Caol Ila
Caol Ila is located on the northeast shore of Islay, just a short distance from Port Askaig. Prior to the distillery, the site had been used previously for smelting lead from ore that was mined a short distance away. The distillery was built in 1846 by Hector Henderson. It was struggling to cope with demand in the late 1960s and was closed in 1972 for an expansion programme. It closed with two stills and opened in 1974 with six. Caol Ila was for many years used only as a component for vatted and blended whiskies, most commonly Johnnie Walker. It was only in 1989 that it became available for sale in its native form. It is now available in a young edition with 7 year old whisky as its base, a 12 year old and various finishes and limited editions. Each May a special release is made of between 1000 and 3500 bottles to coincide with Islay celebrations. Current production is 6,500,000 litres per year on a seven days a week working pattern.
Tours
Tour guide Niamh, supervised by Phoebe. The distillery is immaculate with all control equipment and pipework labelled, safety interlocks installed and a spacious, modern feel.
Later in the Feis week I attended the Spirit of Smoke event where we tasted five cask-strength drams.
- Virgin American oak, 16 year old. 55%
- Ex-Moscatel, 13 year old, 54.5%
- Unpeated 19-year old, 50.2%
- First-fill Bourbon, 12-year old, 55.5%
- Refill American oak, 16-year old, 56.1%
Festival Bottlings
There are two festival bottlings:
- 13-year old limited-edition bottling has been matured in Pedro Ximénez / Oloroso seasoned butts, imparting sweet and fruit notes that complement the peat and peppery spice. It is bottled at 60.4%, costs £185 and is only available at the distillery.
- To mark this year’s special significance for the distillery, there is also a unique and exclusive distillery manager’s bottling at £650.
Purchases
