Located on the Sound of Islay ("Caol Ila" is Gaelic for "Sound of Islay"), Caol Ila Distillery (The Islay Home of Johnnie Walker) is a short drive or leisurely walk from Port Askaig, and the magnificent view of the Jura Paps from the still house is hard to beat, and a new visitor centre (2022) is a welcome addition to the distillery.
Caol Ila Distillery is the largest producer of whisky on Islay, capable of distilling around 6.5 million litres of whisky every year, 85% of which will go into blends such as Johnnie Walker. Caol Ila was built for blending; the distillery has seen several refurbishments since its establishment in 1846, all with the purpose of increasing production. Caol Ila Distillery didn't release a Caol Ila single-malt until 2002, with the introduction of the Caol Ila 12-year-old (1), Before 2002, single-malt Caol Ila was the domain of independent bottlers.
Most of the original buildings were torn down and rebuilt in 1972-74 to allow for greater efficiency in the layout, and further upgrades in 2011 resulted in modernisation of the mash tun and control equipment, and two additional washbacks (bringing the total to ten).
The old malt barns at Caol Ila Whisky Distillery, Islay, Scotland - one of the few older buildings that remain.
How to Pronounce Caol Ila
Pronounced 'cull-eela' -- see Ralfy review 649 (below) at the 1:24 mark. Normally I'd put in a Brian Cox for Esquire link (here) but he says 'Ila' wrong!
Where is Caol Ila Distillery?
Caol Ila Distillery is on the east coast of Islay, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Port Askaig Ferry Terminal, not far from Ardnahoe Distillery (2.9 mi) and Bunnahabhain Distillery (4.3 mi), overlooking the Isle of Jura.
Caol Ila Distillery Tours, Pricing & Bookings
After major renovations and a complete overhaul of the visitor experience in 2022, Caol Ila Distillery has been upgraded to the Islay home of Johnnie Walker. Children aged under 8 years are not permitted at the distillery.
Caol Ila Distillery is open 7 days (Monday to Sunday) 10:00 am to 5:00 pm from March to November, and Monday to Saturday (not Sunday) from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm December to February.
Silent Season
Caol Ila Distillery production areas undergo essential maintenance during September/October/November, and tours of the distillery are unavailable from 19th September to 9th November 2025. Tasting only experiences are still available during this time.
Caol Ila Flavour Journey Tour and Tasting
A guided tour of the distillery, including a visit to the sensory story room, then on to a tutored tasting of three (3x15ml) drams and a wee cocktail served in the bar. Enjoy breath-taking views of the Paps of Jura, while you sip and learn about the flavours of Caol Ila and Johnnie Walker. £21 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration. Online bookings are available for the Caol Ila Flavour Journey. Advanced booking is recommended as there are only two Flavour Journey Tours a day, and a maximum of 14 persons per tour. Children aged 8-17 years are permitted on the Flavour Journey Tour, £10 per child. Drivers drams are available.
Please note, the brand new story room is highly immersive and uses a combination of light, media, music, sensory moments and special effects that may not be suitable for all audiences.
Caol Ila Premium Retail Tasting (no Tour)
A selection of four (4x15ml) premium Caol Ila whiskies, including two limited releases. Enjoy your drams while looking out over the Islay Sound, towards the Paps of Jura, from the Caol Ila bar. £25 per person and approximately 30 minutes duration. Online advanced bookings are available.
Caol Ila Cask Tasting Experience (no Tour)
A tasting only experience held in one of the Caol Ila Warehouses, you will enjoy a selection of Caol Ila whiskies, from the 12 year old to the 19 year old, and some drawn straight from the cask. £60 per person and approximately 90 minutes duration. Adults only (18 years and older). Drivers drams are available. Available twice a day, Monday to Sunday (until November). Maximum 14 persons per tasting session, so advanced online bookings are highly recommended.
For more information on tours and bookings see https://www.malts.com/en-gb/distilleries/caol-ila
Caol Ila Whisky
Caol Ila is the largest producer of whisky on Islay, capable of pumping out a massive 6.0 - 7.0 million litres per annum. The vast majority of the whisky produced at Caol Ila distillery is lightly peated, kilned at around 38ppm, compared to Ardbeg and Laphroaig kilned at 55ppm. Caol Ila ship all their whisky to the mainland for maturation and 85% of Caol Ila is used for blends like Johnnie Walker (other key components of which are Glen Ord, Clynelish and Talisker).
Ralfy notes of the Caol Ila 12 year-old, in Whisky Review 649 (below), the nose is "fresh herbal herbage, twiggy, peat smokey with fire (twig fire, leaf fire, with a bit of moss) ... not as smokey as Lagavulin and certainly not as minerally TCP/antiseptic as Laphroaig.Tequila, jalapeno pepper, English mustard, fresh ginger, definitely pepper - spicy white pepper. Green notes ... celery with a touch of grapefruit".
