Fèis Ìle returns for the 40th anniversary of the whisky festival and Lagavulin and Caol Ila distilleries will proudly unveil three limited releases, celebrating the island’s community and culture. Launched in 1986, this annual festival unites whisky lovers from around the world to enjoy and explore the distilleries behind some of Scotland’s most iconic smoky single malts, while honouring the community at the heart of its success.
The line-up of releases for 2026 features expressions that are both rare and experimental from our distilleries for the festival. From Lagavulin, a cask-strength hand fill bottling entitled the ‘Skies of Fèis Ìle’ is one of the oldest and rarest released by Lagavulin for the festival at 31-years-old. It is joined by a deep and intense Lagavulin 14-year-old, which has received a long five-year finish in Oloroso-seasoned American oak casks. The two Lagavulin releases are particularly distinctive – shaped by the same Oloroso influence and inspired by the rare moment of two moons rising together, offering a unique perspective on how time transforms flavour.
From Caol Ila, the team has created an expression that has been finished for the first time in former Don Julio tequila casks, revealing a herbal citrus forward twist from the agave influence, to highlight its signature costal smoke.
LAGAVULIN 31-YEAR-OLD ‘SKIES OF FÈIS ÌLE’
One of the oldest and rarest whiskies released for Fèis Ìle 2026
This exceptionally rare Lagavulin 31-year-old continues the distillery series that began with a 29-year-old release at Fèis Ìle 2024. Drawn from a ‘sibling’ finishing cask which took its own path, this Lagavulin showcases another experiment in maturation techniques, resulting in one of the oldest and most exclusive expressions from the distillery for the festival.
What began as a richly layered single malt, spent over a decade finishing in heavily charred, Oloroso-seasoned American oak hogsheads. This process allows the spirit to penetrate deeper into the wood, gradually unlocking new layers of character and complexity. The result is a velvety-smooth dram, where intense fruit and faint sweetness meet smouldering warmth for a Lagavulin whisky that feels drawn from a bygone age.
LAGAVULIN 14-YEAR-OLD FÈIS ÌLE 2026
A rich and distinctive take on Lagavulin’s signature distillery character.
For this Lagavulin 14-year-old, the whisky’s signature smoky profile takes a new distinctive and rich dimension. Naturally bold and smoky in style, the Oloroso seasoned American oak finish brings added richness of red berries, dried fruits, caramel and warm spice.
This intense and deeply satisfying Lagavulin, alongside the Skies of Fèis Ìle 31-year-old bottling, captures what the team describe as a rare ‘Blue Moon’ moment, a fleeting alignment of character and complexity. On the palate, both expressions reveal Lagavulin’s signature depth, rich smoke, layered with dried fruits and dark sweetness.
Lagavulin Distillery Manager, Jordan Paisley said: “We are incredibly proud to present not one, but two exceptional Lagavulin expressions to mark the 40th anniversary of Fèis Ìle. These festival releases reflect both the passage of time and the journey of our whiskies, celebrating our craft and culture with bottlings to be cherished and enjoyed.
As a long-time admirer of Lagavulin and now a custodian of this iconic distillery, I feel a sense of deep personal gratitude in hand-filling the ‘Skies of Fèis Ìle’ expression for our guests. I look forward to sharing a dram with them and welcoming them all into the Lagavulin family for this special occasion.”
CAOL ILA 11-YEAR-OLD 2026 “TEQUILA CAOL ILA”
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A playful twist on Caol Ila’s coastal style with a tequila cask finish.
Known as the distillery that delivers bright, coastal character, Caol Ila’s signature subtle smoke is met for the first time with an unexpected twist of a new cask experiment. The Fèis Ìle 2026 edition of Caol Ila was matured in American oak Don Julio tequila casks and this 11-year-old expression is playfully known as “Tequila Caol Ila”.
Adding lively citrus, sweetness and spice to Caol Ila’s memorable coastal character, this tequila cask finish brings an extra lift and energy to the dram. With herbal notes and green fruit, with a hint of agave and light smoke, there is soft spice with a crisp and refreshing finish to this Scotch whisky.
