Six Movements of Smoke: An Islay Jazz Festival Collection

Every September Islay transforms. For one weekend the island isn’t just about peat smoke and sea spray, but trumpets, saxophones, and double bass notes drifting across distillery courtyards. I’ve grown up listening to Jazz, from Sinatra and The Rat Pack to the more contemporary Ezra Collective, Jazz has always had a place on my record cabinet.

To mark it, I’ve chosen six whiskies that I’d happily pour alongside my favourite jazz records. Each one has a voice of its own, rooted in the history of the distillery, yet capable of surprising you. Let me share my playlist with you.

Ethan Youel Brand Advocate - Rare & Collectable Whiskies

Caol Ila Moch — with Bill Evans

Caol Ila is Islay’s hidden giant. Its stills have long produced the backbone of blends like Johnnie Walker, but in single malt form the spirit is lighter and more elegant than its neighbours. Moch — meaning “dawn” — captures that brightness.

Fresh citrus, apple, and soft smoke drift together, with a clean, maritime finish that reminds me of sea air first thing in the morning. It’s playful, fresh, and easy to enjoy.

I’d drink this while listening to Bill Evans’ Waltz for Debby. Gentle, precise piano lines, subtle but beautiful — not demanding centre stage but rewarding every time you come back to it. Moch is my go-to opening dram, the one that sets the tone before the night builds.

Caol Ila 25 Year Old — with John Coltrane

Leave a Caol Ila alone for a quarter of a century and something remarkable happens. The peat that’s bright and briny in younger expressions softens into velvet; honey, vanilla, and polished oak bring depth and balance. The smoke doesn’t disappear — it resonates more slowly.

It’s the whisky I’d pour with Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. Deep, soulful, unhurried. A dram for the later hours, when you want something that wraps around you and asks you to sit still, to listen.

For me, this bottling proves why Caol Ila deserves to stand on its own as one of Islay’s greats.

Lagavulin Distillers Edition — with Thelonious Monk

There’s something about the Lagavulin Distillers Edition that always stops me. The Pedro-Ximenez cask doesn’t drown out the peat and salt — it deepens them. You get smoke, yes, but also richness: raisins, treacle, chocolate. It feels darker, moodier, more introspective than a classic style Lagavulin.

I’ve always loved the combination of peat and sherry — there’s a familiarity to it, but it completely engulfs you, a beautiful harmony of sweet and smoke. That’s why it reminds me of Thelonious Monk’s ‘Round Midnight. He could take a melody you thought you knew and twist it into something unexpected, but in the end it all came together, balanced and complete. The Distiller’s Edition does exactly that.

Lagavulin, 1997, 25 Year Old, Prima & Ultima Fourth Release— with Charles Mingus

Bottled as part of Prima & Ultima’s Fourth Release, this is a modern classic. After 25 years, it has that unmistakable Lagavulin smoke, but rounded with vanilla, spice, and a resinous oak structure that makes it feel more architectural than fiery.

It reminds me of Charles Mingus’ Goodbye Pork Pie Hat. The double bass drives the piece — commanding, layered, full of gravity. That’s how this whisky feels, it doesn’t shout, it resonates.

Few Lagavulin bottlings show this much restraint and elegance. For the serious collector, it’s a statement piece — and for the drinker, it’s a moment of absolute stillness.

Port Ellen, 1980, 41 Year Old, Prima & Ultima Third Release — with Billie Holiday

Port Ellen is different. Closed since 1983, it has become one of whisky’s most legendary names. Every release feels like an encore from a band that stopped playing decades ago. The 41 Year Old from the Prima & Ultima Third Release is one of those rare performances: citrus peel, leather, sea spray, oak, and smoke interwoven in a way that feels effortlessly considered.

It makes me think of Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit. Gentle at first, but every note cuts straight through. Smoke and citrus, oak and leather: all beautifully in balance, yet what you remember is the mood, not just the flavour.

This Port Ellen is that Shelf Queen:?A record that is valuable and rare but is displayed rather than played and only comes out when in the best company.?

Port Ellen Gemini, 44 Year Old — with Ella & Louis

Gemini is Port Ellen’s masterful duet. Two twins matured side by side for more than four decades, bottled as a dialogue of smoke and elegance. Each one distinct, but in harmony — maritime salt, rich oak, soft fruit, and layers of peat that seem to echo back and forth.

This is Ella and Louis singing Summertime. Call and response, two voices blending into one seamless whole. It’s a whisky that feels conversational, shifting as you sip, offering new notes each time.

It’s not just Port Ellen at its most expressive — it’s the kind of whisky that reminds you why you collect in the first place: for moments that feel this special. It feels less like drinking a whisky and more like being part of a final performance that you know won’t ever be repeated.

For me, jazz and whisky are about mood. The right dram, like the right record, can change the way you feel about a moment. Sometimes it’s light and playful, sometimes deep and reflective. That’s why I keep coming back to both — when you find the right pairing of the two, it feels less like you’re just listening or tasting — it feels like you’re part of the story.

If you can’t make it to Islay this weekend, pour a dram, put on a record, and let the island’s rhythm play on.