Day 6, another independent bottler discovery for the Lassie - Highland 18 year old

Tuesday December 6 dawns, yet another cold morning here in eastern Canada. As I wipe the sleep from my eyes I can hear Graham in the kitchen making coffee. I'm really not in the mood to even get dressed let alone go to work today. I get up, stretching and yawning. My muse... the advent calendar calls me from the basement. It's like my whisky siren at the moment and it's been a great initiative as far as getting me moving and excited for the day ahead.

It snowed through the night so there is a clean white blanket of snow on everything. I consider myself super lucky to experience all four seasons where I live. I find it bizarre to think that people in places like Brazil or Texas don't have cold white winters? These are things that run through a Lassie's head at 6:25am.  Go figure...  ;)

The calendar sits on top of my piano bar, almost at eye level. I poke at door number 6 but it doesn't break open. I use two fingers this time and hit it much harder. This one is a stubborn one!? I reach forward with my two hands and grasp the advent calendar firmly with one hand while I push even harder with my fingers and finally it pops. "You need help down there" the voice rings from the kitchen. "Nope, got it!" I yell back. Reaching in, I pull out the usual 50ml sample but this time as I read the label I'm almost a little confused...

I have never heard of an independent bottler by the name of "Ainneamh"? As I skip back up the stairs and enter the kitchen Graham hands me my morning cup of coffee (I love rituals, don't you!) and I say: "Tell me something... "Have you ever heard of Ain-Nea-mh before", I bastardized that poor name like you wouldn't believe!?! Of course my lovely partner of 13 years stared back at me blankly. I try again: "Ainne-amh" I say trying to add inflection and pronunciation emphasis in there somewhere. "I'm not sure what you are even trying to ask me Johanne" he says as he takes a sip of his coffee. I pull whisky #6 out of my robe pocket and hand it to him. He reads it, smiles and hands it back. "No, and I'm not even going to try and pronounce that" he states as he makes his way back down to the bedroom. I follow but grab a Glencairn as I walk by the bookcase (Yes, I keep whisky glassware almost everywhere, as you never know when an emergency dram may be needed!) When I do make it back to our bed and get myself properly tucked into the blankets I google "Ainneamh" to see how it's pronounced and what it actually means. So according to a few sites it's pronounced Anny-oov and means Rare or scarce. It certainly wasn't an independent bottling company I had ever heard of but after a bit of digging it seems the company is owned by two chaps who don't release many whiskies but when they do they are something pretty special and unique. 

As it's become customary I opened the little sample and poured just a wee bit into my Glencairn. Maybe it's because my palate is so fresh or because I drink coffee first thing but this whisky is simply sublime with aromatic flavours at this point. Quickly get a fresh fruit salad with a dab of fresh whipped cream and a drizzle of honey. How mouthwatering is that!? Dipped my finger in it just as Graham stole the glass and stuck his nose in it. "Hmmm he says, pears.. fresh cut up pears". 

And just like that, it's time for me to get to work. Once again I find myself thinking about my wee dram back home and once again as I walk through the door at 4:30pm, I head straight to the bookcase and pour the dram into another glass. I kicked off my shoes, parked myself into my big armchair and lost myself in the dram as I watched Greg play ball hockey in his driveway. It's amazing how just nosing a whisky in silence can melt away the deadlines, the complaining customers and the grime from the day's work that is now solidly behind me. It's almost like an instant reset button for me some nights. Greg is now joined by 3 or 4 more boys from our street. All tall and gangly, awkward teenagers running around this sticks, yelling and jousting for position. And like every other whisky moment it hits me...  The whisky is my sample is the same age as Greg. It was likely distilled close to the year he was born. This is where I always marvel and think...  The whisky in my glass has been sitting in a cask for as long as my neighbour's boy has been around. That, in my mind always makes me realize that when we drink these lovely drams... we are truly drinking history. (To quote my friend Benoit Bailey). 

I close my eyes and take my time, after it this drams deserves a little time spent with it, don't you think ;)

Ainneamh Highland 18 Year Old, Refill Hogshead, 57.0% ABV

Colour: White gold, quite light indeed

Nose: Again with the fresh tropical salad, with a fresh dollop of whipped cream. But this time, I get a bit of a briny backdrop... Reminds me of Martine Nouet's "Fleur de Sel" seasoning that she keeps in her kitchen. It's a delicate salty smell. 

