More on Feis Ile... Guest opinion - the infamous Steffen Bräuner

OMG He cracks me up!!!

So in continuation with my Feis Ile review and stories it's time to share another point of view from someone who has been to Islay 5 times but this was his very first Feis Ile festival. If you don't know Steffen Bräuner, by golly please get to know him. He's probably one of the funniest if not smartest bloggers I've ever met. Here is the blog he wrote about his trip to Feis Ile for 2015:

http://danishwhiskyblog.blogspot.dk/2015/06/feis-ile-2015.html

 I also asked Steffen to answer my 10 question survey that I had sent out to a few people who attended as I felt it was important to get as many opinions (from first timers like myself and Steffen to hardcore fans) Here is what he thought:

1. Do you think every whisky geek should attend Feis Ile at least once?

"Feis Ile is one the major whisky festivals in the world. If you were to make a survey I would guess most enthusiasts will have this in their top 3. I think this already answered the question! I wouldn't go every year because I like to visit many different whisky festivals. Of course, I can't do them all every year but I come back now and again."

2. What do you think is the best option for accommodations during the festival and why?

"I feel the best option is to get a cottage. Go with a group. Bring some whisky. Invite some people over. Drink some whisky. It's quite nice if you have a private dramming place for the evenings if nothing much else is going on." 

3. What was the best distillery day for you and why? 

"This is a tough question to answer. The distillery days are more less similar. I managed to get around Caol Ila, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Ardbeg and Lagavulin. All distillery days and distilleries will have some special events, but they just sell out too fast. It would help if events capacity matched the interest.  

Laphroaig stood out for me. It had an ongoing set of mini tastings, around 5 different ones I think, if not more. All were three drams for a tenner, with different themes. These tasting went on all day and you couldn't book them in advance. But there was plenty. This was a great idea in my opinion. Laphroiag also offered the best whiskies for me and I really enjoyed all their anniversary bottlings: Cairdeas 2015, the new 15yo and the new 21yo.

Caol Ila and Lagavulin had similar events, on a much smaller scale though, where you could taste 2 or 3 casks samples in a blind tasting quiz. Also a very good idea."

4. What distillery day did you not enjoy and wouldn't recommend? 

"I didn't like Bruichladdich day at all. All events were basically sold out before they even hit the internet, and the possibilities to taste some interesting whiskies at the event were quite limited. For gods sake, take the whisky out of the events and make something fun available on the day itself as well. The few whiskies you could try were not my favourites, and for me personally I go to whisky festivals to try whiskies."

5. What did you appreciate and enjoy the most about visiting Islay?

"All the nice people I met and all the good whisky they brought along."

Our whisky hike up to the American Monument - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (I didn't forget Peter this time!!)

6. What about a visit to the youngest distillery - Kilchoman, would you recommend it? 

"I did not visit Kilchoman because… I have some issues with Kilchoman, and this trip didn't help, it just got worse. Anything they bottle not from ex-bourbon is terribly terribly sulphured for my palate (but not for most others), so this is a distillery I just can't get along with. A few odd things happened for me with this distillery as well when I was on Islay, some of them my own fault, but it all builds up to the fact that I will never be a big fan, to say it mildly."

7. What surprised you the most about this festival?

"The thing that surprised me the most about Feis Ile and/or Islay was the generosity of other festival guests, and the amazing whiskies they brought. A big part of the quality of this festival is created by the people attending."

8. What is the most valuable piece of advice you can give to someone about Feis Ile? 

"Start planning well ahead, probably 2-3 years in advance if you can because you need accommodations, which can be hard to find. I would also make sure to go with a group, as you have to spend 9-10 days on Islay if you want to experience the whole festival. That's a long time, and not much happens on Islay, which might suit some better than others. All the other times I have been to Islay was outside the festival and just 3-4 days every time, but the festival visit was my favourite."

9. Budget...?

"I don't usually do budgets but I guess the trip was cheaper than most other whisky trips I do. We didn't spend a lot of money on restaurants and bars, which, for me, has a huge impact on lowering the price of a holiday. Home cooking and private dramming can make a holiday cheap."

10. If someone said they only had one day to spend on Islay during Feis Ile  what would you recommend?

"Driving around to as many distilleries as possible to get some bottles, because… One day is way too short for Islay!! Both inside or outside of the festival dates. I would try to hit as many distilleries to get whisky. Not necessarily the festival bottling as there are a lot of other good offers. Bunnahabhain just introduced a very good 'bottle your own facility" with three casks, which in my opinion were some of the better offers. In fact these bottle your own Bunnahabhains were better than their festival bottlings. 

