Whisky Review: Caol Ila 12
With the coming of spring and the beginning of warm weather, I tend to start drinking whiskies that have flavors I associate with summer—for instance, the beach. And to my palate, the whiskies that most remind me of warm weather and the ocean tend to be coastal/island distilleries, such as those found on the isle of Islay. Distilleries such as Caol Ila.
Caol Ila (pronounced “cull-EE-la”), like most Islay distilleries, typically makes heavily peated whisky (it does also produce some un-peated whisky, which it releases in special/limited bottlings). That said, it is not peated at quite the level of many of the other (more famous) Islay whiskies. The standard bottling of Caol Ila is their 12 year old, which is the only bottle readily available near me (and the only Caol Ila I’ve been able to try so far).
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Region: Islay
ABV: 43%
Nose: White wine. Light fruits, pear and apple in particular. Floral, but different than the typical Highland floral notes (more rose, less heather). Peat smoke. Grape must. Chocolate malt. A touch of the ocean, as if you’re sitting on a white sandy beach.
Palate: The arrival is fruity with more of the apple and pear from the nose. Sea salt and brine along with hints of black tea, rose, and milk chocolate. Peat smoke shows up towards the backend of the palate… it’s a kinder, gentler sort of peat compared to other peated Islay whiskies like Ardbeg and Laphroaig. The mouthfeel is oily and has a surprisingly thick viscosity, especially considering the low ABV and the fact that this has been chill-filtered (unfortunately).
Finish: Fairly long and dry. Salty, with a fair amount of peat smoke. Also more pears and a hint of peanuts(?!).
Overall: A wonderfully balanced peated whisky, with quite a bit of complexity. When you take your time and concentrate on the smell and taste, it really conjures up an image of sitting by the ocean. It does for me at least. This is a terrific whisky to drink as the weather gets warmer. I do wish the ABV was a little higher—this would be amazing if it were at least 46% ABV and non-chill filtered.
If you enjoy peated whisky, but want something a bit more mellow and fruity, give this one a try.
Score: 86/100
Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.
