Author Archives: Tim F
Islay Festival Day Ten: Aftermath
Day 10: A Kick In The Ballochs… Bang on 7am and our alarm clock blasts into action, as welcoming a sound as a prize festival bottling smashing on a stone floor and the accompanying ‘yelp’ of despair. Last night was … Continue reading
Islay Festival Day Nine: Ardbeg
The Malty-Millionaires…. Holiday: n: ‘A day free from work that one may spend at leisure, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate a particular event’ 7.30am: Joel’s … Continue reading
Islay Festival Day Eight: Kilchoman and Bunnahabhain
A bunch of prize tossers It was another early start on Friday as we had a lot of ground to cover. First up was a 9.30am tasting at Islay’s newest distillery, Kilchoman, where we were shown around by deputy manager … Continue reading
Islay Festival Day Seven: Laphroaig
Day Seven “Can I throw my apple-core in the sea?” Ahhh! A rare lie-in for the bloggers with just an 11am start to our day. Bliss! Today was another day of tastings and we were very much focused on Laphroaig, … Continue reading
Islay Festival Day Six: Bowmore & Port Ellen
Jeepers, these tastings just keep getting earlier and earlier! The alarm goes off at 7.30 and we’re blearily making tea and filling bowls of sugar puffs before leaving at 8.45 to our first tasting at Bowmore. Last year’s festival bottling … Continue reading
TWE Shipments to Sweden suspended
I just got this message from my colleagues back at TWE Towers in Park Royal, asking me to announce the following on the blog: “It is with regret to inform our Swedish friends that shipping to Sweden has been stopped … Continue reading
Islay Festival Day Five: Ardbeg and Laphroaig
Day 5 –there’s no way a Chinchilla can play drums like that…. After shaking the bed out to check for any errant sand fleas that might have escaped the heel of a brogue the night before, our team assembled around the … Continue reading
Islay Festival Day Four: Caol Ila
Day Four – Shame, Sunsets and Sandfleas Today was all about Caol Ila. After watching Newcastle and ‘Boro crash out from the Premiership on Sunday night we were in high spirits on the way up to the distillery – despite … Continue reading
Islay Whisky Festival: Day Three – Bruichladdich
The weather had improved incredibly after Saturday’s wash out, so onwards to the Bruichladdich open day. Speaking to Jim McEwan the night before, the last 8 years of festivals have remained sunny for the distillery’s open day, so all fingers … Continue reading
Islay Festival Day Two: Lagavulin & Ardbeg
The 6.30 wake up call resonated through our ears like plates being dropped in a restaurant; initial shock followed by reluctant applause. But you get on with enjoying your lot and pay your bill at the end. And a reasonable … Continue reading
Islay Festival 2009: Day One
Islay Day One Day 1- Well, this is it. Over 6 months of planning and many excited emails, the 22nd of May has arrived – our first day on the trek towards Islay and 2009′s Feis Ile. This year’s reports … Continue reading
Tasting Notes: Suntory Hibiki 12 Years Old
Right, time is cracking on on Friday afternoon, so I’ll make this brief. After a splendid tasting by Suntory at TWE Vinopolis on Wednesday night I was rather disappointed that the 12 year-old Hibiki (which I’d tasted at Whisky Live … Continue reading
Great post! Looks like an absolute ripper of an ev...