Six exceptional Fèis Ìle bottlings for the Islay Festival’s anniversary edition

Fèis Ìle, the Festival of Islay, turns 40 this year. To mark the occasion, the distilleries are throwing a huge party and, of course, releasing some very special whiskies. We’ve rounded up a few delicious and distinctive Fèis Ìle bottlings for you.

Fèis Ìle celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026. The festival began in 1986 and this year marks its 40th edition. The 2026 edition runs from Friday 22 May through Sunday 31 May and, for the first time, has been extended to 10 days. During the whisky festivities, distilleries open their doors and there’s plenty to see and do.

Whisky is at the heart of the celebration. Here are six releases you won’t want to miss.

This Lagavulin is one of the standout Fèis Ìle 2026 releases. A 31-year-old, ultra-limited cask strength whisky, it’s a luxurious, mature festival bottling tailor-made for fans of vintage Islay.

Expect classic Lagavulin smoke layered with depth, old oak, and complex maturation influences. Given its age and scarcity, this will likely be among the festival’s most sought-after bottles.

Sticking with Lagavulin for a moment: the Lagavulin 14 Year Old Fèis Ìle 2026 is a younger bottling, but a very special one. It was finished in Oloroso-seasoned American oak, likely adding notes of dried fruit, spice, and a gentle sherry influence. This makes it a more approachable Lagavulin release for 2026, especially compared to the 31 Year Old.

The Ardnahoe Fèis Ìle 2026 Release has been announced as a very limited cask strength bottling. As Ardnahoe is still a young distillery, its festival releases are especially exciting for tracking the spirit’s evolution.

Expect a bold, youthful Islay style with pronounced smoke, malty character, and assertive cask influence. This bottle will likely appeal most to fans who want to follow Ardnahoe from its early years and secure an early festival release.

The Bowmore Fèis Ìle 2026 Single Cask comes from cask #3756, distilled on 27 May 2016. The whisky matured in PX sherry seasoned Spanish oak and was crafted using 100% floor-malted barley.

This release sounds quintessentially Bowmore, with a richer sherry dimension. Think gentle peat smoke, dark fruits, raisins, chocolate, and spiced oak. As a single cask, it will be limited and may show a bold, distinctive profile.

The Kilchoman 15 Year Old Calvados Cask Finish is a limited release at 50.9% ABV, with 637 bottles. At 15 years, it’s relatively mature for Kilchoman, making it an immediate festival standout. Full details are still to be announced, but you can certainly expect apple-led notes.

Bunnahabhain’s Fèis Ìle 2026 release is called “An Cuan Garbh No.1” and forms the second chapter in the Westering Home Collection. This 15-year-old whisky is bottled at 51.6% and finished in White Port casks. The name means “the rough seas” in Scottish Gaelic, a nod to the voyage around Islay and the character of its maturation.

The flavor profile points to an elegant, fruit-driven Bunnahabhain, described with notes of peach, apricot, candied citrus, honey, almond, and gentle ginger spice.

All of these whiskies and more will be available on Islay during Fèis Ìle. Many bottles can also be found online during (and sometimes after) the festival, or at select specialist retailers. Which ones will stock them remains to be seen.