Scotland’s tiny island of Islay is a mecca for scotch whisky enthusiasts, who travel there to experience the namesake whisky region. Home to ten distilleries, some include the most iconic distilleries in the whisky world. It’s difficult to decide what whisky experience to do at which place, so here’s a guide to the distilleries on Islay.
The Ultimate Guide to Distilleries on Islay
Distilleries on Islay
The Islay whisky region (pronounced “EYE-lah”) is characterized by smoky, peaty single malts. But don’t let that fool you; not all Islay whiskies are peated! (Proof the scotch whisky regions are general, at best.) It just so happens that many of Islay’s most notorious distilleries are known for heavily peated single malts.
With some old distilleries, some new distilleries, and some yet-to-release whisky distilleries, Islay’s ten distilleries span a wide range of history. Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig round out the historic ones; while Kilchoman is newer. Ardnahoe, Port Ellen, and the recently announced Portintruan are up-and-coming.
They all offer distillery tours, but some have warehouse tastings, peat bog experiences, workshops, and more. So how to decide what to do where? Hopefully this guide to the distilleries on Islay can offer some insight.
Related :: What to Know Before Going to Islay
Go to Lagavulin for a memorable warehouse experience.
Rumored to be distilling since 1742, Lagavulin obtained its legal license in 1816. The story goes that when Laphroaig dismissed JL Mackie & Co. as their agents in 1908, Mackie tried (and failed) to block Laphroaig’s water source, so he resolved to make “his own Laphroaig” at Lagavulin. Whatever the truth, today Lagavulin makes single malt with plenty of smoke, seashore, and dark fruit notes.
Lagavulin wasn’t on my list of distilleries on Islay to visit, but our tour operator at Scholarly Sojourns talked me into it. He promised the warehouse tasting at Lagavulin would be one of the most memorable experiences on our Whisky & Wonders of Scotland tour, and he was right.
While it doesn’t include a tour of the distillery, the Lagavulin Warehouse Experience is a tasting of six whiskies straight from the cask. And if you’re lucky like we were, it’ll be hosted by legendary distillery manager Ian McArthur.
Iain’s been in the whisky industry for nearly 50 years, and his colorful character and interesting stories match his expertise. He made the tasting interactive by inviting us to thief whisky from the barrel, and even “baptized” one of our group with whisky! He’s supposedly set to retire soon, so visit soon to catch him before he does.
Go to Ardbeg for a taste of new make spirit.
Distilling since 1798, Ardbeg Distillery is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. It claims to be Islay’s smokiest whisky (which is debatable), but it’s no doubt one of the sweetest, with a characteristic combination of tarry smoke and citrusy sweet notes.
We did the Old Stillhouse, New Stillhouse Tasting at Ardbeg, which showcases the historical stills in the original stillhouse along with the four new stills. We got to taste whisky from each, including new make spirit.
New make spirit, right off the still and before it’s aged in wood, is always exciting to me. It reveals the distillery characteristics and flavor profiles before any wood influence. So I feel it’s the best way to taste the intentions of the distiller, then compare it with the finished product.
Go to Laphroaig to experience malting floors and peat fires.
Founded in 1815, Laphroaig (pronounced “luh-froyg”) is another historical distillery on Islay. It’s one of seven distilleries in Scotland with their own floor maltings. It’s famous for its smoky, seaweedy, iodine flavor, which allowed it to be sold in the U.S. during Prohibition. The owner told Prohibition agents the iodine smell was proof it was medicinal, so the agents allowed it in the country!
Laphroaig holds a special place in my heart, so visiting there already upped the ante. We did the Experience Tour to truly experience all the aspects of the distillery. In fact, Laphroaig was one of the most thorough tours I’ve been on in Scotland. (Kilchoman and Springbank closely follow.)
During the tour we got to watch as workers raked the malting floors, peek into the room where the barley was being dried with peat, and smell the smoke as it wafted over the barley. We even got to throw peat bricks onto the fire! Having such a hands-on experience really made me feel closer to the whisky. Even if the whisky tasting at the end was disappointingly basic (just Laphroaig 10, Lore, and Cask Strength 10).
Related :: The Beauty Behind the Scenes: Touring Laphroaig Distillery
Go to Bruichladdich for the best distillery shop and a gin break.
Bruichladdich was built in 1881 using “state of the art” Victorian-era equipment that’s still in use today! They are one of three distilleries to bottle all whisky on site, plus they make Botanist Gin so it’s a great place for non whisky-drinking friends.
