Feis Ile 2008

[Newbie]

Feis Ile 2008

Is anyone attending this year? I might be going on Sun 25th and Mon 26th. If so I want to make the most of my time on Islay!

Which distillery's/events are worth visiting? Are the managers tours worth the premium over the regular tours?

Are there any special bottlings/shops I look out for?

This would be a once in a life time oppourtunity for me, I really don't want to miss out on anything if I go. Also please feel free to provide any other advice that you may have. I'll be driving and then catching the ferry from Kennacraig.

[Willie JJ]

All the special tours have to be booked in advance and if there were any places left at this stage I would be amazed.

Monday is the Caol Ila open day and there are some tastings. That might be your best bet of getting something that is not full, but don't hold your breath.

Sunday is Bruichladdich and Jim's session is definitely full.

I think you just need to go along to the distilleries and see what is happening.

I will be arriving on the 26th so might see you.

The festival homepage is here:

http://www.feis.streamlinenettrial.co.uk/

Cheers

[bobbyb]

Would agree that everything will be fully booked by now,although Bruichladdich have put on an extra master class at 3.30pm on the sunday,so if your quick.

Contact:- ella@bruichladdich.com

bobbyb

[vitara7]

well, like previous years, i shall be popping over. im over from the sat til the tuesday, and again staying at the oystercatcher in PE, its a lovely wee B&B.

anyone else is going, give me a shout.

[Spirit of Islay]

Which ferry are you getting over on the Saturday Vitara7 ?
We're over on the usual 1pm from Kenna .

You'll be struggling to get on any of the specials Newbie .
On the Sunday it's Laddie day , they usually have just turn up tours on the day , Richard from LFW has been known to turn up and do his own version of a tour......
The only other place open on the Sunday will be Ardbeg i think .
On the Monday everywhere should be open though in the past Laddie has closed after their open day (for the staff to recover !) .
On the Monday night if you're still around the Whisky nosing Competition in Port Ellen is fun , plus it gives you a chance to talk to a lot of the distilleries as they are represented at it .

[vitara7]

im on the 7.30 ferry. that way im on the island for 9.30 ready to hoover up the goodies

heading down to springbank on the friday during the day and staying at tarbert on the friday night.

[Newbie]

Thanks for the advice guys!

I've never been to a distillery before so a regular tour will suit me just fine! Apart from Bruichladdich it looks like I'll have to cram everything into Monday

My plan is to go the Caol Ila open day in the morning and then down to Port Ellen to visit Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin. What do you think of my intinerary? Anything else to do on a Sunday night, any tastings scheduled?

Now all I need to do is find me a designated driver...

[Spirit of Islay]

There's this on the Sunday night.....

Sunday 25th May at 9pm

A nightcap in the Friends of Laphroaig lounge.

£10 per person

Everyone is welcome to come along - the more the merrier.

Taste ome familiar Laphroaig's and couple you don't know about.

15 years/Quarter Cask/"Cairdeas" - Festival 2008 bottling/and one other special bottle.

Or there's the Ceilidh at Portnahaven .

[Wave]

im on the 7.30 ferry. that way im on the island for 9.30 ready to hoover up the goodies

heading down to springbank on the friday during the day and staying at tarbert on the friday night.

I stayed in Tarbert several years ago just before taking the ferry over for the Feis in '04. Tarbert was having their annual yacht race that same weekend and the pubs were over packed!


Cheers and good luck!

[vitara7]

yip, its been the same the last few years ive been going. but the good thing is, with the crowds come lots of rather nice and quite well off eye candy

[Spirit of Islay]

Newbie ,
If you're around Ardbeg at lunch time on the Monday , Me and the wife will be down there for lunch .

Will anyone be at the Whisky Nosing Comp in Port Ellen on the Monday night , i know Willie was talking about trying to get to it and i'll be there .

[Newbie]

Newbie ,
If you're around Ardbeg at lunch time on the Monday , Me and the wife will be down there for lunch .

Will anyone be at the Whisky Nosing Comp in Port Ellen on the Monday night , i know Willie was talking about trying to get to it and i'll be there .

