Ardbeg Smokiverse explores a new high gravity dimension

Islay-based Ardbeg Distillery has unveiled Ardbeg Smokiverse – its new limited-edition release to mark Ardbeg Day 2025, which takes place on Saturday 31st May as the finale to Feis Ile (Islay’s globally-renowned ten-day Festival of Music and Malt). Ardbeg Smokiverse experimental malt has been crafted using high gravity mashing. Utilising a series of unconventional distilling techniques,…

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The Machrie

The Machrie: On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me… the gift of golf Nestled in the dunes of a pristine seven-mile beach on the Hebridean island of Islay lies The Machrie, a modern, relaxed hotel with a world-class golf links, where the finest Scottish produce and warmest of welcomes await.…

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A gripping tale with a murder mystery on Islay

A gripping, gruesome tale of five corpses that are dug up by a peatcutter on Islay. The pace of the first few chapters feels a little slow, owing to the characters’ extensive dialogue, and the flashbacks require some concentration, but stick with it – a grisly subplot surrounding the political landscape of Britain intertwines seamlessly…

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Ardbeg’s first beer supports clean water projects

ISLAY distillery Ardbeg has teamed up with social enterprise Brewgooder to create its first beer and raise money for clean water projects in Africa. All the profits from “The Shortie Smoky Porter” will support projects in Malawi. The beer – which is named after Ardbeg’s mascot, Shortie the Jack Russell – was created by flatmates…

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Batten down the hatches

Batten Down the Hatches, an appropriately-named online exhibition of new paintings by the excellent Ross Ryan, opens at The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh on Wednesday 29 April. This solo exhibition is the result of two years of chasing gales, sailing to offshore lighthouses on his boat Sgarbh and discovering the people and their islands. His…

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Big Peat’s aged series completes its trilogy

Big Peat’s Aged Trilogy Series is now complete, as ‘his’ 27 Years Old Black Edition reaches shelves and homes all over the world. The ultimate release in the Limited Edition collection completes the series of collectable, aged bottlings, also comprising the Gold Edition, aged 25 years and launched in 2017, and 2018’s 26 Years Old…

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Get ready for a taste explosion in the new Smokehead

The new Smokehead Sherry Bomb whisky is ready to explode into our shops. A heavily peated Islay single malt that has been boldly blasted by sherry casks, it follows hot on the heels of Smokehead High Voltage, which was unveiled in April. Priced at £64.99, Smokehead fans will enjoy a full-bodied, 48% abv peaty whisky…

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