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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.

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Scotch Whisky
2011 Berry Bros. & Rudd Caol Ila, Small Batch, Cask Ref. 312196/ 312197/ 310429, Islay, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (46%)
£76.00
- bottle (70 cl)
Scotch Whisky
1988 Caol Ila, Connoisseurs Choice, 31-Year-Old, Islay, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (51.4%)
£787.00
- bottle (70 cl)

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)