I would also make sure to get around the distillery day that just happens to be on the day you are there, just so you can experience the festival mood and if possible try to find in a Lagavulin Warehouse Tour. It's available outside of the festival timeline as well. I love it so much I've done it several times."

Well there it is, one of the most well travelled whisky people I know and love. It's funny how sometimes opinions can be so opposite. From my perspective I disliked Laphroaig day, loved Bruichladdich day and thought the Kilchoman day was superb!?  We agreed on a lot of the other stuff though like the kindness and generosity of other whisky enthusiasts from around the world. In the end, Steffen and I think the same which is sometimes if you simply take the focus OFF whisky, some pretty amazing things happen that usually involve fantastic whiskies...  Go figure!? All I can add to what Steffen thinks is that for me, Steffen, Bryan and yes Peter (I always seem to forget that poor guy) MADE my Feis Ile quite a special and amazing visit. I highly suggest you go with a group of people you like and bring out the best in whisky and friendships!

Here's to the lovely people we meet during the festivals we attend and may those friendships continue to grow over the years! I personally cannot wait to Spirit of Speyside where I will get to see many of the same people I hung out with at Feis!
May your whisky adventure be as full and wonderful as mine! I have a few more Feis Ile reviews to post. Up next was my day on Jura which was one of the most unforgettable days on my Scotland trip and a review from Ansgar and Thomas Speller, whisky writers/bloggers from the Netherlands. 

Huzzah my fine whisky fiends!!!

Lassie

Fèis ìle - Guest blogger Peter Moser from Friends of Single Malts (FoSM)

Why should you only hear what my opinions are about Fèis ìle after all it was my very first time and there are 1000's of people that go to this festival every year. Wouldn't it be to your benefit and mine to hear/see what other thought as well?  WELL OF COURSE of course it would silly!!!!  

So I devised a plan where I would contact people that I met while on Islay and ask them 10 simple questions. They are from all walks of life, background and nationalities. The first person to answer me was Peter Moser. We actually met on the very last day in the Ardbeg Warehouse tour where we enjoyed a very old dram together while we walked around exploring. 

Peter (@MrSingleMalt) writes for: www.fosm.de  which is not in English but has a decent translator so I mostly make sense of what he loves to write about, which in case you didn't know is whisky! So here are the 10 questions I asked Peter about Islay and what he thought...

"Islay was always a place I wanted to go and never did. Eight working distilleries on a tiny little island and a ninth just on the next island called Jura. It is not only the number of distilleries but as well the landscape and people that brought me back after my first visit in 2012. This year was my third visit and it will not be my last. All three times I was joining new and old friends for the Feis Ile – the Whisky Festival on Islay.

1. Do you think every whisky geek should attend Feis Ile at least once and if so why?

Definitely and then see if they can actually resist coming back. I have met a lot of people since I have visited Islay 11 to 14 times and some of them love the island so much they have moved there part or full time. Decide for yourself but be prepared, it's addictive!


2. In your opinion, what is the best option during during Feis Ile for accommodations?

There is not too much available as far as luxury accommodations but the rest has a varied range. So it really depends on your budget and the lead time to get what you really want. Staying with a group in a self catering cottage can be a lot of fun, but most of them are outside of the villages so someone has to drive. I found a B&B in Bowmore and have stayed there ever since. They treat me like family and when you are a first timer they tell you a lot about the island, the people and since they know many of the locals they can arrange things for you. If you have a tent or a caravan you might be lucky enough to stay directly on the grounds of some of the distilleries if you ask them nicely.


3. What distillery day do you think is the best?

This is a hard one. There is no 'THE' best but if I have to choose one it would be Ardbeg. I will also mention that you should not miss Bruichladdich either. Ardbeg has the best day program for all levels of people which includes more than just pre-booked events. They do a great job at providing entertainment for everybody. These are the only two distillery days where I stay on the grounds for the full day. 

4. What things did you appreciate and enjoy the most about visiting Islay and why?

It is a magical island and it's not as simple as stating one thing. Visiting Islay the second time was a bit like coming home. I cannot describe it any better and there are several people I have spoken to with the same feelings. It’s a lot about the landscapes. Light and shadow, sun and rain (even hail showers), distilleries, whisky, meeting friends, finding new friends and lovely local people.


