The Home Gathering in Bowmore Hall last Saturday saw the launch of a unique bottle to celebrate the big anniversary. Speaking to the Ileach, Master Distiller Jim McEwan said: “The distilleries wanted to come together and join in the celebrations of this momentous event. We have created a unique vatted malt using whisky from all eight of Islay’s iconic brands. I was keen to make this a truly memorable dram, with its own particular character and made a conscious decision to avoid creating something that could be compared to the magnificent, heavily peated “Pillage” malt.

To do this, I have used the (in)famous X4 as the Bruichladdich element. This is the dram inspired by the ancient, powerful, ‘Perilous Whisky’ about which Martin Martin wrote in 1695: “One sip and you live forever, two sips you go blind, three sips and you expire on the spot”. Happily, the X4 is tempered by its elegant colleagues in this instance, and the finished product presented at a more civilised 50% abv. I am absolutely delighted by the result. “We have produced just 150 individually numbered bottles, some of which have been distributed to each distillery. Only one bottle will be sold at the Home Gathering. Bottle number 1 has been sold by auction to the highest bidder. “Apart from number 1, the bottles are priced at an extraordinary £120 - with all proceeds going to charity, to the Glasgow Islay Association to be disbursed as they see fit.” For more info visit the Glasgow Islay website

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