Festival-exclusive Diageo bottlings feature sherry and Armagnac casks

Fèis Ìle returns for a fabulous week filled with great music and whisky. To celebrate, Islay distilleries Lagavulin and Caol Ila are launching the festival exclusive Single Malt Scotch whiskies. Both bottles will be available to purchase from each distillery at their respective days during the festival.  

Each bottle was carefully selected by the distillery teams to reflect the distilleries’ history and highlight their unique characters.  

Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2023 13-Year-Old marks a new dawn as the distillery hosts the festival for the first time from its new visitor experience. The limited-edition bottling has been matured in Pedro Ximénez/Oloroso seasoned butts, imparting delightful, sweet and fruit notes that complement the peat and peppery spice typical of the Islay distillery.  

A dash of water emphasises the smooth sweetness and bring in more saltiness and smokiness flavours, taming the Islay heat.  

Sam Hale, Caol Ila Distillery Manager said, “Fèis Ìle is always a remarkable time for us and we’re so excited to host it for the first time in our new visitor experience. This bottling is a special one for the team and we’re looking forward to raising a glass together with our fans”. 

Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2023 13-Year-Old is bottled at 60.4% ABV, with an RSP of £185, available to be purchased solely from the distillery. To mark this year’s festival special significance for the distillery, Caol Ila guests will also have the opportunity to purchase a unique and exclusive distillery manager’s bottling. More details to be revealed soon. 

Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2023 14-Year-Old is a unique bottling, matured in a balanced combination of American and European Oak and, for the first time, finished in Armagnac casks. This complex bottling maintains Lagavulin’s iconic spirit character, whilst offering a fruitier twist that is balanced by its signature smoke.  

A drop of water highlights the thick, smooth spirited sweetness counteracted by a peppery spice.  

Jordan Paisley, Lagavulin Distillery Manager said “Lagavulin Fèis Ìle is always a celebration for us all on Islay and as we come together to share a dram this year’s release is no different. This combination of casks is a special nod to our team near and far as we continue to surprise our fans with unexpected flavours and twists on their favourite whisky.” 

Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2023 14-Year-Old is bottled at 58.4% ABV, with an RSP of £220, available to be purchased exclusively from the distillery.  

Fèis Ìle 2023 bottles will be sold at their respective days during the festival on a first come, first serve basis - Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2023 from 27th May at 12pm BST and Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2023 from 29th May at 12pm BST. Thereafter the bottlings will be sold at their individual distilleries.

Tasting Notes

Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2023 13-Year-Old

Appearance: Deep gold with amber lights. Good beading and legs. 

Nose: Mellow and drying, with considerable prickle. A first hint of fortified wine soon becomes more phenolic, with hints of smoked ham, smoked cheese and smoky bacon crisps, all backed by a scent recalling old-fashioned medicated soap. Below this sit light aromas of sea salt and game. All are reduced by a drop of water, which also brings up some classic bonfire smoke. 

Body: Full. 

Palate: An oil-smooth texture, mouth-drying and very spicy, introduces a taste that is immediately sweet and vinous. It soon becomes savoury, with some salt in mid-palate, adding balance. The savoury note brings in white-hot pepper later. Adding a drop of water emphasises that smooth sweetness and brings in some more saltiness and smokiness, taming the spiciness somewhat as it rounds the experience. 

Finish: Long, warming and lightly drying, with smoke and peppery spice. There is a cooling aftertaste, like Szechuan pepper. With water, longer and smoother yet still spicy, with plenty of lingering hot pepper and smoky bacon. 

Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2023 14-Year-Old

Appearance: Golden autumn sunlight, good beading, and very good legs. 

Nose: Mild, with light prickle and just a light hint of grapey spirit at first. Once it begins to open fully the top note is faintly breezy, maritime, and mineral, with salt crystals and drying slaked lime. It then becomes quite meaty, suggesting an air-dried ham, with distant maritime notes coming forward slowly with time and light, fragrant notes of peat ash in the background. Water brings up a suggestion of caramel and that light grape spirit note, soon outplayed by the expected medicinal notes and fragrant wood smoke. 

Body: Full. 

Palate: A thick, oil-smooth texture, quite drying, announces a noticeably sweet and subtly spirit-influenced initial taste. The sweetness is soon cut by a lick of salt in mid-palate and a burst of chilli pepper as a powerful spiciness makes itself known. A drop of water emphasises the thick, smooth spirited sweetness, backed with more deference by that peppery spice. 

Finish: Quite long, salty-savoury, intense and lightly drying, with some smoke edged by mild spice. With water, still longer, sweet, and smooth and yet also still spicy; while the pepper that lingers in the aftertaste is now more Szechuan cool than chilli-hot. 

Event Details

Islay’s most iconic single malt distilleries, Caol Ila and Lagavulin welcome Fèis Ìle fans to their homes once again for the island’s annual celebration of culture, music, and whisky.  

Kicking off on 27th May, Lagavulin Distillery will open its doors hosting a full day of a mix of lively music and whisky tastings filled with unexpected flavours as the Islay brand launches its first Fèis Ìle bottling finished in Armagnac casks. Guests begin the experience in the highly anticipated warehouse tasting hosted by Lagavulin legend Iain McArthur followed by tasting with Distillery Manager, Jordan Paisley, to explore Fèis Ìle expressions over the years and reveal this year’s unique bottling, matured in a balanced combination of American and European Oak and finished in Armagnac casks. 

On 29th May, for the first time, guests heading to the Caol Ila distillery will enjoy the brand-new visitor experience with a Fèis Ìle twist. The celebration will feature live music performances alongside experiences showcasing the world of whisky. Distillery Manager, Sam Hale, leads guests on a whisky journey with some of his favourite drams including the 2023 expression. Fans looking forward to the Caol Ila Fèis Ile 2023 13-Year-Old bottling can also enjoy a chocolate tasting due to the Caol Ila x Islay Cocoa collaboration with views of the stunning Paps of Jura. 

Across both sites and dates, Diageo Brand Ambassadors will also be hosting a suite of tastings. 

About Diageo 

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray, and Guinness. 

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. 

Provided by Diageo