I have been a devout connoisseur of single malt whiskies for years. In 2001, this led me to travel to the Inner Hebrides island of Islay, to become acquainted with its incomparable distillery tradition. The best peaty and smoky malts come from Islay. While on Islay, I realized that the smallish island is more than its whiskies. The fantastic nature with its rocky shores that meet the Atlantic surfs, its three thousand inhabitans, the 60,000 sheep that saunter on the mountainous heaths, the sweet smell of peat that is used for heating – without them the Islay malts wouldn’t exist. At least not malts like Ardbeg, which claims to be The Ultimate Single Islay Malt. My symphonic poem Ardbeg – The Ultimate Piece for Orchestra is an hommage to Islay, its nature and inhabitants, and of course to the single malt whisky – the Aqua vitae.
Ardbeg was awarded the Recommended work accolade in the 1st International Uuno Klami composition contest in 2004.