5. What restaurants would you recommend for quality, service and/or price?

There are several with new ones popping up every year. One new one for me was the Lochindaal Hotel Restaurant in Port Charlotte. We had a group reservation (Highly recommend doing that) and we ate some fantastic fresh seafood platters. Just perfect.

6. Of all the people you were fortunate enough to meet on Islay, who stood out the most? 

I could easily choose several like Jim McEwan, Mickey Heads, Georgie Crawford, John McLellan or John Campbell. All great people to meet. Same to a lot of local characters but the one that has impressed me most is Jackie Thomson (Visitor Center Manager at Ardbeg). On my second year visiting Islay she recognized my face and asked me “I’ve seen you before. What’s your name?”. I told her and since then she has greeting me by name every time. She meets thousands of people every year! But to be honest it was quite impressive to meet somebody like her.

7. If someone only had the three first days to visit Islay during Feis Ile, what would you recommend and why?

Buy a bottle at Lagavulin Open Day (Saturday). They will have their 200 years anniversary next year and will bottle something very special. Say “Hello” to Georgie Crawford. Then drive further on to Ardbeg, eat in their nice Kiln Café and say “Hello” to Jackie. Go on in direction Kildalton Cross but stop before entering the woods. There will be Seals on the rocks. Take a break. Go on to Kildalton Cross and appreciate the history you will find there. Then further on to Ardtalla and down to the beach. On your way back visit Laphroaig. Have a nice dinner at one of lovely local restaurants. You can repeat this the other two days, but on Sunday there is Bruichladdich open day. Very good option to choose. If you are lucky you booked (be quick and book really early!) a masterclass ticket. It might be different next year but I’m sure they will give you a great time. The rest of the day will be full of drinks, eating, music and a lot of talks. You can take your own distillery tour and just go through Bruichladdich on this day. This is very unique. If you did not have enough distillery visits yet, you can visit all the others. You can have some nature walks instead – beaches or the Oa with the American Monument. Be prepared: there is enough you can do that will not fit in your three days.

8. What has been the best distillery tour you received on Islay and why? 

From the standard tours I would say Laphroaig as they do have their own malting floors and you can go into their kiln even if it is “on fire”. There are a lot of special tours at some distilleries and they are always changing over the years. One I really can recommend is “Deconstructing the dram” at Ardbeg. You end up in Warehouse 3 and “rebuild” there standards with cask samples. Great experience. My personal best one was a whole Shift at Ardbeg, but this was a once in a lifetime event.

9. Did you visit Kilchoman and would you recommend it? 

It is at the moment (till Gartbreck is finished) the only Farm Distillery on Islay. It is small and is doing its own floor maltings. Keep in mind you need some kind of transportation to get there as it is quite remote and there is no public transit. Also in that area is some lovely scenery at Machir and Saligo Bay. Be prepared for a bad narrow road and a busy place during the open day.

10. After your first visit to Feis Ile the most valuable piece of advice  you can give is what?

Plain and simple: Don’t go there if you are thinking it's a once in a lifetime trip! If you do not follow my advice chances are might get addicted and go back and back and back".

Thank you Peter for sharing your thoughts with us. It's pleasing to know that you and I share many of the same opinions and would give the same advice when it comes to Islay. I totally agree that once you've been it's highly addictive and the very first thought you have after you drive off the ferry is: "When can I come back"?

Stay tuned for my adventure to Jura... It was another fantastic highlight that I can't wait to share!
Until then... Islay time calls you.

Fèis íle - Part 2, Bruichladdich throws down a proper hoedown!!!

I must have heard it a hundred times: "You are going to Fèis ìle! Oh you can't miss Bruichladdich day!" I would look at the festival's schedule and honestly Bruichladdich Day didn't seem all that different than the other distillery days listed? Music, tastings, food, tours and special distillery bottling over the course of one day. Ok? So what was the big deal...

People started to warn me about getting tickets the minute they went on sale. There would be a tasting in the warehouse with Jim McEwan for 400 people. Ok, surely there would be tickets available for that? Seriously... how popular could that one day be over the rest. Turns out... PLENTY!

I was still skeptical and apparently didn't really understand what we were getting ourselves into. I started asking a few 'veterans' what exactly was so special about Bruichladdich day? The answer was as plain as the nose on my face it seemed? It's one of the first days of the festival, most of the locals attend (they don't attend many of the other days apparently) AND it's the best day of the festival. Again, in the back of my mind I was thinking 'really... the best?' So once more, skepticism in hand I asked my friend Martine who lives there: "Which distillery open day should I ensure I don't miss?" and without hesitation she answered Bruichladdich. That sealed it (I'm a bit stubborn it seems... ;)

By February 2015 the online banter was growing to a fever pitch and I found myself caught up in it as well. Discussions were taking place in Facebook groups, private forums and between many whisky enthusiasts worldwide. I... was ready! Tickets ordered and day planned, I blew across my credit card like it was a smoking gun! Smug I was, but impatient because the trip was still 3 full months away. I've already discussed day one of my arrival to Islay:  Part 1

So I'm going to skip over day 2 as a few things will be mentioned in a later post about it and go straight to day 3 - BRUICHLADDICH DAY. We woke up that morning and already there was 'a six kids waiting to open their Christmas presents atmosphere' in the cottage. So excited were some of us that we could barely sit long enough to even have breakfast. Showered, dressed and ready at the door at 9:00am with our backpacks, cameras, tickets and flags (yes our country's flag). As mentioned in part 1, we were within stumbling, errr I mean walking distance of Bruichladdich. The Spellers left first and the four of us followed shortly thereafter. 

As we turned on to the main road we were greeted or should I say we greeted friends like Klaus Doblmann (@MaltKlaus), http://dokla.net/dailydram/ and his brother Johannes (@johndoblmann) and walked to the distillery in step. It may sound odd to people who are not enthusiasts but starting the day with a whisky tasting in a warehouse is like telling a chocoholic they get 3 hours in the world's most best chocolate shop... But I digress! We arrived at the distillery and made our way up the hill by following the stream of people doing the same thing. 

There were flags from all fours corners of the earth as we all marched in to the sounds of country music blaring over the speakers. I saw people from Japan, New Zealand, USA, Germany and Australia. Truly a worldwide representation of people attending this event. Bruichladdich staff decked out in their finest cowboy gear and the warehouse was decorated to the very top of the walls. Banners, photos, stage set up, camera crews and wall to wall people! I had never seen anything like it?!  It took about an hour but eventually all 400 of us were seated and the morning began. I think Graham summed it up best when he said: "Jim McEwan came in and was greeted like he was a southern baptist minister". People were on their feet waving their hands, clapping, singing, whistling and hundreds of cameras were taking photos. The place was on fire like a true barn burner! (My apology to you "city folk" who don't know what that is?!)

What followed was a full 3 hours of stories, whiskies, songs and a fantastic way to start off Bruichladdich day. My favourite pick of the six whiskies we were fortunate enough to try: Bruichladdich 1984, Ex-bourbon cask. 51.5% ABV. (My daughter's birth year as well)

Nose: Rich tropical fruit salad. Hints of coconut with a subtle honeyed vanilla in the backdrop. On the palate: Powerful, bold an quite punchy! Lovely oily mouth feel, smooth and sweet. The finish had a lemon meringue pie quality that lingered. Really a lovely dram and great way to start the tasting (that's right we started with the oldest whisky first)

Like all good things, it was over before we knew it and it was time to head down to the rest of the festivities. 

The courtyard was set up with a large stage/sitting area, there were tents filled with drams to try, food trucks were parked on the other side waiting to feed the hungry masses, music was in the air, people were mingling and the lineup to get into the shop was long but moving quickly. After a three hour session one must eat... and eat I did. I started with langoustines, fresh crab legs and when that didn't satisfy the belly, I moved on to meat on a bun smothered in hot sauce. Fully fueled, we continued to walk around the grounds to meet people, enjoy the day and drink plenty of whisky. Somewhere in the festivities, some of us were called up on stage and introduced as #whiskyfabric women and we were most fortunate to have our photo taken with Mr. McEwan. And as you can see from the photo, the courtyard was packed! 

The rest of the day was spent wandering around, dancing, meeting people, sharing drams and having a fantastic time. 

Now... for the important lessons I learned that day. 

One: I will always, forever, exude my #whiskyfabric motto. What does that mean? Well in the event you live under a rock... ;) I am part of a larger fabric of people from all walks of life that exists in a passionate brother/sister hood of all things whisky.

Several times during the course of that day I enjoyed greeting, meeting, hugging, embracing, sharing moments in one capacity or the other.

