Brands ready for Fèis Ìle with festival releases
Two of Diageo’s Islay-based distilleries, Lagavulin and Caol Ila, have unveiled their limited edition Fèis Ìle releases for 2025, with both featuring some ‘unexpected cask twists’.
This year, Lagavulin is inviting fans to discover ‘new depths of flavour’ with a 15-year-old single malt that has been finished in Moscatel de Málaga casks. The expression is said to showcase a ‘masterful balance’ of sweet and spicy notes while retaining Lagavulin’s ‘distinctive’ smokiness.
Described as a rich and complex bottling with aromas of salted toffee and ripe berries interwoven with maritime medicinal undertones, the whisky also boasts a luxuriously smooth and creamy mouthfeel, and offers harmonising flavours of sweetness, salt, spice, and smoke. It culminates in a long, drying finish with a lingering fragrant smoke and a note of Sichuan pepper spice.
Jordan Paisley, Lagavulin distillery manager, said: “Innovation is at the heart of what we do at Lagavulin and this year we wanted to offer something truly special. While researching our archives, we discovered a reference to Moscatel de Málaga hogshead casks, which inspired this release. The result is a beautifully complex whisky that adds layers to our signature smoke. We’re excited to share it with our fans at Fèis Ìle.”
Meanwhile, Caol Ila is introducing a whisky that is described as having an exciting new dimension of flavour. The Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2025 8 Year Old has been matured in a unique combination of refill casks and PX and oloroso-seasoned casks, before being finished in new Colombian oak casks.
Whisky expert Charles MacLean noted of this bottling: “Even at reduced strength, the taste is intense,” exploring Caol Ila’s waxy character while delivering an intensely smooth, oily texture and a richer, unexpectedly sweet profile that emerges from the Colombian oak cask finish. The whisky’s complex smoke is amplified by layers of spice notes and peppery warmth.
Martin Gaughan, Caol Ila distillery manager, commented: “This release is all about exploration, both for us who enjoy Caol Ila and all the new visitors to Islay during Fèis Ìle.
“The finish in Colombian oak casks has brought a fascinating twist, enhancing Caol Ila’s natural richness with unexpected sweet and spicy layers. I can’t wait for all of our fans to experience it first-hand at my first Fèis Ìle as Caol Ila’s distillery manager.”
Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2025 15 Year Old is bottled at 55.7% ABV, with an RRP of £240 (US$322). It is available for purchase from the distillery and malts.com, with a total of 1,596 bottles.
Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2025 8 Year Old is bottled at 55.8% ABV, with an RRP of £110 (US$148), and is available for purchase from the distillery and malts.com. There is a total of 1,476 bottles.
Distillery days
Visitors attending the Fèis Ìle festival, which this year takes place from 23-31 May, will be able to purchase both bottlings at each of the distillery’s respective ‘days’ during the festival – Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2025 on the 24 May, and Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2025 on the 26 May – on a first come, first served basis.
Guests will also get to experience unique tasting sessions, exclusive events and music from various artists at both distilleries.
Lagavulin Day will feature highlights such as ‘Beyond The Smoke’, an immersive sensory experience and tasting that is a nod to the brand’s recently launched marketing campaign, hosted by Paisley and private client host Barry Nisbet.
The tasting will offer a deeper understanding of the heritage, complexity and craftsmanship behind Lagavulin’s ‘legendary’ smoke, and includes a rare Lagavulin 17 Year-Old dram.
Caol Ila Day follows with ‘Flavour & History’, an interactive whisky blending session that will offer guests the opportunity to craft their own 200ml custom blend.
Hosted by Rory Slater, who worked on this year’s Fèis Ìle bottling for Caol Ila, and Jo McKerchar, senior malts archivist, this session will provide a rare glimpse into the art and science of whisky making at Caol Ila.
Later in the week, on Wednesday 28 May, Caol Ila Distillery will also be holding the Manager’s Evening – an event hosted by Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Port Ellen, and The Maltings managers, that will feature a Q&A session where guests will have the opportunity to engage directly with the managers and gain insights into their expertise and experiences, as well as taste premium hand-selected malts.
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