Palate: Honeyed, almost like biting into an actual honeycomb (childhood memories), it's creamy but not buttery, it has has a bit of a sour lemon candy backdrop (wasn't expecting that!?)

Finish: Slightly bizarre as it turned into a "meaty" dram. The finish surprised me so much that I had to try it a few times to make sure it was consistent for me. It's tangy like a sweet & sour pineapple sauce?! The kind I would put on Hawaiian meatballs. 

So this dram took me in a direction I was not expecting. It started out quite sublime, almost on the delicate side and finished with a BANG!? I really enjoyed this dram very much. While I finished making my notes, I noticed it was getting darker outside and the other boys were leaving to get home. I watched Greg awkwardly pick up his hockey gloves and the net and just as he turned around to grab the puck he saw me standing in our bay window. He smiled and waved. I instinctively raised my dram to him. He laughed and tipped his ball cap very graciously in my direction.

Maybe someday, when he's a little bit older I'll introduce him to whisky but for the time being, I'm content continuing my journey and my own personal discoveries. This one hit the spot and was another great dram. I'm on a roll, that's 6 in a row that were quite impressive and masterfully chosen for this advent calendar. The suspense builds and I'm doing a great job of not peaking. What... will tomorrow bring?

As always I refrain from reading what Jonathan posted but check out his website to get more information about this whisky and/or find out if it's available where you are:

www.singlemalting.com

From the sunset of my front yard, my wish to all of you: May your drams be as satisfying and lovely as mine...

Lassie



Guest blog - Raising My Spirits, Benoit Bailey

Benoit and I met virtually, as is often the case when it comes to #whiskyfabric, however we also had the opportunity to meet face to face. Not in Canada, as you might suspect but on Islay. We have become fast friends and try as much as we can to stay in touch. Last year after attending our New Brunswick Spirits Festival, I had posted several photos on social media. Our festival has a bit of a cult following, you see, and for us "locals" it's a well guarded secret we only divulge to the very lucky. Benoit saw my photos and sent me a quick DM stating: "Where on earth did those whiskies come from!?"...  and so it began. I invited Benoit to come and visit us in New Brunswick for the 2016 festival events. This is Benoit's adventure:

"Until now, I had never attended a multi-day whisky festival as there are none in my home town of Montreal. I knew I would need to take a week's vacation to travel to whichever festival I would choose. I've always thought that my first one would be on the other side of the country as this is the one everyone seems to talks about = The place to be. To take 7-10 days off because you need to fly to get to a festival when you only have a few precious weeks of vacation/year, is a difficult decision. But, in November 2015 a few people posted photos of a Dallas Dhu masterclass on twitter. They were in Fredericton New Brunswick which is approximately an 8 hours drive from my home. Wait, I thought to myself... A Dallas Dhu MC in the Maritimes? How and why did I miss that? The decision was instantly made. Next year, 2016, the 21st annual NB Spirits Festival, aka Raise your Spirits/Levons nos Verres, would be my very first multi-day whisky festival (Twenty-first, really? This means this is the oldest whisky festival in Canada. I did not know that).

Fast forward to late September 2016 and the festival schedule was made public. And...  yes, another closed distillery tasting on the last day, this time Imperial. After exchanging messages with #whiskyfabric members that attended in the past, my events and master classes were selected! Four out of 5 busy days ahead, as I decided not to attend the first day event, a rum dinner.

The choice of MC on the Thursday was overwhelming for a first time attendee. Three-time slots, each 90 minutes with a choice of nine MC with a 30 minutes break between. No typo here, 27 DIFFERENT (yes, no repetition) MC's to choose from. This year included cocktail classes with Matt Jones, Canadian whisky by Davin De Kergommeaux, two rum MC's, a blind tasting MC, and all your favourite brand names including battles between Talisker and Lagavulin, another between Oban and Caol Ila.

