Spirits · Port Askaig, Islay, Scotland
Caol Ila Whisky Distillery
Islay single malt from the shore of the Sound of Islay.
- Founded
- 1846
- Founded by
- Hector Henderson
- Based in
- Port Askaig, Islay, Scotland
Making it since
1846
Their story
Caol Ila sits in a cove near Port Askaig on the northeast coast of Islay, looking across the Sound of Islay to the hills of Jura. Hector Henderson founded the distillery in 1846, and the name comes from the Gaelic for the Sound.
The original buildings were pulled down in 1972 and replaced with a larger distillery that began producing in 1974. Today it is owned by Diageo and is the biggest distillery on the island. Most of what it makes goes into blends such as Johnnie Walker Black Label, with a smaller share bottled as single malt.
How it's made
Water comes from Loch nam Ban, and the malt is peated in the Islay tradition. Caol Ila runs three pairs of copper pot stills with a capacity of about 6.5 million liters a year. The spirit tends to be lighter in color than many Islay malts, with peat smoke alongside floral and peppery notes.
Why we carry them
We suggest Caol Ila to anyone who wants Islay smoke without the heaviest medicinal notes. It is a balanced, coastal dram.
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