Of the initial taste he says the Caol Ila 12 year-old "builds up gradually, quite intense, citrus and sour arrival of twiggy peatiness - like a moor fire. [There's] a maritime note - a touch of saline solution." A few moments later there's a "rich sultana note, peatiness comes on and doesn't change much, little citrus notes and hot spicey notes - initially, a bit harsh - but softens up once its got a little bit of air in the bottle ... a growing tea note: black gunpowder Chinese tea, lapsang souchong and redbush tea, coming from the sultana rather than the peaty-ness". The finish is peat-infused vanilla, grapefruit oil, and lime leaf.
As Ralfy notes in Caol Ila 12-year-old review no. 432 and 649, single cask releases can be an excellent way of tasting Caol Ila at its finest (un-chilfiltered and no E150a added).
A personal favourite of mine is SWMS (Scotch Malt Whisky Society) release 53.241 "Dense Smoke Over a Tarry Deck". You can view a range of available SMWS single cask Caol Ila bottlings here (distillery 53).
Caol Ila 12 Year Old is of medium weight, but still packing plenty of potent phenols. A refined, powerful dram with a compensating oiliness; a balanced, peaty beauty.
Caol Ila Whisky Gifts, Wall Art and Home Bar Decor, Made By Whisky Lovers For Whisky Lovers.
Our museum-quality maps, illustrations and photographs transform memories into masterpieces that you'll proudly display for years to come. Our posters and fine art prints will inspire future adventures, spark conversations, and transport you to legendary whisky distilleries with every glance.
Caol Ila Distillery Images
Caol Ila runs 16 mash cycles a week, with a maximum production capacity of 26 mashes a week. Each mash cycle uses 12.5 tonnes of grist.
Each mash cycle produces fifty-eight thousand litres of wort, which must be cooled to 18-20 deg C via the heat exchanger (pictured) before being added to a washback.
Colour photograph showing the underback (left foreground), mash tun (rear) and heat exchanger (right foreground) at Caol Ila Distillery. After being drained from the mash tun, the wort is stored in the underback, then sent through the heat exchanger to cool it down. The wort is pumped into a washback after it reaches 18 to 20 deg C.
Caol Ila has ten washbacks, eight timber and two stainless steel. Each can hold the 58,000 litres of wort produced in a mash cycle.
In addition to 58,000 litres of wort, Caol Ila adds 300-320 litres of liquid yeast into the washback. Fermentation takes roughly 60 hours. The resulting wash is around 8-9% alcohol.
The wash and spirit stills at Caol Ila Whisky Distillery, Islay, Scotland
Caol Ila Stills - Lyne Arms and Column Condensers
Two of the spirit stills (front) and three wash stills (rear) at Caol Ila Whisky Distillery, Islay, Scotland
What Other Distilleries Are Near Caol Ila
Ardnahoe Distillery (3.2 miles) and Bunnahabhain Distillery (4.6 miles) are a short drive from Caol Ila. Alternately, you can catch the ferry across the Sound of Islay and head to Jura Distillery.
Accommodation Near Caol Ila Distillery
For the best places to stay near Caol Ila Distillery, see our Islay Accommodation Guide.
References & Further Reading
In A Passion for Whisky Ian Wisniewski provides an excellent education on the processes involved in making whisky, and details Islay's whisky heritage. Ian profiles of each of Islay's ten open distilleries and their different styles of whisky, and even includes an introduction to three Islay distilleries that are currently under construction (Laggan Bay, Portintruan and Ili). A Passion for Whisky will suit whisky fans and novices alike (as there is a lot of educational content for all levels), and was selected as one of Waterstones Best Books of 2023: Food & Drink and featured in Forbes: Whisky Books That Whisky Lovers Will Actually Read. Available in paperback and Kindle.
Ingvar Ronde's annual guide to all things Scotch whisky, The Malt Whisky Yearbook is your go-to guide for distillery facts and stats. With comprehensive and up-to-date distillery summaries, editorials on the state of world whisky, profiles on global whisky trail blazers (the people having the most impact on the industry), the Malt Whisky Yearbook packs in a lot of facts and figures and is an essential Almanac for whisky fans.
One of Amanda's favourite books. Around 1885, Alfred Barnard was secretary of Harper's Weekly Gazette, a journal dedicated to the wine and spirit trade. In order to provide his readers with the history and descriptions of the whisky-making process, Barnard decided to visit all distilleries in Scotland, England and Ireland. Accompanied by friends, he visited and sketched over 150 distilleries. This is a wonderful step back in time and a must have book for a whisky history geek. Last printed in 2023, copies of Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom are disappearing from retailers, so get yours while you still can.
Treating Scotland as eight distinct regions (splitting the Highlands into Central, North, East, and West, plus the usual designations of Lowlands, Islay, Speyside and Islands), the Spirit of Place provides insight and imagery for fifty of Scotland’s greatest distilleries. Beautifully photographed by Lara Platman and Allan MacDonald, this is a captivating modern companion to Alfred Barnard’s great Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom.