Having a whisky with a view like the tasting table at Caol Ila Distillery boasts may be the best dram I will ever have.

The water was dancing off the small boardwalk and the dingy bobbed away gently from the slight breeze. The sun peeked out, when the clouds allowed, and all I could see was the breathtakingly beautiful Paps of Jura.

While this was the final stop on the Flavour Journey tour of Caol Ila Distillery, it was and is probably the most memorable. Although how can you forget those golden stills which too, fortunately, bare the same view.

The Islay distillery is one of the four corners of Diageo’s Johnnie Walker and is the Islay home of the respected brand. Reopening recently to allow visitors back inside for the first time since 2019 has seen a new bar, visitor centre and warehouse experience be added following a major refurbishment.

Caol Ila Distillery tour

The Flavour Journey tour starts in the main visitor centre and loops round to an area where guests delve into the history of the Johnnie Walker and Caol Ila story.

This is also where guests will be invited to nose various ingredients which make up the whisky’s style, specific to the island.

Stuart, our tour guide, explained how his mum was from Islay and how Caol Ila’s flavour has very much been inspired by the land. Like many other whiskies from the area, peat is a key element to the brand’s thumbprint, as is maritime spice, sea air and sweetness.

Click here to watch my video of my tour experience

Unbeknown to me it was women who, back in the day, played a vital part in the initial production of whisky on the island. And it was great to see a range of women working throughout the centre, including a distiller who I introduced myself to later on.

Walking to and from the distillery to the main visitor centre you’ll pass a statue of Johnnie Walker. Local artist Rosemary Fletcher designed the artwork on the boots, hat and coat, and said it was inspired by the island.

There’s just 12 people on each tour, so it was easy to ask questions and follow Stuart who eventually led us through the building and outside to where the still house lies.

The mash tun room was probably the best place to be shown how to make whisky. The smells from the barley and yeast were pungent and you could hear the machines working away in the background. The maltings for Caol Ila primarily come from Port Ellen, with the barley coming from as far as Germany.

Next door was where the real magic happened though, with the six stills unveiled behind a rolling door. The backdrop looked almost prehistoric with the view of Jura on full show thanks to the floor to ceiling windows.

The penultimate stop on the tour is the cask maturation room where you’ll see casks lying. In here we learned about the woods and casks used and the importance of their relationship in making whisky.

The best was yet to come though, when we were guided back to the main reception area and shown down the stairs to the tasting table.

We had four whiskies to try, the first was Caol Ila’s 12-year-old, a distillery exclusive which had been matured in bourbon casks and California red wine casks, then a 10-year-old from the fill your own bottle section in the distillery, and last but not least a Johnnie Walker Double Black with lemonade in a high ball.

Working my way through the drams I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the best view to enjoy a dram at any distillery in Scotland.

It certainly rivals that of the view of its neighbour Bunnahabhain.

At £20 this tour is great value for money, but be sure to bring your wallet with you to dive into all of what the retail section offers, including whisky, clothing, homeware and more.

Information

The tours are an hour and a half and run seven days a week. The first kicks off around 10.30am and the distillery closes at 6pm.

To book the Flavour Journey tour visit: www.malts.com/en-row/distilleries/caol-ila/tours

Address: Caol Ila Distillery, Port Askaig, Isle of Islay PA46 7RL

Price: £20 per person. Individuals must be 18 or over.