Das Whisky-Geheimnis von Islay (360° - GEO Reportage)

The Scottish island of Islay is home to eight traditional whisky distilleries that enjoy an excellent reputation among connoisseurs. The water, peat, and iodine from the sea are the special elements of the whisky that has made the island famous. But that's not all: the production of this famous drink creates jobs on Islay and is both a source of pride and livelihood for its charismatic inhabitants. 360° - GEO Reportage visited the island and experienced how Scotland's national drink shapes the lives and work of the people of Islay. A film by Dominique Hennequin © 2009, Licensed by MedienKontor / ARTE Season 10 - Episode 24 Subscribe to wocomoTRAVEL: https://goo.gl/tIk2Qc Follow us on Facebook:   / wocomo   Press release: Some of the world's most famous whisky distilleries are located on Islay. One of these is the Bruichladdich distillery, founded in 1881. It was shut down in the mid-1990s, its fate seemingly sealed. Whisky sales were in crisis worldwide, and other distilleries were also forced to close their doors. But in 2000, Englishman Mark Reynier settled on the Scottish island and bought Bruichladdich. The 47-year-old merchant, passionate about wine and spirits, fulfilled an old dream and switched from sales to production. He stopped producing the previously common "blended whiskies," cheap blends of corn or wheat whiskies, and focused on quality. Since then, Bruichladdich has produced exclusively "single malts," whisky made from barley malted in-house. In recent years, he has developed Bruichladdich into a quality brand unparalleled in taste and color. And Mark Reynier already has another goal in mind: Together with his master distiller, Jim McEwan, a luminary in his field, he wants to produce the strongest whisky in the world. A whisky that has been distilled four times and contains 88 percent alcohol at the beginning of its maturation. The product even already has a name: Octomore. This name is closely linked to the island and its history. A former distillery bore the name Octomore. However, it only existed for a few years before the owner family suddenly disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Just one of the many fates on the island. Mark Reynier wants to preserve the name and with it revive another of Islay's myths.