Thanks for the tip regarding Laphroaig, it sounds excellent!

I would definitely love to do lunch at the legendary Old Kiln but I'll be trying to fit 4-5 distillery visits in on that Monday and would hate to stand you up because I got sidetracked elsewhere.

I'll have to plan my visit properly (not 100% sure I can make it yet...) and let you know! But it would be nice to meet up with some forum members!

[Willie JJ]

I think that 4-5 distillery visits is hugely ambitous. You will be running about like a loony, even if the distilleries' tour times can accomodate such a plan. You would be better to pick a max of 3 and enjoy them more IMO. That will already be quite a lot and the time will be gone before you know it.

I will definitely be aiming for the nosing comp on Monday night, but don't know what shape I will be in as we are getting the 7.00am from Kennacraig on Monday morning which means we have to be there no later than 6.15 and it is about a three and a half hour drive. I don't know why I keep doing it to myself .

See you there.

[Spirit of Islay]

I think 4-5 is near impossible to be true , like i told you in the PM Newbie doing the Kildalton 3 in a day is hard without throwing any others in , especially as i've just remembered that there's a special tour at Ardbeg in the afternoon (Managers , 2.30pm , fully booked ! ) , i would ring up to see what the tours are on the Monday at all the distilleries .
When Harry (Pulley) came over from Canada last summer for a few days he only managed Laphroaig (10.15am) and Ardbeg (2.30pm) on the first day and Bruichladdich on the second day with me acting as chauffeur as he also wanted to sample some of the rest of the isle .
I take it you're getting the 6pm ferry back from Port Ellen ?
I found these tour times on an Islay leaflet , don't know if they'll be the same during the festival......
Ardbeg - 10.30 ,12.30 , 13.30 , 15.00
Lagavulin - 9.30 , 11.15 , 14.30
Laphroaig - 10.15 , 14.15
Bowmore - 10.00, 11.00 , 14.00 , 15.00
Kilchoman - 11.00 , 1500 .
Bunnahabhain - 10.00 , 14.00 , 15.15
Caol Ila - haven't put them down as i think they have to be pre-booked on the monday (ring 01496 302760 to find out ).
Bear in mind the roads aren't the same as the mainland and it's quite a dash from the North (Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila) to the south ( Kildalton ones) .And Kilchoman is way out on a limb from these......

Willie , Looking forward to meeting you on Islay !
I've done the over-nighter to get the 7am ferry (had to leave about 10pm the night before....) , it can be a killer !
Rather you than me , but i still have to leave at 4.30am to get the 1pm ferry......

[Newbie]

Thanks Willie and Gordon!

All the info is most useful! Looks like Bruichladdich on Sunday. I'll have to do a quickie at Caol Ila on Monday morning and then to Ardbeg and Laphroaig (Lagavulin if possible)!

I wish could go longer but work commitments means I can only do two days. Fingers crossed that everything else falls into place so I can actually go!

[Spirit of Islay]

I know we're not there yet but The one thing i'm really disappointed in this year is the Bunnahabhain Festival Bottling , not the bottle itself , a rather tasty sounding 1986 21yo from 2 butts/512 bottles but the price . At £219 a bottle i think BSD has over-estimated the value .Yes £219 , not a typo Error !
I won't be buying one this year at that price , i don't know who came up with that price (not the actual distillery.....) but if they've looked at what happens on E-bay etc and took it from there , there's no way is it worth that much as a drinking Souvenir of the festival .I've thoroughly enjoyed all the previous Bunnie Festival bottlings but it doesn't look like i'm going to get to enjoy this one .
The 1981Single cask Port Ellen at £99.99 a bottle looks an absolute steal !
I hope BSD sees sense over the next week........

Anyone going to take up a bottle ?

[Willie JJ]

At £219 a bottle i think BSD has over-estimated the value .Yes £219 , not a typo Error !

Gordon, yesterday I was told that the new 10yo Ledaig will be launched in the UK at £40ish. I think BSD have completely lost the plot. Somebody in the marketing department has been looking at ebay, right enough.

