Caol Ila
An Islay Powerhouse
One of the largest distilleries on Islay, Caol Ila was founded on the north of the island, near Port Askaig, in 1846. The distillery water source is Loch Nam Ban providing water filtered through a combination of limestone and peat. Caol Ila produces nearly four million litres a year, mostly for premium blended whiskies like Johnnie Walker. Only around a twentieth of the production is bottled as a single malt.
While the house-style is a classic, peated Islay malt, Caol Ila have successfully experimented with unpeated whiskies over the years. The core range features a 12 year old and an 18 year old along with Moch, a lighter style of single malt that takes its name from the Garlic for 'dawn'.