This year’s Fèis Ìle is celebrating its 40th edition. As per the norm every year, the festival has seen many of Islay’s distilleries working on special events for the enormous amounts of people visiting the island. Most excitingly is the exclusive festival releases, some of which are only available in-person. The festival is currently ongoing and ends 31 May. Below is a selection of standout whiskies from the festival.
Jura Fèis Ìle 40th Anniversary Release (48.8% ABV, RRP £320)
Jura has presented two new single cask releases at the launch of the festival, with this 40th anniversary release standing out for its celebration of the festival’s own 40-year milestone. Aged 24 years, this cask strength whisky is exclusively available for those visiting in-person throughout and is the most expensive on this list. The producers have described the dram as having aromas of citrus peel and apricot, with notes of freshly baked brioche and vanilla-spiced peach on the palate.
More information can be found here.
Port Charlotte PC5 Redux (63.5% ABV, RRP £75)
In May 2001, when Bruichladdich reopened after being mothballed, the first liquid to run off its stills was Port Charlotte. Five years on from that, the distillery released PC5. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the expression has been reimagined with Port Charlotte PC5 Redux. Commenting on the release, master blender Adam Hannett said “This revisiting of the original PC5 recipe captures the raw energy of heavily peated Islay whisky in its formative years. Distilled, matured and bottled on Islay, the spirit leads with confidence — vibrant, smoky and alive with bright citrus.”
More information can be found here.
Caol Ila 12-Year-Old Ruby Port Octave Finish (58.2% ABV, RRP £99)
Independent bottler Rare Find unveiled its 2026 Fèis Ìle collection, which comprised of three single cask single malts. Among them is this 12 year old Ruby Port Octave Finish, which has been designed to capture the island’s vibrancy while still remaining on brand in the spirit of the bottler. Finished for three months in a ruby port octave, this release has aromas of smoked barbecue sauce and dried berries, with notes of medicinal smoke, redcurrant and raspberries on the palate.
More information can be found here.
Mac-Talla Cognac Friends of Fèis 2026 (52.4% ABV, RRP £78)
Mac-Talla has launched a limited edition Cognac cask-finished whisky to commemorate the festival’s 40 year milestone. It draws on its four generations of Islay heritage and sources single malts matured from various distilleries on the island. On the nose, this whisky has aromas of sweet almond croissants and sweet orchard fruits, with notes of freshly baked pastries and warm pineapples on the palate according to producers.
More information can be found here.
Ardbeg Dolce (47.8% ABV, RRP £85)
Held every year on the final Saturday of the festival, Ardbeg Day is one of the most celebrated days on Islay. For this year’s edition, the smoky malt lovers will embrace la dolce vita (the sweet life) Islay-style. Ardbeg Dolce combines rare malt matured in Marsala dolce casks with classic bourbon cask-matured Ardbeg. In tribute to the release, fans on the day will relive the glamour of 1960s Italian cinema. The dram has been described as having aromas of sun-ripened oranges and apricots, with cinnamon and liquorice notes on the palate.
More information can be found here.
