Nestled in a hidden cove near Port Askaig, Islay, the Caol Ila (pronounced Cull Eela) distillery sent its whisky to market by sea for over a hundred years. Caol Ila is the Gaelic name for the Sound of Islay, which separates the island from Jura in one of the most remote and beautiful parts of Scotland’s West Coast. The distillery was founded in 1846 and is situated on the shores of the Sound, a spot originally chosen partly because of the clean water from Loch Nam Ban which still provides its main supply. The nose is creamy and lemony, before a silky-smooth medium-bodied palate packs a peaty punch. The finish is dry, sooty and very more-ish. Caol Ila’s trademark smoky-antiseptic character is here. Gaelic for ‘dawn’, Caol Ila Moch is the first single malt from the distillery to be selected entirely on the basis of its taste, rather than age, cask wood, strength or finish. This single malt is an excellent introduction to peaty Islay whiskies.