But let’s be honest: you’re on Islay for the whisky. So the best souvenirs are drinkable ones. And the best place to shop is Bruichladdich Distillery (pronounced “bruk-lah-dee”). It had a great selection — and great prices. In fact, the bottles were so much cheaper than in Chicago we couldn’t help but buy a few more than we planned.
The shop also serves samples of whisky and gin, so we tasted some whisky before we purchased it. That was especially helpful when I was deciding between the two distillery exclusive bottles.
As for distillery experiences, we did the Warehouse Tasting at Bruichladdich. We got to taste three whiskies straight from the cask, covering all three brands: Bruichladdich (unpeated), Port Charlotte (heavily peated), and Octomore (super heavily peated). They were all delicious, and we got to take any whisky we didn’t finish home in little bottles.
Related :: More on Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte Whisky
Go to Bunnahabhain for the most surprising whisky.
Also founded in 1881, Bunnahabhain Distillery is the most remote distillery on Islay. It’s the northernmost distillery on the island, with whales and dolphins often spotted in the nearby waters. Bunnahabhain (pronounced “bunn-na-ha-venn”) is known for its light, non-peated whisky, traditionally aged in Sherry casks for a sweet richness and a touch of salt. (About 20% of its whisky is heavily peated, called Moine.)
We did another warehouse tasting at Bunnahabhain, tasting four whiskies straight from the cask (including new make!). Our guide was the charismatic, sarcastic, and knowledgeable Katie, who had our whole group laughing the whole time.
And in between our chuckles, we agreed how shocked we were by the whisky. Many of us were already fans of Bunnahabhain (myself included), but the whisky at the distillery was outstanding. And the best part is it’s available for sale at the gift shop, along with other unique cask finishes, in varying sizes of bottles. Of course we all took home a bottle or two.
Go to Kilchoman for a look at a modern distillery.
Until a few years ago, Kilchoman was the newest distillery on Islay. Opened in just 2005, Kilchoman (pronounced “kill-hoe-man”) is the only landlocked distillery on Islay and the only distillery in Scotland that does everything on site (from growing the barley to bottling). Their whisky strikes the perfect balance of fruity and salty, with a touch of peaty smoke.
Because Kilchoman does every part of the whisky-making process on site, we took the Roving Tour to see all the steps. It was raining, so we didn’t get to see the barley fields (although they’re visible on the drive). But we got to see everything from the malting floors to the stills and the warehouse.
Two things stood out to me about the distillery tour at Kilchoman. First, we got to enjoy whisky throughout the tour, which is fun. There’s something about enjoying whisky right where it’s made that makes it more special. And second, the stills are quite a contrast than the other distilleries. They are a completely different shape and size. It’s another reason why seeing each distillery helps explain why the whisky is so different.
Related :: 5 Ways Kilchoman Distillery on Islay is Unique
Go to Caol Ila for the new visitor’s center.
Caol Ila may be one of the lesser known distilleries on Islay, but it’s one of the largest producers. What Kilchoman makes in a year, Caol Ila (pronounced “Cull-eela”) makes in six weeks! Mostly blended into Johnnie Walker, Caol Ila has a cult following who love the grassy, seashore notes mixed with gentle smoke.
During the pandemic, Caol Ila’s visitor center was completely renovated. The new visitor’s center boasts floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Sound of Islay, a new bar, and modern retail space. Because of our issues getting to Islay, we didn’t have time for a tour, so we stopped for a tasting in the visitor’s center, which was impressive.
We tasted two distillery select bottlings and shopped in their well-stocked gift shop. It was just enough to get a feel for the distillery in our short amount of time, but next time we’ll definitely take a tour or do a warehouse tasting.
Bowmore, Ardnahoe, Port Ellen & Portintruan
Even though we spent three days on Islay, we didn’t have time to hit all the distilleries. We had to skip Bowmore, the first of all the licensed distilleries on Islay. Opened in 1779, it’s home to Scotland’s oldest maturation warehouses. There’s also a whisky bar on site.
Islay’s newest distillery, Ardnahoe opened in 2019. While the distillery has yet to release any whisky, they still offer tours and tastings of other whisky. Meanwhile, Diageo is in the process of rebuilding Port Ellen, which closed in 1983, and Elixir Distillers received permission to start construction on Portintruan (pronounced Port-nah-truan) last year. (Here’s what else is new on Islay.)
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Related :: What to Know Before Going to Islay, Guide to the Scotch Whisky Regions of Scotland, and more distilleries in Scotland
