Two of Islay’s most prestigious distilleries have announced exclusive releases for the upcoming Fèis Ìle festival, with both Laphroaig and Bowmore preparing special bottlings to mark the island’s most celebrated whisky event.

Fèis Ìle – The Islay Festival takes place from 23-31 May, welcoming whisky enthusiasts from across the globe to celebrate the island’s culture and single malts. The annual festival represents a defining moment in the whisky calendar, offering visitors unique access to Islay’s legendary distilleries.

Laphroaig Launches Càirdeas Lore Cask Strength

Laphroaig unveiled its latest Càirdeas expression on 24 May – the Lore Cask Strength. This bold single malt completes the distillery’s series of cask strength versions of well-known Laphroaig whiskies, with Càirdeas meaning ‘friendship’ in Gaelic.

The expression marries five of Laphroaig’s favorite cask types, including ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry, European oak, and quarter casks. Non-chill filtered and bottled at natural cask strength, it delivers what the distillery describes as its most intense flavour profile yet.

“Fèis Ìle is one of our favorite days in the year at Laphroaig, as it’s a time to celebrate Islay and share the whiskies we’re most proud of,” commented Caroline Ogden, Laphroaig Visitor Centre Manager. “This year’s Càirdeas is particularly special, following our tradition of releasing cask strength versions of our favourite Laphroaigs, especially for our Friends. It’s a richly layered, powerful whisky that captures everything fans love about Laphroaig – big flavours, bold peat, and a deep, welcoming sense of place.”

The whisky presents sweet, herbal and boldly peaty aromas with notes of apricot, peaches in syrup, lemon cream, coconut and vanilla fudge. The palate delivers peat and salty sea spray, followed by lemon zest, salted limes, caramel, and herbal notes including mint and tea leaves.

Bowmore Presents Floor-Malted Festival Exclusive

Bowmore will launch its Fèis Ìle 2025 exclusive on 28 May – a 100% floor-malted single cask bottling hand-filled in the distillery’s legendary No. 1 Vaults. The release embodies the distillery’s commitment to traditional whisky-making methods.

“The Fèis Ìle 2025 exclusive is a whisky that captures the essence of our signature balance, complexity, and sense of place that define Bowmore,” said David Turner, Distillery Manager at Bowmore. “Being crafted with 100% floor malted barley, hand turned in the malt barns, we celebrate the vital role of this age-old process in creating layers of flavour in our spirit.”

The single malt offers intense and spicy characteristics with blackcurrant, liquorice root, leather, and peat smoke on the nose. The palate presents sweet and oily notes with floral elements, charred orange rind, and black cherry, leading to a long, lingering finish.

Laphroaig will host its Open Day today (27 May), whilst Bowmore opens its gates on 28 May. The Laphroaig Càirdeas Lore Cask Strength carries an SRP of £89, whilst the Bowmore Fèis Ìle 2025 exclusive is priced at £120.

Read the full article at Laphroaig and Bowmore Unveil Exclusive Fèis Ìle 2025 Releases