Islay Scotch Whisky

Islay, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, is one of Scotland’s most distinctive whisky regions. With a legally protected status under Scotch Whisky Geographical Indications, the island is home to nine active distilleries, including Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman and Ardnahoe, with new projects underway as interest in the island continues to grow.

While Islay is globally associated with heavily peated, smoky styles, this is only a general guideline. The island offers a broad spectrum of character — from the medicinal, maritime intensity of the southern distilleries to the lighter, fruitier or unpeated styles produced in the north. As always, flavour depends on each distillery’s production methods, peat source, fermentation and cask management rather than the region alone.

Islay’s whiskies are shaped by a combination of peat-rich soils, coastal maturation, long-standing traditions and a strong local identity. Generations of distillers have developed styles that are now among the most recognisable in the whisky world, making the island a global reference point for single malt.