Top 10 best Islay whiskies to try

Here’s our round-up of the top 10 best Islay whiskies to try in 2025.

Islay whisky is the world’s most enigmatic. Nowhere quite conjures more romantic notions and images of Scotland and its national spirit. Tales of sea, peat, green hills, copper workings, and time. All adding to what’s often dubbed Islay’s ‘rugged charm’. It’s not so poetic on the island. It’s just the way of things. You make whisky on Islay, and it can’t help but be Islay whisky. To its core. 

Some of the world’s most beloved distilleries are crammed into each nook and cranny of coastline and town. Each one has its character, just like the whiskies they produce. If you’re not familiar with them, have previously only stuck to one producer, or haven’t yet experienced Islay whisky for yourself, then you’re in the right place.

Let’s start 2025 off right, with a whirlwind tour of Islay distilleries and its drams. Keep an eye out, because there’s plenty more Islay whisky to come with distilleries opening in the future.

Without further ado, let’s introduce you to the world of Islay whisky. 

Ardbeg

Home of the smoky rebels, Ardbeg doesn’t really do subtle whisky. Its craft steers more towards the dramatic, distinctive, and downright delicious. Known for some of the peatiest whiskies on the planet, Ardbeg packs a mighty punch.

Islay whisky to try: Ardbeg Uigeadail

Named after the loch that provides its water, this whisky is a smoky symphony of dried fruit and chocolate. It’s bold, complex, and unapologetically Islay.

Ardnahoe Distillery

The new kid with old-school soul. Ardnahoe might be the youngest working distillery on Islay, but it’s already making a name for itself. Impressive, balanced drams with a flair for big, smoky character will do that for you. No fluff, no fuss – just proper whisky, done right.

Islay whisky to try: Ardnahoe Bholsa Whisky

A bold follow-up to the impressive debut that was Infinite Loch. Bholsa was matured mainly in oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 50% ABV. Expect dried fruits, stone fruits, and peppery peat – no chill-filtration, no shortcuts. Just a confident step into the smoky spotlight.

Bowmore

The grand dame of Islay distilleries. Bowmore has been there the longest. It does things traditionally but with great balance, utilising Islay’s trademark peat with an elegance to create whisky often sherried to perfection. Fun fact: it boasts one of the oldest whisky maturation warehouses in Scotland.

Islay whisky to try: Bowmore 15 Year Old

The perfect introduction to Bowmore’s style, this dram marries gentle peat smoke with dark, punchy sherried sweetness for a smooth, timeless experience.

Bruichladdich

This experimental distillery is the rule-breaker of the island. Bruichladdich makes its signature brand of unpeated Scotch as well as heavily peated whiskies Port Charlotte and Octomore. Its variety is backed by its maverick, experimental, and intensely local approach. All make it one of the leading lights in whisky.

Islay whisky to try: Bruichladdich Classic Laddie

An unpeated Islay? Absolutely. Light, fruity, and full of coastal character, this whisky is a refreshing change of pace.

Bunnahabhain

The other of the unpeated standouts, Bunnahabhain is a port of call for those who appreciate smooth, sweet, coastal, and fruity single malt. Situated by the Sound of Islay, it channels the sea into every sip.

Islay whisky to try: Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old

Simply one of the best whiskies money can buy. With honey, vanilla, and sea salt, this dram is as comforting as a cosy fireside after a bracing coastal walk.

Caol Ila

Caol Ila is the engine of Islay, a giant that never sleeps but instead churns with intensity to supply the bulk of blends, indie bottlings, and anything else that calls itself Islay whisky. But don’t dismiss it simply as a factory. Amongst the quantity, there’s great quality and bargains to boot. 

Islay whisky to try: Caol Ila 12 Year Old

Delicate smoke, ripe fruit, and malty sweetness make Caol Ila 12 Year Old a balanced beauty that’s perfect for sipping or mixing. 

Right now, Caol Ila 12 is sold out, but Caol Ila Moch makes a fine alternative. It’s a gentler, graceful dram ideal for introducing people to the world of Islay whisky.

Kilchoman

Once the newcomer on the block, Kilchoman is now a firm fixture on Islay thanks to its brand of authentic whisky. It grows its barley and does everything on-site, making its whiskies genuinely hands-on. Farm-to-bottle isn’t a slogan here.

Islay whisky to try: Kilchoman Machir Bay

Named after a stunning local beach, Machir Bay combines peat smoke with sherry-kissed sweetness, embodying Kilchoman’s craftsmanship.

Lagavulin

The brooding poet of Islay, Lagavulin is renowned for its rich, smoky drams and a loyal fan base (Ron Swanson, anyone?). Imagine bottling dragon’s breath. Would you believe me when I said it pairs brilliantly with cola? 

Islay whisky to try: Lagavulin 16 Year Old

Deep, smoky, and full of dried fruit richness, this is the quintessential Islay dram, in some way the quintessential modern single malt.

Laphroaig

Laphroaig divides opinion like no other whisky. Its bold, medicinal peatiness has been called “love it or hate it” – and the lovers are legion. Perhaps more than any other, this might be the whisky people picture when you describe Islay in a glass. It’s a castle worth conquering. 

Islay whisky to try: Laphroaig 10 Year Old

Seaweed, iodine, salt, and a touch of sweetness. This whisky is like a bracing walk along an Islay shoreline in liquid form.

Port Ellen

The revived legend. Whisky’s own Atlantis might have sunk back in 1983, but demand has pulled it from the wreck and given it a future beyond the precious remaining stocks. Often regarded as liquid gold, few have tried much Port Ellen these days. I’ve had a few. I consider myself very fortunate too.

Islay whisky to try: Port Ellen 35 Year Old 1983 Single Cask (Master of Malt) Whisky

A rare gem, this dram is an intricate dance of smoke, fruit, and oak-aged wisdom. A true collector’s item.

BONUS BALL: Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire

Mysterious, modern, and mouth-wateringly good. Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire is our brand, one that brings Islay’s spirit to life with a flair for the dramatic. Shameless self-promotion? You could call it that. But I love the green bottle. I love that the name went straight for the goal and didn’t try and appeal to some nonsense romantic notion. I love the oddness of seeing a label on a whisky bar that looks like it was ripped from Cards Against Humanity. Mostly, I love that it tastes like great Islay whisky and costs what great Islay whisky used to cost. 

Islay whisky to try: Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire 10 Year Old Whisky

The name may be a mouthful, but so is the whisky. Sherry-finished smoke, coastal tang, and a touch of brine. This isn’t whisky trapped in an enigma, hidden in a riddle, and wrapped in a mystery. Just does what it says on the tin.