Critics reviews
Grassy and herbal. A faint smoke scent from a distant dying bonfire. Oak covers the peat character and releases sweet herbal notes.
Palate
A smooth, mellow, sweet, malty. Herbal character as announced on the nose.
Finish
Lingering, with a swift smoky come back. And a phenolic touch. Ends on dry ashes.
Comment
Oak seems to have “digested” peat. The smokiness is restrained on nose as well on palate but surprisingly comes back on the finish.
Martine Nouet - Whisky Magazine Issue 50 Nose
Intense with an oyster like freshness, fish in early stages of being smoked, slightly medicinal. In time a note reminiscent of a muggy day in Islay.
Palate
The smoke travels low and fast across the top of the tongue, then the rich, textural oiliness calms it down and mixes it with light fruit.
Finish
Still a mix of oils and dry smoke, then a hint of tinned fruit.
Comment
The peatiness is less ‘peaty' and is more in the area of light phenols. It's there though.
Dave Broom - Whisky Magazine Issue 50
About this SPIRIT
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)
Islay Whisky
The whisky region of Islay (pronounced eye-la) is arguably the most important 200 or so square miles in the whisky world. On the face of it Islay just another island of the Inner Hebrides. It lies in Argyll just to the west of Jura and around 25 miles north of the Irish coast, which can be seen on a clear day.
The island's fame as far as whisky goes is due to the 8 distilleries currently in production and the vast tracts of peat that cover most of the island's surface. The whisky distilleries are: Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman (this is the newest distillery on the island which started producing spirit in 2005), Lagavulinand Laphroaig.
The 8 distilleries with whisky for sale can be divided up, depending on the amount of peat used. The `big 3' are Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig who all produce powerful smoke laden whiskies. The new malt produced by Kilchoman is also very powerful indeed.
Occupying the middle ground are Bowmore and Caol Ila. The whiskies produced at Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain are in peat terms at least, the lightest.
There were more distilleries in the past: Port Ellen closed in 1983 while the Lochindaal at Port Charlotte closed in1929. The buildings at Port Ellen are however still in use, it is here that malted barley for the island's distilleries is produced.
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Description
This classic Islay displays the Island character splendidly. It has a lightish weight but plenty of salty, smoky flavour and an oily body making it a great "anytime" malt. Much of the distillery's output goes into Johnnie Walker blends.
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