Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The angle on this has changed a little, but I think I’m happier with it now. What started as a focus on ranking whiskies, policies, pricing, ethics and market attitudes has morphed into something that’s a mini-take on general whisky today.
I’m personally very precious about Islay, so when I discuss it I feel myself drawn to the positives. I hope I’ve worked out a way to do that while still drawing attention to those odd things that are less positive.
First, let’s zoom out. We often discuss whisky’s huge changes that we’ve witnessed over the last few decades, especially when it comes to single malts, but recently I realised that the biggest changes have probably happened in the last decade or so.
An explosion in variety, new distilleries, independent bottlers, new brands and continually revolving new takes-on-a-theme, it’s almost like a quickening. While recently things have - understandably - been forced to slow down, or even pause - at least for a while, we’re still in the position where we can understand so much about how whisky has changed by sharpening our focus on just the last ten or so years.
But we can go further than that. If we focus on that beautiful Hebridean Whisky Isle, we can see it almost like a microcosm of Scotch whisky’s larger landscape.
If we were to go through Islay’s distilleries in 2026 and roll back to 2015 and 2016, for comparison’s sake, what differences would we see? Have things got worse? Have they improved? Because, as whisky folk, Barflies, enthusiasts, botherers or whatever, all we really want is to be able to buy, drink, share and enjoy good whiskies. So, can we do that more today than we might’ve been able to in 2016?
Who’s doing things better? Who’s stayed the same? And of course, despite a focus on ‘whisky happiness’ and positivity in 2026, who do we need to call out? Who seems to have made things deliberately worse?
It would be great to welcome you there!
Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening
6:59 - Welcoming in The Lounge
8:30 - Merch you say?
20:00 - Smögen is here. Pouring in Leith.
23:56 - Whisky's changes in just ten years
33:46 - How we'll measure Islay's distilleries in 20206
40:08 - 9th: Bowmore & 12 year old today
58:20 - 8th Lagavulin & 8yo 200th vs 8yo
1:18:21 - 7th: Laphroaig & the Cask Strength
1:33:12 - 6th: Caol Ila & the 25yo
1:46:37 - 5th: Ardbeg & their 10 year old(s)
1:54:38 - A quick look ahead to Leith. ISF 2026
1:59:00 - 4th: Bunnahabhain & their core range
2:08:56 - 3rd: Ardnahoe & their perfect start
2:15:49 - 2nd: Kilchoman & their solidity today
2:23:06 - 1st: Bruichladdich & their renaissance
2:34:53 - Quiz at the End
Leith: independentspirits.co.uk
The angle on this has changed a little, but I think I’m happier with it now. What started as a focus on ranking whiskies, policies, pricing, ethics and market attitudes has morphed into something that’s a mini-take on general whisky today.
I’m personally very precious about Islay, so when I discuss it I feel myself drawn to the positives. I hope I’ve worked out a way to do that while still drawing attention to those odd things that are less positive.
First, let’s zoom out. We often discuss whisky’s huge changes that we’ve witnessed over the last few decades, especially when it comes to single malts, but recently I realised that the biggest changes have probably happened in the last decade or so.
An explosion in variety, new distilleries, independent bottlers, new brands and continually revolving new takes-on-a-theme, it’s almost like a quickening. While recently things have - understandably - been forced to slow down, or even pause - at least for a while, we’re still in the position where we can understand so much about how whisky has changed by sharpening our focus on just the last ten or so years.
But we can go further than that. If we focus on that beautiful Hebridean Whisky Isle, we can see it almost like a microcosm of Scotch whisky’s larger landscape.
If we were to go through Islay’s distilleries in 2026 and roll back to 2015 and 2016, for comparison’s sake, what differences would we see? Have things got worse? Have they improved? Because, as whisky folk, Barflies, enthusiasts, botherers or whatever, all we really want is to be able to buy, drink, share and enjoy good whiskies. So, can we do that more today than we might’ve been able to in 2016?
Who’s doing things better? Who’s stayed the same? And of course, despite a focus on ‘whisky happiness’ and positivity in 2026, who do we need to call out? Who seems to have made things deliberately worse?
It would be great to welcome you there!
Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening
6:59 - Welcoming in The Lounge
8:30 - Merch you say?
20:00 - Smögen is here. Pouring in Leith.
23:56 - Whisky's changes in just ten years
33:46 - How we'll measure Islay's distilleries in 20206
40:08 - 9th: Bowmore & 12 year old today
58:20 - 8th Lagavulin & 8yo 200th vs 8yo
1:18:21 - 7th: Laphroaig & the Cask Strength
1:33:12 - 6th: Caol Ila & the 25yo
1:46:37 - 5th: Ardbeg & their 10 year old(s)
1:54:38 - A quick look ahead to Leith. ISF 2026
1:59:00 - 4th: Bunnahabhain & their core range
2:08:56 - 3rd: Ardnahoe & their perfect start
2:15:49 - 2nd: Kilchoman & their solidity today
2:23:06 - 1st: Bruichladdich & their renaissance
2:34:53 - Quiz at the End
Leith: independentspirits.co.uk
