The distillery is located north of Port Askaig on the island of Islay, right on the Islay Sound. It was built in 1846 and, since 1974, has featured a completely rebuilt stillhouse that was expanded to include six stills. The distillery, which offers a wonderful view of the island of Jura, is now owned by Diageo. Caol Ila is a prime example of a \u201cworkhorse\u201d distillery that primarily produces whisky for blends\u2014in this case, for Johnnie Walker. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This single malt was distilled at the Caol Ila Distillery on June 6, 2016, and matured for over a decade before being finished by the independent bottler Best Dram on July 17, 2026. It owes its distinctive complexity to a finishing period in a first-fill Chardonnay butt from the renowned South Tyrolean winery St. Michael-Eppan. With a limited release of just 674 bottles, this bottling offers a rare opportunity to experience the combination of Islay peat and a Burgundian grape variety. <\/p>\n
On the nose, bright citrus notes and green apple unfold initially, underpinned by a delicate vanilla sweetness and a salty note. On the palate, the whisky is powerful and oily; juicy yellow fruits meld with a creamy sweetness before a subtle peat smoke emerges. The finish is long-lasting and dry, characterized by mineral salinity and elegant citrus zest that evokes the rugged coast of Islay. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":184160,"template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[2350,2258,2851,2508,2853,10242,2204,2276,2170],"product_tag":[],"class_list":["post-184162","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-caol-ila-en","product_cat-distilleries-en","product_cat-independent-bottlers","product_cat-islay-en","product_cat-michel-reick-en","product_cat-regions","product_cat-scotland-en","product_cat-single-malt-en","product_cat-whisky-en","pa_bottling_date-17-07-2026","pa_cask_type-first-fill-st-michael-eppan-chardonnay-butt-finish","pa_country-schottland-en-2","pa_destillation_age-10-en","pa_destillation_date-06-06-2016","pa_region-islay-en","pa_whisky_bottler-michel-reick-en","pa_whisky_bottler_series-best-dram-en","first","instock","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"yoast_head":"\n