I attended Friday's Ultimate Master class, a sampling of twelve desert-island drams plus a thirteen as a bonus. This included a Brora 35 yo, Mortlach 25 yo, Macallan Reflexion and Benromach 1976. You get the picture! I had never done speed-dating but the UMC felt like its whisky version! I fell for the "young" vibrant Glenmorangie 25 yo at first nosing/taste despite the fact that I had my eyes set on the beautiful old classy Brora 35 yo! (At least, it was with a 25 year old guy and not a NAS that I did not know if it was under 18!!!). The UMC was not only ultimate by the selection of whiskies offered but also because of its value. I saw on twitter that the 13 bottles we had the pleasure of tasting had a value of $9,373 in New Brunswick. Considering we were sampling half ounce pours, we drank almost $200 worth of whisky for only $60. My Friday evening did not end there as the festival showcase was next. I really enjoyed the fact that outside the main ballroom a second small showcase took place of local foods such as cheeses as well as some excellent cold and hot smoked salmon. It was a perfect way to take a break from the noise and warmth of the festival showcase.

Then... there was Saturday. Two masterclasses impossible to duplicate anywhere else in the world: An Imperial vertical tasting and the Chairman's Dram. Imperial is not only a closed but demolished distillery. We were offered a selection of six drams that were very different from each other. The first was the only official release of Imperial, a 15 year old. Yes, you read correctly, we were served a dram of the only official bottling of this closed distillery tumultuous history. Despite being opened in 1897 Imperial was shut down more than it was open before being closed for good in 1998 and demolished in 2013: mothballed a first time just after its opening, a bad omen I guess, from 1899-1919 and then for thirty years from 1925 to 1955, and a third time from 1985 to 1991. Only one official bottling and I tasted it in Fredericton. Davin De Kergommeaux brilliantly animated this MC. If you see an Imperial Signatory from the Un-Chillfiltered Collection distilled on September 18, 1995 and bottled on November 11, 2015 casks 50229/50320 at 46% GET IT!. It stood out of the group and as pointed by Davin, the one likely showing the most of the Speyside distillery character in our tasting, it truly was a stunner.

This was followed by the Chairman's Dram MC, animated by the founder and Festival Chair and owner of the Fredericton's pub, the Lunar Rogue, Frank Scott. This year we tasted five drams from his own personal collection gathered from the mid-80's and a surprise, the oldest bottling of a Port Charlotte (15 years old) from Martine Nouet Private Cask, a treat and honour to taste this in her presence. The drams Frank Scott selected featured an 8 yo Littlemill, a 1979 Rosebank, a 17 yo Millburn distilled in 1971, a 12 yo Springbank old rum wood bottled in 2002 and a Gordon & MacPhail Port Ellen distilled in 1974. So four drams from a closed distillery, a fifth from an iconic distillery, and a sixth from a private cask. 

At this point for those who don't know Frank, do not worry, I assure you he is sane! I spoke to him so I can attest to that. He conducted this class as though we were all old friends sitting around his living room. Many discussions took place, photos were shared and it was quite the amazing experience. Attendees pleaded to keep this masterclass a secret as we all felt privileged and blessed. I hope there will be another Chairman's Dram next year and that I will be lucky enough to get a ticket to attend.

So, during the last two classes of the festival I tasted ten whiskies from five closed distilleries. Just mind blowing. I seriously doubt that you can do that at other festivals without having to take out a second mortgage on your house. Some would have travelled from the other side of the world if they had known and I stated on twitter: "We were drinking history".

This festival is not just about tasting whiskies. It also gives you the opportunity to do some learning, especially in terms of food and whisky pairing.  I attended great food-whisky pairing events with Martine Nouet including the Canadian launch of her new book, À Table (a cookbook with whisky pairing suggestions). I learned that the key to a successful food whisky pairing is finding a bridge between the food and the whisky. During Wednesday evening's Whisky Dinner, there was a very minted lamb stew. After tasting it, I could not believe it was possible to find a whisky that could be paired with it. The Royal Lochnagar Distiller’s Edition was chosen and it worked perfectly. Apparently the bridge was the mint. I bought a bottle so I will need to see if indeed there was mint in this whisky but nonetheless, the pairing was perfect. Thus, remember the key word, bridge.

Another fantastic thing about the Raise Your Spirits Festival is that they are the only one in Canada that has a store onsite during the showcase, and this year they also opened temporarily after each masterclass so that the consumer had the opportunity to buy anything they had just tried. The New Brunswick Liquor Store use to open a temporary store during the festival's showcase. This is a fantastic idea that is very convenient for the attendees and very profitable for the provincial liquor board (This year's sales topped $270,000).

And then there is the #WhiskyFabric. I met, in person, many of you for the first time and it felt like we knew each other forever. Sharing a dram and a conversation with each one of you was a privileged and moments I will cherish forever.  Thank you for allowing me to be part of it.

