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From the Distillery, a Secret Ingredient
SARAH DOYLE LACAMOIRE

PERCHED on the Isle of Islay, a raw, mist-driven island off the west coast of Scotland, the Ardbeg distillery has been renowned for its complex, smoky Scotch for nearly 200 years. After the Old Kiln Cafe was added to its visitors' center in 1997, however, the Scotch was forced to share the spotlight — at least among those who appreciate a good meal.

"Our food is very unique to the area, so everyone really embraces it," Jackie Thomson, the cafe's manager, said recently. "We found there to be a real demand for this sort of thing."

Housed in Ardbeg's original 1815 kiln room and malt barn, the cafe emerges on the often blustery landscape like a welcoming beacon, its twin pagoda roofs rising ceremoniously into the air like points on a crown.

Inside, the visitors' shop bustles, while appreciative murmurs from the adjoining whiskey-tasting bar acts as soothing mood music.

The aroma throughout is a mix of cinnamon and peat smoke, with a dash of salt from the surrounding sea.

"Originally we planned to serve only simple treats like scones and tea," said Ms. Thomson, whose husband, Stuart, is the distillery manager. But the cafe's baker, Mary McKechnie, had a yen for experimentation, and she was inspired by Ardbeg's stash of barley grist.

Consisting of barley that has been malted, dried and crushed, grist is the primary ingredient in Scotch. And on Islay (pronounced EYE-la), the grist is often dried over peat, a practice that imparts a deep smoky flavor to most of the whiskey produced in the region.

"Islay distillers have traditionally used peat-heated kilns to dry the malted barley because there is no coal and very few trees on the island," said Adam Hannett, who works for the neighboring Bruichladdich distillery. "That's why so many Islay malts have such a pronounced smoky taste." Read More....
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