The Caol Ila tequila cask is the standout of three limited bottles Lagavulin and Caol Ila have released for Fèis Ìle 2026, the festival’s 40th anniversary. The headline is the Caol Ila 11 Year Old (56.1% ABV, £145), the distillery’s first whisky finished in former Don Julio tequila casks. Alongside it sit the Lagavulin 14 Year Old (56.5% ABV, £240, 1,752 bottles) and the distillery-only Lagavulin 31 Year Old “Skies of Fèis Ìle” (£2,800), both finished in Oloroso-seasoned American oak. The Caol Ila 11 and Lagavulin 14 reach UK specialist retailers after the festival; the 31 was Islay-only on Lagavulin Day.
Here’s what they’ve put out, and why each one is worth paying attention to.
Why Lagavulin and Caol Ila release together at Fèis Ìle
Lagavulin and Caol Ila are both Diageo-owned Islay distilleries, and both are core to the festival’s identity. Lagavulin is the heavily peated, Oloroso-leaning classic of the south shore; Caol Ila is the larger, more coastal and lightly smoky distillery to the north near Port Askaig. Don Julio tequila has been part of Diageo’s portfolio since 2014, which is why a Caol Ila tequila-cask finish was an in-house sourcing exercise rather than an unusual collaboration.
Lagavulin 31 Year Old “Skies of Fèis Ìle” £2,800, distillery only
This one continues a line that opened at Fèis Ìle 2024 with a 29-year-old. Both expressions share the same heavily charred, Oloroso-seasoned American oak hogsheads for their extended finish (over a decade inside those casks), but each was drawn from a sibling cask that took its own path through maturation.
The result is what you’d expect from that kind of time and wood contact: deep fruit, faint sweetness, a long smoky warmth that Lagavulin fans will recognise immediately, but stretched and transformed by the sherry influence. Distillery manager Jordan Paisley will hand-fill and sign each bottle on Lagavulin Day, May 23. If you’re not on Islay that day, the secondary market is your only option. The 2024 29-year-old has already traded above its £2,000 launch price at auction.
Lagavulin 14 Year Old Fèis Ìle 2026 £240, 56.5% ABV, 1,752 bottles
The 31-year-old’s “sibling” in the official Diageo framing. Same Oloroso-seasoned American oak casks, but five years of finishing rather than ten-plus, and a whisky that started its life 14 years ago rather than 31.
Diageo is positioning the two releases as a “Blue Moon” double: a rare alignment where the same cask influence plays differently across two very different ages. On the 14-year-old, the Oloroso finish adds red berries, dried fruits, caramel and warm spice over Lagavulin’s signature smoke. The base spirit here is younger, so the wood relationship is fresher and the result sits somewhere between the distillery’s classic heavily peated profile and a richer, sherry-forward expression.
At 1,752 bottles and £240, this is the accessible entry point into this year’s Lagavulin anniversary pair.
Caol Ila 11 Year Old Fèis Ìle 2026 £145, 56.1% ABV, Don Julio tequila casks
This is Caol Ila’s first time finishing in former Don Julio tequila casks. The nickname the distillery has given it, “Tequila Caol Ila”, suggests they’re not trying to hide what the cask does to the spirit.
Don Julio has been part of Diageo’s portfolio since 2014, so this wasn’t a complicated sourcing exercise. The logic is similar to what’s been happening across Fèis Ìle 2026 more broadly, with distilleries reaching for casks outside the standard rotation to mark the anniversary year. Ardbeg, for instance, went to Sicilian Marsala for their festival release.
What the tequila casks actually contribute here: lively citrus, sweetness and spice layered over herbal notes, green fruit, and a distinct agave note, all sitting alongside Caol Ila’s coastal smoke. The agave and smoke combination is less surprising than it sounds. Tequila finishes on peated Scotch have been done before by a handful of distilleries and independents, but this is the first time Caol Ila itself has gone there.
At £145, it’s the most affordable of the three and will also be available through UK specialist retailers after the festival. Unlike the Lagavulin 31, it won’t be distillery-only.
| Bottles | Lagavulin 31 “Skies of Fèis Ìle” | Lagavulin 14 | Caol Ila 11 “Tequila” |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABV | Not stated | 56.5% | 56.1% |
| Cask finish | Oloroso-seasoned American oak (10+ yrs) | Oloroso-seasoned American oak (5 yrs) | Ex-Don Julio tequila casks |
| Bottles | Hand-filled, distillery only | 1,752 | Not stated |
| Price | £2,800 | £240 | £145 |
| Availability | Islay only (Lagavulin Day, 23 May) | Specialist retailers post-festival | Specialist retailers post-festival |
| Flavour | Deep fruit, faint sweetness, long smoky warmth | Red berries, dried fruit, caramel, warm spice over smoke | Citrus, agave, green fruit, spice over coastal smoke |
The context
Fèis Ìle launched in 1986. This year’s edition runs May 22 to 31 ten days, the longest in the festival’s history with eleven active distilleries participating. Lagavulin Day is May 23, Caol Ila Day is May 25.
For the Lagavulin 31, you need to be there. For the 14-year-old and the Caol Ila 11-year-old, specialist retailers will have stock in the weeks following the festival if you miss the island window.
The festival programme, distillery days, and availability details are listed at feisile.co.uk.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Lagavulin and Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2026 releases?
Three limited Islay bottlings for the festival’s 40th anniversary: the Lagavulin
31 Year Old “Skies of Fèis Ìle” (£2,800), the Lagavulin 14 Year Old (£240, 1,752
bottles) and the Caol Ila 11 Year Old (£145), Caol Ila’s first whisky finished in
former Don Julio tequila casks.
What is the Caol Ila tequila cask whisky?
It is the Caol Ila 11 Year Old Fèis Ìle 2026, bottled at 56.1% ABV and finished
in ex-Don Julio tequila casks. The distillery nicknames it “Tequila Caol Ila.” The
casks add citrus, green fruit, herbal notes and a distinct agave character that
sits alongside Caol Ila’s coastal smoke. It is the distillery’s first tequila finish.
How much do the Fèis Ìle 2026 Lagavulin and Caol Ila bottles cost?
The Caol Ila 11 Year Old is £145, the Lagavulin 14 Year Old is £240, and the
Lagavulin 31 Year Old “Skies of Fèis Ìle” is £2,800. The 2024 29-year-old
predecessor to the 31 has already traded above its £2,000 launch price at auction.
Where can I buy the Caol Ila 11 and Lagavulin 14 Fèis Ìle 2026?
Both reach UK specialist retailers in the weeks after the festival, so you do not
need to be on Islay to get them. The Lagavulin 31 is different: it was hand-filled
and signed by distillery manager Jordan Paisley on Lagavulin Day and sold only on
the island, leaving the secondary market as the main route afterwards.
What is Fèis Ìle?
Fèis Ìle is Islay’s annual whisky and music festival, first held in 1986. The 2026
edition runs 22 to 31 May, ten days and the longest in its history, with eleven
active distilleries taking part. Lagavulin Day is 23 May and Caol Ila Day is 25 May.
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