The only small problem I had during my Fredericton stay was on the last day of the festival. We had the most difficult time trying to make it to the famous Lunar Rogue pub and return to our hotel. What an odd time to organize a 2 hour-long parade to celebrate, I presume, the very successful 2016 edition of the festival (Note: added during proof reading: Well I am now told that the parade held in downtown Fredericton on November 26th was for the arrival in town of Santa Claus. No wonder I did not see nor hear pipe bands but that explains the vast number of excited children on the sidewalks!)...

As if things could not get any better, there was an unofficial festival whisky dinner to close the five-day event at the historical Rossmount Inn in Chamcook near Saint-Andrews by-the-Sea. When I was mentioning that I was going to the Rossmount Inn after the festival, everyone from the Maritimes mentioned that I was in for a treat with the food served by chef Chris Aerni. Little did they know that it was another whisky pairing event with Martine Nouet. 

The five-course dinner was fantastic and add to that the expert whisky pairing, it was just spectacular. As mention by Graham, if Chris was a in a large city it would be near impossible to get in without reserving months in advance. I was very privileged to be able to join the table of Johanne and Graham, Krista and Ross, Linda, Joanna as well as the other Montrealers who benefited from an unfortunate last-minute cancellation to get in, Larry and Alex. Attendees usually reserved their place for next year's dinner before checking out. This is what I have done and since my return to Montreal, I have already changed my will: my place will be transferred to a love one!

You all know that I'd rather be on Islay, but for a week in November, well, there is no other place that I'd rather be than Fredericton (and Chamcook)! See you next year #WhiskyFabric for another mind-blowing world-class whisky festival. 

And I will apologize to the 2016 attendees for revealing this well hidden and priceless gem..."

Benoit & I on the Corryvreckan, Islay 2016

Merci Benoit! Our Spirits Festival is certainly the place to be, and as I introduce it to whisky friends (may they be from Canada, USA or abroad)... one thing they all have in common is they are return festival goers in the years to come. This is the power of #whiskyfabric. Share your gems with the people you love!  

Here's to raising our spirits, may we continue to do so for many years to come. 

Sincerely,

Lassie

Guest post - The Spellers give advice about visiting Islay during Feis Ile

My favourite story about the Spellers is the one I tell about my mother's reaction when I explained in 2014 that we were staying with people in Scotland we had met on the internet. Of course, to my mother's generation meeting individuals on the internet is just as bad as hitchhiking on a freeway and getting in a car with a total stranger. It didn't matter that Graham and I had an online relationship with them for about a year beforehand or that we had skyped a few times over coffee/breakfast routines, etc.. (I didn't even try to explain skype to her!?) But I digress.... ;)

Friends & adopted family!

The Spellers quickly became friends. We've been through some interesting trips with them and we've survived the fantastic, the bad and the ugly together. I consider Ansgar a sister of sorts and Thomas makes me laugh until my ribs hurt. They are not just 'virtual' friends anymore, they are family to me and for as long as I live I will ensure that we get to hang out at every opportunity. This year marks my 3rd road trip with them and I couldn't be prouder to have them featured on my blog. The Spellers travel, blog and experience their entire whisky journey together - always. That's pretty cool I think and gives a perspective that is different than most as it forces them to constantly work as a team, evaluate options together and in the end their choices often make for the best #whiskyfabric opportunities. I asked them to answer my questionnaire about Feis Ile as they were 'pros' having been there more often then the rest of us. I couldn't have imagined being on Islay without them, they truly made the experience magical for all of us in the house we rented together. 

Without further ado... The Spellers 

( http://whiskyspeller.blogspot.ca/ )

"Johanne asked us to share our opinions about the Feis Ile 2015 festival, the island and the people. She knows us a little so it may explain why she gave us questions to answer instead of letting us babble on about details that were not related to the point she was hoping to make, like did you know that Graham and Johanne were married by Jim McEwan during the trip to Feis Ile, peanuts aren’t really nuts at all and milk comes from cows? (Some of these facts are untrue.) Here we go...

The most enjoyed and appreciated things about visiting Islay?

Easy, Islay is awesome. People living there are living on Islay time; if things do not turn out as expected today, they might tomorrow. If there has been a storm, chances are half the island is without water or electricity, and common sense dictates you roll up your sleeves and help your neighbours, loved ones, or the people you do not know.

