For more than 100 years small coal-fired “puffers” like the SS Pibroch brought barley, coal and empty casks to the distillery, returning her whisky to the mainland through the Sound of Islay. Today, Caol Ila’s secret bay is only known to true Islay devotees. The barley used here is still malted locally at Port Ellen and pure spring water still rises from limestone in nearby Loch nam Ban, then falls to the sea at Caol Ila in a clear crystal stream, just as it always has. The distinctive Islay smokiness makes Caol Ila whisky a reference point for connoisseurs of Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky the world over. It’s dry, sea air aromas and pleasing smoky-smoothness evokes a certain sense of place for the drinker – whether you’ve visited this magical island or not.

Diageo's Special Releases

Released as part of the collection of Special Releases, the whisky is distilled and matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks for 15 years at an intense ABV.