Caol Ila 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky | 43% vol | 70cl | Scotch Whisky | Peaty Whisky from Islay | Distinct Smokiness | Fresh | Sweetly Fruity & Smooth-Bodied

Product Information

It’s a serial award-winner that works great in cocktails (we recommend a smoky Highball), as well as being a good whisky to pair with salty and savoury foods. It makes me crave a salty ocean, sea spray, and the rugged nature of the terroir of the land it comes from.

Drinks well at natural strength; sweet start; pleasant, light fragrant smokiness and a lengthy finish.

This whisky receives a high score from me because I can't imagine a much better whisky for the money. Then a sharp note of campfire smoke that fades off quickly and is replaced by a orange pith flavored medicinal burn. Until the late 1950s Caol Ila brought barley and sent its casks to market from Islay's remote shores on M. The only CS I have seen in Ontario is 17 YO unpeated, and I have to say it's pretty impressive, but the only reason I got it was because I traded in a bottle someone brought for me by accident that was worth a lot more than I would ever pay for a bottle.

On the nose I first got a sort of briney peatiness swiftly followed by toffee,caramel and a slight herbal note. I'd tasted a few of them before, some I'd reviewed before, but now I was finally moving into new whisky territory.Hopefully, there won’t be much variations, as this lineup consists of two 12 year olds and an 11 year old. I'm a relative newbie (less than a year), but when I see terms like "liquid smoke" come up in the context of CI 12, I wonder what that person has been tasting. It's like a person with a whole list of achievements, lots of diplomas, awards, but with no charm or character.

Caol Ila worked really well for presenting a very clear and untouched peat note, especially when freshly poured, and it keeps it's place decently in all stages. The distillery has been part of Diageo (formerly Distillers Company Limited) since 1927, after several shutdowns and changes of ownership. By using the Service, and by creating an account you represent, warrant and confirm that you are of legal age.It can quench my peat desires, but still stay light and balanced enough to entertain other areas of my tongue and palate.