Besides that, the nature and wildlife are superb. You might not know it as a whisky enthusiast, but besides its whisky, Islay is well known for the (rare) bird population, and attracts many birdwatchers year round. Put on a rucksack and your hiking shoes and you can do many days without seeing any lifeform save the many sheep and deer (even more so when you are to include the neighbouring island of Jura), enjoying the raw and untouched nature.

The best kept secret of the island?

The mythical 'steering wheel wave'. It is impossible not to join in after fifteen minutes in your car. ;)

Should every whisky geek attend Feis Ile at least once? Or maybe every year?

Short answer: yes, and then no. Longer answer: yes, we think every whisky geek should at least once to do this pilgrimage and enjoy the festivities the distilleries pull out of their top hats. There are eight distilleries in a relatively small area, nine if you include Jura again, which also has their own festivities during Feis Ile too. In one long and enduring week, every day has its own distillery theme, and next to these events, there are many more organized by the locals. Should a whisky geek do this every year? No. At least not for us. We have been to Islay three times, two of which during the festival, and we find the magic of the island is quite different without the whisky minded people. Better? We don’t know, but (even) more relaxed? Most definitely. We have already said we are taking a break from Feis Iles to come, and will be returning to Islay off-season at some point. At another point we will most likely be there again during a festival week though, even if it would be only for the many #whiskyfabric meetings.

Best options for accommodations during the festival?

If you are on a budget, the obvious choice is to stay in one of the camping areas, or, with more certainty of dry feet, the Hostel in Port Charlotte. If you manage to book on time, the best options are the luxury cottages in Bowmore, at Octomore Farm or at the Ardbeg distillery, but you will burn a big part of your whisky budget there. For us, the best option was to rent/share a self- catering cottage.

Bringing our own car made it easier to pick a location just outside the larger towns. It allowed us to save a few dollars, enjoy nature as well as the peace and quiet the island offers. This site helped us a lot in our search, but be aware of spots that are pointed out as “romantic, nostalgic or with old features” can also indicate the utilities may be somewhat... ehm... primitive. You have to be aware and prepared that on the island a storm can be cut off by a storm or that the water supply to the cottage comes from a burn up the hill and if it has not rained for a bit, the water simply runs out.

If you are not bringing your own car you will have to depend on public transport so we recommend staying in Port Ellen or Bowmore where access to the bus is easiest. If you consider renting a bicycle be very aware the hills are steeper then they seem and the wind so much stronger then you might think. It also rains on Islay, but unlike other places we have visited, it does so horizontally (not kidding). It is much easier to plough through the torrential weather and stampedes of cows/ sheep crossings in the safety of a car.

Ok, so you are at Feis Ile. What distillery day is than the first or last on the list to visit?

Where to go for sure? Easy -> Bruichladdich and Ardbeg. They are the biggest parties during the festival and are a guarantee for a lot of fun. Bunnahabhain gets a mention on the go-to list. Good people there, throwing together a great atmosphere. 

What day to skip? We would say on the current experiences we had that would be Caol Ila. It was fun but we could not feel the passion and fun flowing around the courtyard as we did during the other distillery day festivities and we also skipped Bowmore day because, well, we are just not big Bowmore fans.

What to recommend if you only have the 3 first days, or just 1, to spend during Feis Ile?

If you can’t make it to Feis Ile for the whole festival but only the first days then make sure to have a little dance and some drams with Pinky at Lagavulin, eat some fresh fish at the Seafood Shack, do a tour at the Port Ellen maltings (only available during the festival) and end with an ‘Artisan Octomore’ burger and dram at Bruichladdich. Don’t go if you only have one day to spare for the island during Feis Ile because you will only end up changing the rest of your plans and calling in sick so you can stay the whole week to do more. The island is not that big, but it does take time to get from the one side to the other and you will want to stop to roll around in the peat bogs to make peat angels or chill at one of the beautiful white beaches. In both cases you will start banging your head against a wall in regret when you are only there for a quick visit. Quick anything and Islay do not match.

Kilchoman. Visit, yes or no?

After doing this a few times we would not recommend doing so during the festival. That is based on our own experience due to:

ZE ZHERMANZ*!

