The Islay Festival, Fèis Ìle, is held in 2024 from 24 May to 6 June. The annual celebration is an excellent opportunity for the island's ten active distilleries and brands associated with the island to introduce limited-release bottlings for the people visiting the festival.

In 2024, 17 different limited editions were released for Fèis Ìle. Here they are.

Ardbeg Spectacular

Also known as the Ardbeg Day bottling, Ardbeg announced its Feis Ile release, Spectacular, in mid-April 2024.

The Spectacular is the first Ardbeg single malt to be aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and Port wine casks. The deep flavours of the release inspired the distillery to invite Ardbeg enthusiasts, or 'Ardbeggians', to attend the official Ardbeg Day celebrations at the distillery in their best dark circus attire.

The age of the bottling or number of bottles has not been disclosed. Ardbeg Spectacular is bottled at 46% ABV and retails for £110 (US$140).

Original Image by Ardbeg

Ardnahoe Feis Ile

Following Ardnahoe's inaugural whisky release in early May 2024, the Hunter Laing-owned distillery revealed its first Fèis Ìle bottling. Also a five-year-old expression, the Ardnahoe Fèis Ìle 2024 is aged in a combination of first-fill and refill bourbon barrels. Limited to only 931 individually numbered bottles, the whisky is offered at a natural cask strength of 59.3%.

The bottling will be available at the distillery and retails for £85 (US$108).

Image by Ardnahoe

Big Peat Fèis Ìle 2024

Douglas Laing-owned blended malt brand, Big Peat, released its own limited-edition for the Fèis Ìle 2024. Called The Thropaigeach Edition, the blend which includes whiskies from Caol Ila, Bowmore, Ardbeg and Port Ellen distilleries, was finished in Caribbean rum casks.

Bottled at 48% ABV, the smoky whisky retails for £65 (US$82.95).

Image by Douglas Laing

Bowmore 19-year-old Fèis Ìle 2024

For the 2024 Islay Festival, Bowmore released its limited edition 19-year-old single malt, continuing the black-labelled tradition. The distillery exclusive new release is double matured in virgin oak, bottled at 54.8% and limited to 3,500 bottles.

Image by Luxury and Rare Whisky

Bruichladdich Fèis Ìle Rock’ndaal 10-and 20-year-old

For the 2024 Fèis Ìle, Bruichladdich continued its tradition for the third year by releasing two limited expressions: the unpeated Bruichladdich 10-year-old Rock’ndaal 03.1 and the heavily peated Port Charlotte 20-year-old Rock’ndaal 03.2.

Bruichladdich Rock’ndaal 03.1 is aged in bourbon casks before being recasked into Sauternes casks, Austrian dessert wine casks, and ex-brandy casks from Fernando de Castilla, Spain, which previously held Pedro Ximénez sherry. Offered at 50% ABV, the whisky is priced at £100 (US$125).

Port Charlotte Rock’ndaal 03.2 is the oldest expression of Port Charlotte to be released. It was aged in a combination of bourbon casks and first-fill Sauternes casks. Bottled at 54% ABV, the whisky is priced at £225 (US$282).

Images by Bruichladdich

Bunnahabhain 14-, 19- and 23-year-old Fèis Ìle 2024

For 2024 Fèis Ìle, Bunnahabhain unveiled three limited editions: a 14, 19 and 23-year-old.

The youngest of the editions, 14-year-old, was distilled in 2009, matured in bourbon casks for 11 years and finished in ruby Port hogsheads for an extra three years. Bottled at 58.7% ABV, the 14-year-old retails for £120 (US$152).

The peated 19-year-old Bunnahabhain was released as a distillery-exclusive bottling. Aged for 12 years in bourbon casks, the expression was finished in Moine Madeira hogsheads for extra seven years. Only available at the distillery, the peated single malt is offered at 51.2% ABV and retails for £199 (US$252).

