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Best Islay whisky: compare the distilleries

Islay single malts grouped by peat, from Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Port Charlotte to Kilchoman and unpeated Bunnahabhain, with live UK prices.

Written by the Uisge Beatha team

Published Updated

This guide links to retailers. Some links may earn us a commission; picks are based on the price data and the criteria below.

For a first Islay whisky with smoke, start with Lagavulin 16 Year Old or Laphroaig 10 Year Old. For Islay without smoke, start with Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old. The sections below group the island’s single malts by how they are peated, with two to four widely stocked bottles in each and today’s UK prices.

Islay is one of Scotland’s two protected whisky localities, and its distilleries are best known for peated malt. Not all of them use it, though, so this guide includes the unpeated side of the island too. For every bottle from the island, see Islay whisky; for peated whisky from anywhere, see best peated and smoky whisky. For one pick from every style, see the best whisky to buy in the UK.

The peated classics

These are the distilleries most people mean by “Islay whisky”.

Lagavulin 16 Year Old: £72.95 at Master of Malt. A 16-year-old single malt at 43% ABV from Lagavulin, founded in 1816 and owned by Diageo, which describes its whisky as intensely flavoured and smoky. If you already like it, whiskies like Lagavulin suggests alternatives.

Laphroaig 10 Year Old: £36.00 at Master of Malt. A 10-year-old single malt at 40% ABV from Laphroaig, which credits its smoky character to Islay peat.

Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old: £32.95 at Master of Malt. A five-year-old single malt at 47.4% ABV from Ardbeg, a younger and stronger alternative to the distillery’s 10 Year Old.

Kilchoman Sanaig: £51.95 at Master of Malt. A no-age-statement single malt at 46% ABV from Kilchoman, which calls itself Islay’s farm distillery. Founded in 2005, it sits among the buildings of Rockside Farm on the island’s north-west coast.

The heavily peated ranges

Bruichladdich makes peated whisky under two names of its own, so the distillery’s name on a label is not a guide to smoke. Both of these are bottled at higher strength, so add water to taste.

Port Charlotte 10 Year Old: £54.95 at Master of Malt. A 10-year-old single malt at 50% ABV from the range Bruichladdich describes as heavily peated.

Octomore 17.1: £122.00 at Tyndrum Whisky. A single malt at 59.7% ABV from the range Bruichladdich describes as super heavily peated. Each Octomore release states its own peating level, so check the figure for the edition you buy, and see what ppm tells you.

For peated Islay whisky only, see peated Islay whisky.

Unpeated Islay

Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old: £41.39 at Master of Malt. A 12-year-old single malt at 46.3% ABV from Bunnahabhain, which describes itself as known for unpeated Islay single malt.

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie: £51.00 at The Whisky Shop. A no-age-statement single malt at 50% ABV from Bruichladdich’s own-name range, which the distillery describes as unpeated.

The most widely stocked Islay whisky today

This list updates with every build: the full-size Islay bottles sold by the most UK retailers we check, cheapest delivered price on each card.

Every Islay distillery in one line

The guide to Scotland’s whisky regions explains how Islay fits with the rest of Scotch.

How we chose

Member ratings are not shown on this site yet, so these picks are not ranked by score, and we have not ranked them against each other. We grouped Islay single malts by how the producer describes their peating, then chose bottles in each group that were full size (50cl to 1 litre) and sold by at least three UK retailers we check on 11 November 2026 (The Classic Laddie by two), favouring core-range bottles over limited editions so the picks stay available. They span the £30 to £50 and £50 to £100 bands, with Octomore above them. Founding years and owners come from our distillery database, peat descriptions from the producers, and ages and strengths from the bottle details; the lines are label facts, not tasting notes. Prices change daily, and the retailer’s checkout price is the one that counts. Read how we compare prices.

Questions

Is all Islay whisky peated?
No. Bunnahabhain is known for unpeated Islay single malt, such as Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old at 46.3% ABV, and Bruichladdich’s own-name range is unpeated. Bruichladdich sells its peated whisky under two other names: Port Charlotte, which it describes as heavily peated, and Octomore, which it describes as super heavily peated.
Is Islay a protected whisky region?
Yes. The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (regulation 10) name Islay and Campbeltown as protected localities, alongside the protected regions Highland, Lowland and Speyside. A Scotch whisky label may carry the name Islay only if the whisky was distilled on the island.
Which distilleries are on Islay?
Ten: Bowmore (founded 1779), Ardbeg and Laphroaig (both 1815), Lagavulin (1816), Port Ellen (1825), Caol Ila (1846), Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain (both 1881), Kilchoman (2005) and Ardnahoe (2017). Diageo owns three of them (Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Port Ellen) and Suntory Global Spirits owns two (Bowmore and Laphroaig).
What is the difference between Laphroaig and Ardbeg?
Both are peated Islay single malts from distilleries founded in 1815, under different owners: Ardbeg belongs to The Glenmorangie Company and Laphroaig to Suntory Global Spirits. Their standard 10 year olds are bottled at different strengths, Ardbeg 10 Year Old at 46% ABV and Laphroaig 10 Year Old at 40% ABV.