Caol Ila, 12-year-old, Islay, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (43%)

Caol Ila, 12-year-old, Islay, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (43%)

Product: 8039
 
Caol Ila, 12-year-old, Islay, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (43%)

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Description

Nose
Juniper. Garden mint. Burnt grass, but soft.
Palate
Lightly oily. Soothing at first. Lots of flavour development.
Finish
Spicy (nutmeg, pepper). Warming. Very long.
Comment
Of the three expressions in this tasting, this is the most rounded and balanced. All the classic Caol Ila aromas and flavours are there, with no sharp edges. Vatted for drinkability?

Michael Jackson - Whisky Magazine Issue 25 Nose
Oily yet fruity. Linseed oil, green olive, smoked fish. Lightly medicinal, wet grass, linseed oil, smoky wood (balsa wood?). With water good biscuity malt and smoky bacon notes.
Palate
Rounded, mid-weight. Good smoky intensity mid-palate. Clean juicy fruits, oil and dry smoke.
Finish
Long smoky, fishy.
Comment
Great balance and the best of the three.

Dave Broom - Whisky Magazine Issue 25

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About this SPIRIT

Caol Ila Distillery, Islay

Caol Ila Distillery, Islay

Caol Ila (Gaelic for 'the Sound of Islay') was built in 1846 by Hector Henderson, a Glasgow businessman with a keen interest in distilling. The distillery is hidden in a quiet cove near Port Askaig, overlooking the Sound of Islay. The water source for Caol Ila is the peaty Loch Nam Ban about a mile away from which the water flows through fields, arriving at a waterfall near the distillery. The six stills are large and lantern-shaped.

Caol Ila is considered to be one of the lighter of the Islays and tends to be medium-bodied with a rounded flavour. Whilst this malt has a peaty nose, it also has distinct floral notes and is often described as tasting slightly of seaweed, smoky, salty, and with a dry peppery finish. However, the distillery also releases unpeated malts.

Caol Ila is by far the biggest on Islay, producing over 6.5 million litres of alcohol a year.

(Adapted from the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2024)

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