The 23-year-old Triple Sherry Wood Finish is an experimental triple-combination of sherry cask finishes. Distilled in 1999, the whisky was re-barrelled in Amontillado casks on November 4, 2009, Oloroso casks on June 20, 2011, and Manzanilla casks on September 12, 2016. This means the whisky has been finished in sherry casks for at least 13 years. Bottled at cask strength of 53.3% ABV, the 23-year-old retails for £400 (US$507).

Images by Bunnahabhain

Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 13-year-old

The biggest distillery in Islay, Caol Ila, released a 13-year-old single malt for the festival. The limited-edition is finished in ex-ruby Port French oak casks, sourced from the Douro Valley in Portugal and offered at 54.5% ABV. The release is priced at £185 (US$232).

Image by Diageo

Elements of Islay Fèis Ìle - Fireside

The limited-edition Fireside bottling from Elements of Islay, owned by The Elixir Distillers, was released for Fèis Ìle 2024. The blended malt combines whiskies from two distilleries on the island's north coast, Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain. The expression was matured in heavily re-charred American oak oloroso sherry hogsheads and European oak oloroso Sherry butts.

Bottled at 54.5% ABV, the whisky will be available during the festival as well as from early June in selected markets. The release is limited to only 264 bottles and retails for £84.95 (US$107).

Elixir Distillers rebranded its Elements of Islay range in 2022, discontinuing its small-batch single malt expressions. The company is currently building a Portintruan distillery on Islay.

Image by Elixir Distillers

Jura Fèis Ìle 2024

Always taking part in the neighbouring island's whisky festival, Jura has also revealed its 15-year-old single malt for Fèis Ìle 2024. The expression, labelled under 'Distillery Cask', is aged in first-fill ex-bourbon, bottled at 55.5% ABV and limited to less than 200 bottles.

Image by Whisky Scoop

Kilchoman Fèis Ìle 2024

The Kilchoman Fèis Ìle 2024 release is a vatting of two fresh bourbon barrels, distilled in 2011. Unlike other releases from the distillery, the 2024 limited edition is made with only unpeated malt. Limited to around 480 bottles, the whisky is offered at 53% ABV and retails for £110 (US$140).

Image by Kilchoman

Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 10- and 29-year-old

In 2024, Lagavulin distillery decided to bring out not just one but two limited editions for the Feis Ile - 29-year-old Skies of Fèis Ìle and the Lagavulin 10-year-old Fèis Ìle 2024. This move makes the limited edition more available for high-end customers and those seeking a more affordable option.

The 10-year-old Fèis Ìle has a higher peat level than the distillery’s usual 25ppm and has been matured in refill, heavily charred, and first-fill ex-bourbon American oak hogshead casks. Bottled at 56.7% ABV, the 10-year-old is limited to 1,800 bottles and retails for £175 (US$222).

The most expensive release in 2024, Lagavulin Skies of Fèis Ìle 29-year-old is finished in a heavily charred amoroso-seasoned American oak hogshead cask and retails for £2,500 (US$3,135). This release is limited to 250 bottles and will be available only at the distillery.

Images by Lagavulin/ Diageo

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2024 Release

This 10-year-old Càirdeas (Gaelic for 'friendship') 2024 'Cask Favourites' edition celebrates 30 years of Friends of Laphroaig with casks from two previous Càirdeas releases: 2019’s Triple Wood and 2021’s PX Cask. Released for the Fèis Ìle, the bottling is offered at 52.4% ABV.

To note, Laphroaig distillery (D Johnston & Company) was granted a Royal Warrant by King Charles III in mid-May 2024. However, the new distillery bottlings, such as Elements 2.0 and the 2024 Cairdeas, will still display the Royal Warrant of Prince Charles, which was first granted in 1994. This is because the labels were printed before the bottling's release.

Image by Laphroaig

Mac-Talla Fèis Ìle

The Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers-owned brand Mac-Talla released its first rum-cask-finished single malt for the festival. The whisky was distilled in 2009 and aged in bourbon barrels for ten years before being finished in Caribbean rum casks. Bottled at 53.7%, the expression retails for £98 (US$123).

Original Image by Aberdeen Whisky Shop

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