Location: Bruichladdich, Isle of Islay PA49 7UN Roads: A847 from Bridgend Hours: Closed. No visitors

Bruichladdich lies directly across Loch Indaal from Bowmore but, unlike it, can be plainly seen on its shore-road site. To the south is Port Charlotte which used to have its own distilleries. Octomore went out of business in 1852, although its dilapidated buildings can still be seen; Lochindaal was dismantled in 1929 and taken over by the Islay Creamery. Now Bruichladdich is the only distillery on the entire peninsula, and, the object of a takeover by the Whyte & Mackay Group (part of the American Brands corp) has been mothballed since March 1995.

The distillery was built in 1881 at a time when there was growing popularity worldwide of blended Scotch. The Harvey family of Glasgow were already distillers and they remained as owners, then important shareholders right through to 1929 when Bruichladdich stopped production. In 1938 it was one of a number of Scottish distilleries that was bought by a group of North Americans anxious to cater for the post-Prohibition market in the US.

The two remaining members of staff hope that it will be reopened one day. But the whisky will be around for some years yet.

Bruichladdich is light and whispery although it delivers good flavour and aroma. It is normally bottled at 10 years old and 40% or 43% vol. When older, it develops greater richness, sweetness and spiciness, though not always in the typical Islay manner. There are 15- and 21-year-olds as well as 25-year-old Stillman’s Dram. Independents do 19-, 23- and 25-year-olds at about 46% vol.