A fire on the beach, marshmallows on a stick and two chocolate biscuits to press them between. Elixir Distillers has carried the American s’mores tradition over to Islay and built a festival whisky on top of it.
The expert description
Elements of Islay Campfire Feis Ile 2025 is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks, bourbon casks and toasted new oak and bottled at 54.5%.
The bottle was made for Fèis Ìle 2025, the annual whisky and music festival on Islay, and holds whisky from three different Islay distilleries. Which three is not revealed. The flavour target, by contrast, is entirely specific: the whole release is built to land on s’mores, with smoke, burnt sugar and chocolate arriving in the same mouthful.
To get there, Elixir Distillers worked with three types of wood. Pedro Ximenez and oloroso sherry casks deliver the dark sweetness, 1st fill bourbon casks give vanilla and body, and toasted new oak contributes the burnt, almost caramelised edge. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.
Tasting notes
Nose
Pronounced smoke straight away, then ginger, dark chocolate, burnt caramel and candied orange.
Palate
Intense and powerful. The notes from the nose return, but tighter and sweeter, with toasted marshmallow, sooty chocolate and a rich, almost syrupy texture.
Finish
Very long. The smoke lingers alongside dried orange and a warm, peppery note from the toasted oak.
Specifications
Name: Elements of Islay Campfire Feis Ile 2025
Distillery: Elixir Distillers
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 54.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Pedro Ximenez and oloroso sherry casks 1st fill bourbon casks and toasted new oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Feis Ile 2025
Flavour profile
Smoky · Sherry matured · Sweet · Chocolate · Cask Strength
Investment potential
Medium. Fèis Ìle bottlings are made in one run for one week of the year and are never reissued. Elements of Islay also carries an international collector following, and the festival editions have historically been among the first to leave the shelves.
Did you know?
Fèis Ìle started in 1986 as a modest local celebration of Gaelic language and music. Today several thousand people travel to an island of roughly 3,000 residents during festival week, and every distillery has its own day in the programme.
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