Caol Ila is hidden in a quiet cove near Port Askaig. Many consider
this locality to be the wildest and most picturesque of the island.
Situated on Loch Nam Ban, the site is ideal thanks to the abundant
supply of good water. Caol Ila (Gaelic for 'the Sound of Islay') was
built in 1846 by Hector Henderson - a Glasgow businessman with a keen
interest in distilling. Like Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich, the
development of Caol Ila created along with it, a community of its own.
Without these distilleries, it is likely that there would have been
little sustained human interference in these areas at all.
Caol
Ila is considered to be one of the lighter of the Islays. Medium-bodied
with a rounded flavour. Pale in colour with a greenish tinge. This malt
has a peaty nose, with distinct floral notes. It is described as tasting
slightly of seaweed/iodine, lightly medicinal, smoky, salty, sweet with
a dry peppery finish.