Case in point: While at the warehouse whisky tasting, a young man was sitting next to Graham. He was fairly quiet but we noticed he was wearing a jacket with the name of the tall ship (Thalassa) that was tied up at the wharf in front of the distillery so of course we struck up a conversation with him (sailors/whisky, woot woot!!) He was very happy to be there but mentioned his dad (skipper) would have loved to have been there as well. So, I pulled out a few sample bottles and said: "I'm not drinking some of these so if you want to bring a few to your dad, we can fill them up".  So, between the three of us we filled 3 sample bottles for the skipper.  He thanked us and we didn't see him later around the grounds.

BUT... when we left at the end of the day, I said to Graham: "Do you want to go down to the wharf and see Thalassa up close"...  Duhhhhh!  So away we went, walking down to the water's edge to admire the beautiful tall ship. It's a privately owned/operated vessel so we simply watched from the dock and took a few pictures when low and behold the same young man recognized us and motioned for us to come forward. We talked for a few minutes, I gave him a few more whisky samples and he took a quick look around and said: "Would you like to come on board for a few minutes and get a quick tour"...  Graham's eyes lit up like a little kid at Christmas and the next thing I knew we were touring the entire ship. We entered the wheelhouse and were introduced to the skipper who thanked us profusely for the whisky samples (he doesn't get to go onshore much because of his job/responsibility to the chartered guests). Then the schedule clock ticked down and they had to leave. We disembarked, thanked the young man yet again for his kindness to which he replied: "Simply paying back the kindness you bestowed upon me". 

So, don't ever underestimate the kindness that you pass along as a #whiskyfabric weaver!

Lesson Number Two: After spending an entire day of being enveloped in the kindness and whisky spirit at Bruichladdich, we decided to go to supper with the Spellers at the Bridgend Hotel: http://bridgend-hotel.com/. As mentioned in part 1, everything is full to capacity during Fèis ìle so we knew we were taking a chance going without a reservation. We arrived and the hostess advised they didn't have anything available at the moment but seated us in the lounge and we ordered drinks. 

We proceeded to blather on about the day and how perfect it was. Then for some reason (I can't remember now) Graham went online to look something up when an email popped up. Now, fair to say, my partner isn't the type to get emotional or overreact so when he gasped out loud, went white as a sheet and was speechless I knew something horrible had happened. All he could do was pass me the phone and I read the devastating news. A founding member of our local whisky society and very good friend has passed away. The very difficult part was that he had recently been given the all clear after a two year battle with bowel cancer. 

Robert had gone back to work and was healthy as a horse when we left on May 15th... Eight very short days later he was gone. 

I sat half a world away, crippled in shock and sadness thinking of his wife Daphne, our friends, our society members. Robert Rae was the first member to pass away in the 5 years that we have existed as a society. 

Graham and I regained our composure and I can't speak for him but the rest of that night was spent hanging on every word that Ansgar said to me. I watched as Thomas devoured his meal with gusto and noticed how his eyes lit up when he and Graham dove into the plate of oysters. The art in the room seemed bold and even more beautiful. It was as though all of my senses suddenly seemed heightened. I was entranced in the fact that I had lost someone that was very dear to us but yet at the same time drinking in every aspect of the evening with two very good friends. Right down to how orange the carrots seemed in Graham's plate. Might sound silly, but that's how it truly felt...

We thanked our lovely hostess for sneaking us in that night. If ever you go to Islay, I highly recommend you go to Bridgend for at least one meal (we loved it so much we went for two... ;) The service there is absolutely stupendous and the food was utterly delightful and delicious.

Back at the cottage, Graham pulled out some Ardbeg and the four or us toasted Bob (it was his favourite whisky) as we sat in silence for a moment in the remembrance of friends, whisky and memories made. 

So please, remember to appreciate every day of your life as some will never have had the greatest gift of growing old...

Dr. Robert E. Rae (1953-2015) 

I will always remember Bruichladdich day as the best of Fèis ìle for several reasons. The distillery day left me wanting for nothing: Great whisky, a sense of community commitment, friends, kindness, exuberance of being alive and appreciation for every single moment may it be fantastic or devastatingly sad.

A toast to Jim, may you actually stay retired this time. A toast to those who have gone before us, may we remember how they touched our lives for as long as we live and lift your glasses this evening and toast repeatedly the friends that surround us now and make us the people we are...  

These people crack me up.... and I love them very much for it!!!

Thank you Bruichladdich for giving me exactly what everyone had said I would get: A huge Islay welcome and one of the most unforgettable days spent on our trip.




Lassie