[vitara7]

yeh lillian sent me the email about the price last week and i was a bit taken aback.

if i remember rightly, was the reason they only done 190 bottles because the year before, they couldnt shift the 14yo of which they had about 550 bottles, and were sitting on them for many months.

i think theres a bit many of them and at that price, cant see them going fast... i got one last year, but wont be getting one this year.

[Willie JJ]

That's the thing that makes it so incomprehensible v7. There were 761 bottles of the 2006, but it was only £60 or so. This year's bottling is also large at 500+ and with that price they will still be trying to shift it in 2018 IMO.

Marketing madness.

[Spirit of Islay]

I would have went for it if it had been about £120-£130 , but priced £60 - £70 above the 25yo i'd rather go for the 25yo ( which i don't have ) but i thought was slightly expensive next to the excellent XVIII .
Someone must really rate their whisky in the head office if they think this is worth £219 , Ledaig 10 is worth £40 (the NAS were drinkable but nothing to write home about ) .
Maybe the person selling the 2 casks of Deanstons on the other part of the forum should offer them to the Head Office , they'd get a fortune for them.......

[Willie JJ]

The expensive Bunnie is now available on the website:



http://www.bunnahabhain.com/detail.html?itemId=392&categoryId=1

[Newbie]

I've sorted my trip to Islay

Will be at Bruichladdich on Sunday!

Then on Monday I'll be at Laphroaig in the morning and Ardbeg in the afternoon (doing the regular tours)!

Also found out Bowmore are doing a feis ile bottling of an 8 year old for £80!! Might give the bunna and the bowmore a miss...

Looking forward to this very much! Since I've missed out on the special tours/open days is there anyway I can get to try some different/special whisky on the regular tours - a secret handshake perhaps

[Willie JJ]

Also found out Bowmore are doing a feis ile bottling of an 8 year old for £80!! Might give the bunna and the bowmore a miss...

I've just figured it out! Last year's Bowmore was a 7yo for £70, this year's is an 8 yo for £80. That's £10/year. Bunnahabhain have adopted the same policy; a 21yo for £219. Presumably the extra £9 is just a bit of oneupmanship.

Don't they all know that last year's Bowmore is still sitting on the shelves?

[Deactivated Member]

is there anyway I can get to try some different/special whisky on the regular tours - a secret handshake perhaps

The thing with different/special whiskies is that they are the gift of the distiller, not an entitlement for the customer. They are nice when they are given - and it is usually a pleasant surprise - but you have lost nothing when (as is usually the case) you do not get anything extra.

In my experience there are a few things you can do to enhance your chances:

1: own a whisky shop
2: purchase for a whisky bar
3: purchase serious amounts of expensive whisky from the distillery (it's easier to get a taste from a bottle you have already bought or are about to buy)
4: know the person doing the offering
5: talk intelligently about the nose and flavour of the regular stuff

Introducing yourself as Newbie might be counterproductive.

[Newbie]

In my experience there are a few things you can do to enhance your chances:

1: own a whisky shop
2: purchase for a whisky bar
3: purchase serious amounts of expensive whisky from the distillery (it's easier to get a taste from a bottle you have already bought or are about to buy)
4: know the person doing the offering
5: talk intelligently about the nose and flavour of the regular stuff

Introducing yourself as Newbie might be counterproductive.

Nick that post is hilarious - rofl

1: Don't own a whisky shop (don't even sell on ebay!)
2: Whisky bar - Kinda, my friends think my house is one where you don't need to pay...
3: I have trouble purchasing small amounts of inexpensive whisky
4: Can I serve myself...
5: Nick you know that I don't do anything intelligently

Even my name works against me, I am buggered aren't I?

[Spirit of Islay]

I've just figured it out! Last year's Bowmore was a 7yo for £70, this year's is an 8 yo for £80. That's £10/year.

Was there not a 6yo for £60 the year before last ?
Last December there were still 7yo's on the shelves , loads of them , think Bunnahabhain might have the same problem this year.......

