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Caol Ila is not as well known as most
other
Islay distilleries but that’s not due to the quality of their
whiskies. Caol Ila is highly sought
after by blenders and majority of
production contributes to many famous
brands. Not as intense as its southern
neighbors like Ardbeg, Lagavulin and
Laphroaig, Caol Ila is a softer and
sweeter dram but still retains that
classic
Islay character. We first discovered
this exceptional whisky through
independent bottlers like Signatory and
Gordan and MacPhail and hoped the
distillery would develop a line for the
United States. The 12 and 18 year old
distillery expressions are now widely
available and are two of our favorites.
We’ve found several other distillery
expressions in our recent travels and
below are the results of our search:
Caol Ila 8 year
old - Unpeated 59.8%
Glen
A very unique dram that’s very
difficult to find. We found a few in
some specialty shops in Scotland and
quickly snatched them up. The
distillery uses unpeated barley in
this dram but the whisky still has
some smoke. The dram felt older then
it is and wasn’t overly grassy that
so many young drams have in
abundance. A subtle nose greets you
with hints of grass, tart apples and
charcoal. The body is light to
medium and the finish is sharp and
intense. Not a very well balanced
dram but it all seemed to work
exceptionally well.
Nose: Fresh, grassy,
charcoal, tart apples, sea air
Body: Light to medium
Finish: Long and sharp, the
bite lingers, warming, smoke
Not a dram that you drink all day
but perfect for when you’re in the
mood for an intense treat.
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Caol
Ila 12 year old
Glen
A
wonderful big smokey dram. I fell in
love with the 18 year old Caol Ila
and
this one
is almost as good. Big smoke in the
nose and a deceptively light body,
the smoke
comes back in a great medium length
finish.
Nose:
Green grass, smoke, peat, a little
young
Body:
light and a tad oily
Finish:
Medium to long and smoky, vanilla,
full of flavor
I could
drink this one all day!
Brett
Fantastic
smoke on the nose and finish. Almost
overpowers everything else, but the
oak and vanilla do peek through, as
does the spice in the body. Young,
but distinctive – you know what
you’re drinking the moment you smell
it. If you like the smell and feel
of a campsite the morning after a
rain, this is the dram for you!
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Caol
Ila 18 year old
Glen
A great
scotch that starts out sweet and
then the smoke begins. A wonderful
whisky seemingly made for a flask
and enjoyed hiking or fishing. Add
water to really bring out the
character on this great dram. Offers
much more complexity than younger
Caol Ila's and is little more tame.
Has a sweetness that comes through
with its long maturation process.
I love
this one.
Brett
More
elegant than the 12-year-old, but
loses some of its distinction in the
process. I can see where it’s a
“better” malt; more complex, a
richer nose (do I detect
gingersnaps? Why, yes, Jess, I do!).
For my money, though, I like the
quirkiness of the 12-year-old.
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Caol Ila Distillers Edition
Glen
This one’s a wow whisky from one
of my favorite distilleries.
Finished in Moscatel casks this is
one of the best of the Distillers
Edition range. This is a beautiful
whiskey that still maintains that
great Coal Ila character while
offering more sweetness and
complexity. The Moscatel sets off
the smoky Coal Ila perfectly and my
co-taster and I fell in love with
this exceptional whisky. The dram
wasn’t too smooth and had a wild
side we both enjoyed.
Nose: Clean and fresh, peat,
seashore breeze, sweet, red table
wine
Body: Light and delightfully
sharp.
Finish: A long burn, dry and
hot, spicy, smoke, wild
A drink all day, hot & spicy Islay.
Caol Ila can do no wrong.
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Caol
Ila Cask Strength 55%
Glen
The best part of this dram was its
dry smoky finish. The nose just
didn’t seem to move me. The nose has
a vegetable feel with hints of
menthol and earth. The body was
light to medium.
Nose: Menthol, melon, dry.
earthly, smoky
Body: Medium to light
Finish: Dry and smoky, medium
length, a nice fruity sweetness
coming through in the end
This one’s all in the finish.
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Caol Ila 25 year old
Glen
A complex but tamed Coal Ila
that had a marked sweetness to it. I
love the 12 and 18 year old
expressions due to their fire and
classic Islay taste. I found the
fire missing with this dram and
replaced by more complexity and
sweetness. Age seems to tame Islay
whiskies a little too much for my
taste.
Nose: Subtle, sweet, light
smoke, peat
Body: Medium with a sweet
character
Finish: Long and dry, sweet,
skunk weed, peat smoke
Very good but I miss the fire of the
12 and 18 year old.
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www.royalmilewhiskies.com
carries a great selection of Caol
Ila |
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Upcoming reviews will include whiskies
from Glenmorangie
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Questions or comments are welcome, I can be reached at
brett@whiskyguild.com |
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