• Founded: 1846
• Status: Operational
• Region: Islay, Scotland – Port Askaig, Islay, Argyll PA46 7RL +44(0)1496 302760
• Online: https://www.malts.com/en-row/distilleries/caol-ila/

History Caol Ila is derived from Gaelic Caol Ìle for “Sound of Islay” (lit. “Islay Strait”) in reference to the distillery’s location overlooking the strait between Islay and Jura. It was founded in 1846 by Hector Henderson. The distillery did not fare well, and changed hands in 1854 when Norman Buchanan, owner of the Isle of Jura Distillery, took over. In 1863 the business was acquired by Bulloch Lade & Co, of Glasgow, traders in whisky stocks. By the 1880s over 147,000 gallons of whisky were produced there each year. In 1920 Bulloch Lade went into voluntary liquidation, and a consortium of businessmen formed the Caol Ila Distillery Company Ltd. In 1927 the Distillers Company acquired a controlling interest in Caol Ila, and in 1930 Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd obtained ownership of all the shares. The distillery closed during World War II, from 1942 to 1945, because of wartime restrictions on the supply of barley to distillers. From then, production continued until 1972, when the entire structure of the distillery was demolished. A larger distillery was then built, designed by George Leslie Darge in the same architectural style as many of his others with his trademark glazed curtain walls to the still houses, and production resumed in 1974. The company eventually became part of Diageo.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling

• Caol Ila 12 Years Old (2018)
• Caol Ila 15 Years Old 1998 Feis Ile 2013 (2014)
• Caol Ila 15 Years Old 1998 Unpeated Style (2015)
• Caol Ila 2001 Distillers Edition (2014)
• Caol Ila 2003 Distillers Edition (2018)
• Caol Ila 2004 Distillers Edition (2018)
• Caol Ila 25 Year Old (2014)
• Caol Ila 26 Year Old 1988 Cask 985 (2014)
• Caol Ila Moch (2015)
• Caol Ila Stitchell Reserve (2014)
• Coal Ila 12 Years Old Feis Ile 2021 (2021)

Independent Bottling

Cadenhead

• Caol Ila 10 Years Old 2003 Small Batch (2015)

Carn Mor

• Caol Ila 27 Years Old 1983 The Vintage Collection (2015)

Chapter 7

• Caol Ila 9 Years Old 2011 Monologue (2020)

Claxton’s

• Caol Ila 7 Years Old 2012 The Single Cask (2019)

Douglas Laing

• Caol Ila 5 Years Old 2011 Provenance (2018)

Duncan Taylor

• Caol Ila 2008 Post-Octave (2018)
• Caol Ila 2008 Pre-Octave (2018)

Gordon & MacPhail

• Caol Ila 10 Years Old 2003 Cask Strength (2015)
• Caol Ila 18 Years Old 1994 Private Collection (2013)
• Caol Ila 2004 Connoisseurs Choice (2017)
• Caol Ila 33 Years Old 1984 Connoisseurs Choice (2019)

Hunter Laing

• Caol Ila 17 Years Old 1996 Old Malt Cask (2014)

Lockett Bros

• Caol Ila 8 Years Old 2009 Bass (2019)

Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS 53.178 A pebble beach with iodine (2014)
• SMWS 53.191 Candy Fruit Filled Seashells (2014)
• SMWS 53.193 To bring a smile to every face (2015)
• SMWS 53.198 Wasabi on a California roll (2015)
• SMWS 53.212 Peat smoke and Para Handy puffers (2016)
• SMWS 53.222 The three little pigs (2015)

That Boutique-Y Whisky Company

• Islay #1 10 Years Old Batch 3 (2021)
• Islay #1 Batch 1 (2018)