Update (2/7/2014) – Most of the bottles can be found on auction sites, so no further updates with shop links. If you find a bottle available on a web shop, let me know and I’ll update the post.
Update (2/6/2014) – I’ll update the post in the coming few days (or weeks) with shopping links where available. Be warned there are good chances it will be expensive. Also, I’m sure most of the bottles will show up in the next auctions round so you may want to try your luck there too.
The 2014 Islay Festival Feis Ile is almost upon us. It will run from 23rd to 31st of May 2014 and unfortunately I won’t be there 😦
As a whisky geek I’m very interested in the special Festival bottlings and created this post to centralize all available information on them. I’ll update this post once more details on the bottlings will be revealed.
If you look for the full festival information, go to the Festival site at islayfestival.com and you can find the full Islay Festival Distillery Programmes 2014 here
Here’s the list of Feis Ile 2014 bottlings:
Lagavulin – Open day Saturday 24th May 2014
- Lagavulin Feis Ile 2014, 54.7%, 3500 bottles, £99
Drawn from casks filled in January 1995. Matured in European Oak Sherry Butts, the liquid was personally selected by Lagavulin warehouseman Iain McArthur.
Bruichladdich – Open day on Sunday 25th May 2014
- Octomore Discovery – 69.5%, 1,695 bottles, £150
Quadruple distilled and matured for seven years in Oloroso sherry butts.
Caol Ila – Open day on Monday 26th May 2014
- Caol Ila Feis Ile 2014 – 55.5%, 1500 bottles, £99
It’s a 12 year old whisky, distilled in 2002 and bottled in 2014 from Refill American Oak Hogsheads. Will go on sale at 10am on Monday 26th May 2014. (From @IslayStudios Twitter feed. Thanks Billy for pointing me at this!)
- Buy here for £150 (Green Welly shop)
- Buy here for £137.6 (Master of Malt)
Laphroaig – Open day on Tuesday 27th May 2014
- Cairdeas 2014, 51.4%, £65
Based on the text printed on the back label it’s a double matured Laphroaig from bourbon casks and Amontillado seasoned traditional hogsheads. (Amontillado sherry is darker than Fino but lighter than Oloroso)
- Buy here for £90 (Green Welly Shop)
- Buy here for £88.3 (Master of Malt)
Bowmore – Open day on Wednesday 28th 2014
- Bowmore Feis Ile 2014 – 56,1%, 1000 Bottles, £50
1st fill American oak bourbon barrels. 700 bottles will go on sale at the Distillery Visitor Centre from 10am on Saturday 24th May. The remaining 300 bottles will go on sale on Wednesday 28th May.
- Bowmore Feis Ile 2014 1989 Vintage – 300 Bottles, £350
1989 1st fill American bourbon barrel and a 1989 1st fill French oak wine barrique
In addition there are 2 more Fill your own bottle:
Bowmore Hand-Filled Red wine cask, £100, distilled 22 July 1998, 57,1%. (SOLD OUT)
Bowmore Hand-Filled 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Cask, 49,4%, £95, distilled 1995, Cask No’1572.
Jura – Open day on Thursday 29th May 2014
- Jura Tastival – 44%, 3000 bottles, £75
A concoction of seven finishes: Jupilles, Les Bertanges, Limousin, Troncais, Allier, Vosges and American White Oak, married in Sherry butts.
- Buy here for £75 (Jura webshop, UK only)
- Buy here for £84.95 (The Whisky Exchange)
Kilchoman – Open day on Thursday 29th May 2014
- Kilchoman Feis Ile 2014, 58.7%, 525 bottles, £79.50
Matured for over 5 years in two fresh bourbon barrels and finished in a fino sherry butt for 3 months. (Picture found via Abbey Whisky Blog here). Will go on sale on Thursday 29th May.
Bunnahabhain – Open day on Friday 29th May 2014
- Dràm an Stiùreadair (The Helmsman’s Dram) – 56.7%, 632 bottles, £95
This is a 10-year-old single malt which was first matured in ex-American Bourbon casks for nine years before being finished for one year in a Marsala cask.
Westering Home – 53.4%, 301 bottles ,£250
A 17-year-old single malt matured in a rich ex-Cognac cask and then finished in a Sauternes wine cask
Ardbeg – Open day on Saturday 31st May 2014
- Ardbeg Auriverdes – 49.9%, £80
Matured in American oak casks with specially toasted cask lids which were tailor-made for this whisky.
Buy here for 155,00 €
Whisky Gospel 