown its probably the only place where the regions name on the bottle will boost the interest. i remember reading an atricle by Rachel Macneill a few years ago titled "not another Farkin distillery" which stuck with me and has in a lot of ways negatively coloured my perception of the Islay expansion and viewed the Hunter Laings and the Whisky Exchange as a bunch of vampires. its a but unfair to hold that perception as its job creation at the end of the day and there will be good whisky to come im sure.
I saw that top 10 visited distilleries …very surprised and couldn’t work the list out but makes sense now. When I have visited in a group I look for the distillery guides to work out the whisky people in the group and have been pleasantly surprised. Talisker took me and my husband to one side and gave us a wee dram of 57 degrees north which we obviously purchased as it was a great dram. Seems a long time since we did the Islay academy in 2016 have great memories and we visit Islay regularly and are back in June …post Feis Ile ..I prefer it on the quiet side with more sheep than people 😂.
Haha I totally get where you’re coming from with Islay, Fèis is all well and good but the island is better a bit quieter! Absolutely