[Spirit of Islay]

Heres some questions for you (well except those that read the forum on my site , who will already know the answers) .
When was the first Feis ile bottling done ?
Who done it ?
What was the year of Distillation of the bottle and its age ?

[corbuso]

I know we're not there yet but The one thing i'm really disappointed in this year is the Bunnahabhain Festival Bottling , not the bottle itself , a rather tasty sounding 1986 21yo from 2 butts/512 bottles but the price . At £219 a bottle i think BSD has over-estimated the value .Yes £219 , not a typo Error !
Anyone going to take up a bottle ?

£216 for a 21YO Bunna? I will probably get a dram in Bowmore to give it a try, but I can't afford to buy it. On the other hand, I will go and shop in Caol Ila (need another "Caol Ila at the Distillery only" bottling on top of the PE), at Lagavulin. At Bruichladdich, can we hope to have some Octmore as valinch?
I will be flying to Islay this Friday and will fly back on Tuesday morning, after having participated to the Bruichladdich Master class, tasting & nosing at Lagavuling, visiting PE maltings and going to the Ardbeg Manager's tour.
Hope we will have the same weather as last year.
BR

[Spirit of Islay]

At Bruichladdich, can we hope to have some Octmore as valinch?

in a word No.........

........after having participated to the Bruichladdich Master class, visiting PE maltings and going to the Ardbeg Manager's tour.

Hi Corbuso ,
So i'll see you at Jims Masterclass , on the Monday Maltings tour and at The Old Kiln for Lunch then ?
Just a normal Feis Ile then.....

[Deactivated Member]

Looking forward to heading over for this years Feis. Going over Sunday-Monday this year due to the ferry being fully booked by the time i got holidays etc sorted.

Anyone got any bottles in mind which may sell particularly well this year?

Rumour has it, the 21 year old Bunnahabhain is only £197 at the distillery!! The question remains, will the other 511 bottles sell!!

If anyone cannot make the trip this year and would like anything in particular taken back for their collection let me know, im sure we can come to an arrangement

[les taylor]

Hi FeisIslay and welcome to the forums. If you could smuggle a Corryvreckan out that would be handy. I hope you enjoy your time over there.

[corbuso]

At Bruichladdich, can we hope to have some Octmore as valinch?

in a word No.........

........after having participated to the Bruichladdich Master class, visiting PE maltings and going to the Ardbeg Manager's tour.

Hi Corbuso ,
So i'll see you at Jims Masterclass , on the Monday Maltings tour and at The Old Kiln for Lunch then ?
Just a normal Feis Ile then.....

Hi Gordon,
It is going to be a shorter Feis Ile for me, since I will be leaving on Tuesday morning. But see you then on Sunday and Monday and for lunch at the Old kin. Normally, food is provided at the maltings as part of the tour, so I might just take a pastry at the Old kiln.
See you soon.
Patrick

[Deactivated Member]

Hi FeisIslay and welcome to the forums. If you could smuggle a Corryvreckan out that would be handy. I hope you enjoy your time over there.

Hi Les,

Thanks for the welcome

I actually have a couple of Corryvreckans already. Bought one to drink, and one for my collection. However, i could be convinced to lay off the drink slightly and sell one. (think il do enough drinking at the Feis to last me a lifetime!!)

[martin grant]

I actually have a couple of Corryvreckans already. Bought one to drink, and one for my collection. However, i could be convinced to lay off the drink slightly and sell one. (think il do enough drinking at the Feis to last me a lifetime!!)

A wee bit of skullduggery perhaps?

[Deactivated Member]

I actually have a couple of Corryvreckans already. Bought one to drink, and one for my collection. However, i could be convinced to lay off the drink slightly and sell one. (think il do enough drinking at the Feis to last me a lifetime!!)

A wee bit of skullduggery perhaps?

Not at all Martin, just saying i dont mind selling one of mine to a fellow collector. Hence my offer to bring back some bottles for those who cannot make it this year.

A man can only have so much whisky in his collection before the girl starts to moan about the space its taking up!!