The rain-lashed isle of Islay off Scotland’s west coast is not always easy to get to. Temperamental ferries run three times a day from the mainland port of Kennacraig and frequent sea mists can disrupt the small passenger planes that fly daily from Glasgow. Even so, the island attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world each year. What do they come for? Whisky. . The distinctive smoky flavor of its single malt has won it fans globally.
But these days the industry is thriving, with multinational companies such as Diageo and Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy buying up some of Islay’s historic brands. This new dawn of whisky distilling has also brought some new contenders. Kilchoman, founded in 2005, was the first distillery to be built on Islay in 124 years. It was followed by Ardnahoe in 2018, and this year or next, Portintruan and Port Ellen distillery, both currently under construction, are expected to open.