Caol Ila Distillery, Islay

Caol Ila Distillery, Islay

Caol Ila (Gaelic for 'the Sound of Islay') was built in 1846 by Hector Henderson, a Glasgow businessman with a keen interest in distilling. The distillery is hidden in a quiet cove near Port Askaig, overlooking the Sound of Islay. The water source for Caol Ila is the peaty Loch Nam Ban about a mile away from which the water flows through fields, arriving at a waterfall near the distillery. The six stills are large and lantern-shaped.

Applied Filters:
Scotch Whisky
2010 Berry Bros. & Rudd Caol Ila, Small Batch, Cask Ref. 311760/1/2, Islay, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (46%)
Ready, but will keep
£72.00
- bottle (70 cl)
More sizes available

Learn more about Caol Ila Distillery, Islay

Caol Ila is considered to be one of the lighter of the Islays and tends to be medium-bodied with a rounded flavour. Whilst this malt has a peaty nose, it also has distinct floral notes and is often described as tasting slightly of seaweed, smoky, salty, and with a dry peppery finish. However, the distillery also releases unpeated malts.

Caol Ila is by far the biggest on Islay, producing over 6.5 million litres of alcohol a year.

(Adapted from the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2024)