Distillery Exclusives from the stills at Caol Ila
The Islay Home of Jonnie Walker. That is how owner Diageo markets the Caol Ila Distillery and its products these days when you set foot on the island. It joins the ranks of Clynelish, Cardhu and Glenkinchie, and coming with it was a big overhaul of the distillery visitor experience. Well, time to check that out, is it not? Two friends and myself made the journey to Islay in early January, and booked some tours and tastings. To be honest, we did not know beforehand we would visit Caol Ila too, but time permitted it and we did not regret our decision. With a few hours to kill before getting on the ferry to the mainland again, we could just squeeze in a nice lunch and a good cup of coffee while enjoying the view. And then, it turned out, the staff was more than willing to show us around on a regular tour of the distillery. Big thanks to them for accommodating us.
The last time I visited Caol Ila was in 2016. We were on the island for the 200th anniversary of the Lagavulin Distillery, but we managed to have some fun at Caol Ila too, including a rough boat experience on the Sound of Islay. Almost ten years later, a lot has changed. Johnnie Walker is now all the more visible in the DNA of Caol Ila, as the whisky that is made here is such a big part of the (Black Label) Johnnie Walker success story. We were shown around the distillery by a fine young Ileach, whose mother actually designed the appearance of the Striding Man that is prominently position in the courtyard towards the production buildings. This was contest that was won by this artist. We can only agree with the choice of the jury.
Of course, as true whisky nerds we do not care too much about the banter around the brand. So, the introduction to the tour, with lots of nice images, a movie and pictures on the wall, was not much for us. I am sure the more average tourist will get a good impression. The story about the puffer boat “Pibroch”, with which many sailors on sea were saved over the decades, is not one to miss. It puts a human face on what in essence remains an industrial complex. But the production of single malt whisky is far from industrial of course, as it is liquid magic being made. Seeing the place where the magic happens, especially here on Islay with a view of the sea strait and the island of Jura across, is a bucket list thing.
With in the tail end of our walk around, the updated controls, washbacks and a very grand looking stillhouse, the tour comes to an end. We take a look at some casks still on location, but this feels a bit superficial, as we know 99,9 % of Caol Ila production is tankered away by lorry to mature on the mainland. Still, we always enjoy seeing casks. The staff had already prepared some tasting packs for us, of which two I will review here for this entry in Tom’s Dram Diary. Slainte!
Caol Ila 10 years old, Hand Filled Distillery Exclusive, bottled at 55,1 % abv
First things first: This Caol Ila was bottled at roughly 10 years of age in January 2025 (the bottle shown is an example, not the exact bottle). Cask reference is 2023/003. My sample has a label that states “Flavour Journey Tour”.
Upon Sipping: The liquid in the glass is as pale as white wine, and I am tasting this almost exactly half a year after visiting the distillery and getting this sample. No doubt that sniffing from this glass will take you to Islay immediately. The peaty delight coming from the glass is pure and unbothered. Smoky lemons, fish nets drying in the sun while the catch of the day is prepared on open fire. These are the days I regret I really can’t stand fish, but at least I can enjoy the smell from this glass of young and powerful Caol Ila. A very maritime malt, for sure, and like the best Caol Ila will do, it transports you to the pier in front of the distillery where you can enjoy sea breeze and the Paps of Jura across the Sound of Islay. Holiday whisky, this is! On the palate, the first thing I pick up is quite a hefty salinity. It becomes rather straightforward from there on out, with these peated lemons on the tongue, but the finish is then a thing a pure brilliance. This is textbook clean, pure Islay single malt, and all at the same time if reminds me of the best Lagavulin and Port Ellen I have ever tasted. The finish is so full of brine and peaty moss, that I could almost say it comes off as a higher PPM than normal for Caol Ila. I am not complaining about that in the slightest.
This is brilliant. Sadly, I have no more information about the cask(s) used for this bottling, but it seems to me this was refill, and not first fill, because the vanilla hit on this expression is light. Water is not the best plan, the liquid gives signs of a green hue, and a slight bitterness enters the fold. The finish remains powerful all on raw peat and alcohol bite in a welcome way.
Word to the Wise: Let us all go to Islay and fill our own bottle of this stuff, it is true perfection and testament to the grandeur Caol Ila offers in the shadow of Lagavulin and Port Ellen within the Diageo fold. It was a wise step to make Caol Ila the Islay home of Johnnie Walker.
Score: 91 points.
Caol Ila Distillery Exclusive Bottling, Natural Cask Strength, bottled at 57,4 % abv
First things first: An expression created in 2018 that matured on a mixture of refill casks, first fill bourbon casks and red wine casks. The batch was 6.000 bottles large.
Upon Sipping: Good to compare with the expression above, which was ever so pure. This Caol Ila is certainly also a balanced single malt Islay whisky, but there is a hint of red fruit that is infused with the signature peat character of Caol Ila. In a way, it offers more variation. More farmy notes after a while, but the nosing is not easy at such high abv. We will sip first. The entry onto the palate is quite soft and oily, so typically Caol Ila, but then a sour notes takes centre stage. Not bad, but out of character. Towards the finish more chocolate and wood become noticeable and then there is a nice, smouldering finish that seems more smoky than peaty. The red wine casks have made an impact, without drying out the palate, which is often the case with wine maturation. After adding some water, we pick up more maritime notes, like fish oil and frying pan for fish & chips. We are still very much enjoying the island life here! To taste, this Caol Ila shows more of the red wine elements when diluted, with red fruits but also some inner tube of your bicycle tyre. Of course, now the palate is dry like sand. It remains a tight rope to walk, wine maturation, this Caol Ila does it well when you leave out the water.
Word to the Wise: A nice variation that underscores the fact that Caol Ila is oh so brilliant when you bottle it not meddled with. It would become boring of course, but I rather be bored with a 91 points whisky in my glass than a wine infused lesser variant, even if it is as decent as this one.
Score: 87 points.