About Caol Ila

Having recently been awarded Double Gold in both 2010 and 2011 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Coal Ila is the ideal gift for any distinguished whisky enthusiasts. The ultimate Islay malt, Caol Ila is considered by experts to be the perfect entry point into the world of peaty malt whiskies. Unique and distinctive Islay smokiness makes Caol Ila a reference for connoisseurs of Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky the world over.

Caol Ila is the Gaelic name for the Sound of Islay, which separates the island from Jura in one of the most remote and beautiful parts of Scotland’s West Coast. The distillery was founded in 1846 and is situated on the shores of the Sound, a spot originally chosen partly because of the clean water from Loch Nam Ban which still provides its main supply.

Taste

Fresh, sweetly fruity and smooth-bodied, Caol Ila 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky is the colour of pale straw, with a delicate balance of tastes. The clean, appetising nose shows subtle citrus fruit with just a puff of smoke. Firm and smooth, it begins sweetly then yields a fragrant smokiness and a sweet-smoky, lingering finish.

Food Match

Try it with appetising, salty savoury dishes. For example, olive tapenade on French bread, or juicy warm chorizo sausage. Odd as it may sound, shortbread works well too.

Building our distillery in such a remote location wasn’t the easy choice, but it was the right one. Chosen for its gentle coastal climate, abundance of clear spring water and natural harbour, the mouth of the river- or Bunnahabhain- became home to a unique, unpeated Islay whisky. What our founders probably didn’t count on was the impact the coast would have on the very essence of this distinctive single malt whisky. Because we mature our whisky at the distillery, in shoreline warehouses that are continually exposed to the elements, the sea leaves an indelible mark and can be tasted in every bottle of Bunnahabhain. This coastal influence has been exposed in the fresh and vibrant Stiuireadair (pronounced stew-rahdur). To create Stiuireadair our Blender, has selected first and second fill sherry casks with spirit of varying ages and warehouse locations to construct a dram that truly exposes the coastal nature of the Bunnahabhain single malt whisky. Whilst not losing the sherry influence everyone knows and loves in the famous 12 year old, we believe this new release has instigated a costal storm in Stiuireadair.