In 1846, Glas Distillery owner Hector Henderson of Glasgow was looking for a small bay on the Sound of Islay for his distillery. He named it after the sound itself, using the Gaelic Caol Ila, and across that sound the small buffer ships made their round trips to the mainland, slowly helping to establish the distillery as the largest on Islay.
The pronounced Islay smokiness makes Caol Ila Whiskey a point of reference for connoisseurs of Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskey all over the world. It is dry, the sea air smells and the pleasant smokiness awakens a certain feeling for the drinker - whether you have visited this magical island or not.