Islay, Scotland
Caol Ila 12 Year Old
- Smoky
- Maritime
- Fruity
Distillery
Caol Ila whiskies
Caol Ila is Islay’s largest distillery and stands in a cove near Port Askaig, facing the Isle of Jura across the sound that gives it its name. It belongs to Diageo. Most of its whisky goes into blends, above all Johnnie Walker, but its own malt is one of the most appreciated on the island. Its style is smoky but clean and oily, with plenty of fruit and citrus: an elegant, versatile Islay.
- Founded
- 1846
- Owner
- Diageo
- Origin
- Islay, Scotland
- In the catalogue
- 4 whiskies
History, style and where to startSee it on the world mapCaol Ila official website(opens in a new tab)
Photos of Caol Ila
Photo: Martin Cígler · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted) 
Photo: Bjarne Henning Kvaal… · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted) 
Photo: Euan Nelson · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
Islay, Scotland
Caol Ila Distillers Edition
- Smoky
- Sweet
- Maritime
Islay, Scotland
Caol Ila Moch
- Smoky
- Maritime
- Fruity
Islay, Scotland
Caol Ila 18 Year Old
- Smoky
- Maritime
- Fruity
Guide to Caol Ila
History
The distillery was founded in the mid-19th century on a site chosen for the water of a nearby loch and the ease of access by sea. At the end of that century it was expanded and, at the beginning of the 20th, passed to the Distillers Company. In the 1970s it was almost completely demolished and rebuilt as a modern building with large windows looking out over the sound, although the old warehouses were kept. For decades its malt was almost a secret of the independent bottlers, until Diageo added it to its malt range.
House style
Caol Ila works with medium peat, gentler than Laphroaig’s or Ardbeg’s, and distils in large stills that give a clean spirit. The result is an elegant smoke with lemon, pear, grass, sea salt and a touch of olive oil. On the palate it is oily and balanced, with a long, smoky, briny finish. The versions finished in wine or sherry casks add fruit and sweetness without covering the smoke.
Average flavour profile of its 4 whiskies in the catalogue
Where to start
Caol Ila 12 Year Old is the benchmark expression: clean smoke, fruit and salt, in a balance that pleases even those wary of smoky whiskies. Moch is a version without an age statement, lighter and fresher. Both are good for discovering Islay’s finer side. If you already know the more intense Islays, compare them to see how different the island’s smoke can be.
This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.
The colours of this page are inspired by the look of Caol Ila. WhiskyMatch is independent and has no connection with the brand.