You see, first there is the small fucking road with all the potholes and when you think those are done you find more potholes as well as walls, corners you can’t look around, sheep, idiots with humongous camper vans and don’t even think of spaces to try and pass. Yes… We went there, but for us, not ever again during the festival. There are simply too many idiots that think they are on the German Autobahn so, we will pass and recommend the same for anyone thinking of going.

The best distillery tour received on Islay?

The best ever distillery tour on Islay we received was also the one we sort of gave at Laphroaig during their Feis Ile 2015 day. Sharing the #whiskyfabric passion and love and showing our friend Jo Lawson around her favourite Islay distillery was amazing. We started backwards (starting at the stills, ending not making malt angels on the malt floor), just having lots of fun and laughs. Those are the lasting memories that make our Feis Ile experiences a success. Where to wander off to for some other great tours? Go to Bruichladdich for a warm welcome, or to Ardbeg, Lagavulin or Bunnahabhain. All with their own charm, history and wonderful tour guides.

Of the people we were fortunate enough to meet on Islay, _____ stands out the most because...

The island may be called the Queen of the Hebrides, but she houses some wonderful kings and queens. We were fortunate enough to have met "La Reine de L’Alambic" (the queen of the stills) Martine Nouet before, and were invited to her house where we met Norma Munro with her golden voice. The lady with the shop besides Islay Ales sold us some amazing marmalade, and the woman in the tiny soap store in Bowmore explained in detail how we could easiest go to the young lady running Outback Arts, beyond the road to Kilchoman. We were welcomed at (almost) all of the distilleries as if we were family, were driven around the island by Bruichladdich’s own Carl Reavey and had one or two drams with our Canadian, English and Dutch friends at the house we shared with them, and last but not least, with many of the Austrian, Danish, German, Japanese, Israeli, Belgian, American, and too many other nationalities to mention #whiskyfabric friends.

Most valuable piece of advice? And something about budget…?

It sounds crazy when you know what we said so far about Islay and planning, but plan ahead as much as possible on accommodations during the festival. One year in advance is not crazy, especially when you may be coming over with a group. Keep in touch with distilleries and monitor social media about Islay and the festival program(s), and make sure you book the ferry well in advance. Don’t wait until the last minute to make arrangements and most of all: don’t try to do too many events. Take some time to breathe in the Islay air. This Islay website is not always the quickest to be up to date but gives good feedback on how and what is there.

Budget wise? Well, set a budget because you will be tempted to buy all the distillery festival bottlings, especially when you are driving your own car (trust us, we know). Set yourself a reasonable budget in advance, keep track of your purchases and stop when you reach your limit. Most important: when you buy a bottle, open it and share it, either during the festival, or back home with your friends that could not make it to come with you. Please do not sell the bottles for a quick buck, and give the wrong example.

The most surprising thing about Feis Ile and/or Islay?

Winds - 80km/h - not kidding!?

Not Feis Ile per se, but Islay - like the rest of Scotland, has some surprises up her sleeves. When you do not like the current weather or location, drive another five minutes and your surroundings will most likely have changed from the rough seashore to an (almost) Caribbean beach, including weather type. Once you have seen the colour of the Bruichladdich bottle in Loch Indaal, or the beautiful village of Portnahaven with waters dancing with shimmering sun or the forests beyond Ardbeg distillery you might know what we mean. Locals pouring you a generous dram (often at 11 in the morning), handing you a dry towel (weather permitting) or as we mentioned before experiencing the magic of the steering wheel wave, these are only things you experience when on Islay. 

Go there. As so many before us and many more to come... Make that pilgrimage, you won't regret it!

Bruichladdich Day crowd madness ;)

With love,

Thomas and Ansgar Speller

WhiskySpeller

*not just Germans, tourists in general, including ourselves.

And so I saved the best of the guest blogs about Islay/Feis Ile for last. I think Ansgar and Thomas provided the most complete list of what to do, expect and possibly experiencing if you do decide to go. But.. if you've been following along, you'll note we have all pretty much said the same thing:

1. Don't wait until the last minute to book anything (especially accommodations).

2. Expect the island to be brimming with idiots, friends, whisky and delays...  LOTS of delays.

3. Plan your days carefully as there is so much to do, see and share.

I do hope these guests blogs as well as my own musings give a better indication of what to expect when on Islay during Feis Ile. It's a magical place where anything can happen, including meeting some of your biggest whisky heroes as well new ones! 

Cheers,

Lassie