Islay remains the undisputed titan of the Scotch whisky world. This peaty powerhouse playground packs some of the most iconic brands in the industry onto a 25-mile-long island, each with fiercely devoted fan bases.
So I decided it was time to do something fun, possibly lazy, but undeniably entertaining: rank all nine active Islay distilleries from worst to best. The criteria? The liquid itself is the big dog, followed by value for money and the overall ethos of the brand.
Distillery tours and gift shops don’t factor in here, not least because, despite running a whisky channel, I still haven’t made it to Islay. I know. I question that too.
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READ THE STORYStarting at the bottom, Bowmore sits firmly in ninth place, to the shock of absolutely no one. I think of it as the Macallan of Islay, and I don’t mean that kindly.
The core range of 12, 15, and 18-year-old expressions all sit below 43% ABV with added caramel colouring, pedalling a premium story that the liquid simply doesn’t support.
At eighth, Caol Ila suffers a similar fate under Diageo’s hand. It’s the biggest distillery on the island, yet the core range is limited to three releases, all hobbled at 43% with caramel colouring.
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The independent bottlings, however, reveal a beautiful softly smoked peach character that proves the spirit deserves far better. Bunnahabhain lands at seventh, a brand doing most things right that I simply haven’t explored deeply enough, though the Staoisha releases are genuinely brilliant.
Ardbeg in sixth will ruffle feathers among the cultists, but the endless parade of committee releases and special editions with chunky price tags grew thin quickly, much like my hairline. That said, the Wee Beastie is brilliant, and the Uigeadail remains something I consistently underestimate.
At fifth, Ardnahoe has smashed out of the gate as the new kid on the block, producing heavy, textured coastal spirit that defies any notion that older whisky is automatically better.
Lagavulin holds fourth, still occupying a special place in my heart despite recent missteps and an apparent drift toward premium luxury positioning that worries me deeply.
The top three is where things get serious. Kilchoman earns third as a model of what a modern Islay distillery should be: 100% transparent, no corporate nonsense, everything bottled at 46% or higher, always natural colour, always non-chill filtered. Honest and delicious.
Laphroaig takes second, leaning fully into its Marmite reputation of medicinal smoke, seaweed, and what I can only describe as mermaid’s armpits. The Quarter Cask remains the best entry point, and the 10 Batch Strength will properly slap you about.
My number one is Bruichladdich. A year ago, it might have sat as low as fifth, but this progressive, fully transparent brand now tops my list.
The Classic Laddie offers creamy, unpeated delight. Port Charlotte 10 is, for me, the king dram on Islay right now. And while the heavily peated Octomore leans toward gimmick territory on paper, the liquid itself is genuinely extraordinary.
Bruichladdich caters to every type of whisky lover, and that range of character from a single distillery is hard to beat. So tell me, how wrong am I? I would love to hear your own Islay rankings.
For a more detailed breakdown of my ranking, watch my YouTube video.
