Caol Ila (pronounced Cull–Eela) was my doorway to peaty whiskeys, and boy! It did not disappoint! With Caol Ila, you get exactly what you’d expect in a quintessential Islay whisky; Elegant bonfire smoke meets medicinal odors. To give you an analogy to better describe the character of this whisky, I’d like you to think about the movie The Revenant. I imagine the character Hugh Glass, played by Leo DiCaprio, amidst the cold, brutal evenings in the unforgiving woods, would turn to his trusty flask while basking in the warmth of a makeshift bonfire. And the contents of this trusty flask would be none other than, Caol Ila 12.
But this whisky is not all peat and smoke, don’t get me wrong. A lot is going on after the first whiff and a sip which I intend to bring forth to you in this review.
Caol Ila 12 Basic Information
- Whisky Type: Single Malt
- Country: Scotland
- Scotch Whisky Region: Islay
- ABV (Alcohol by Volume): 43%
- Distillery/ Place of Origin: Caol Ila Distillery, Port Askaig
- Notable Awards & Recognition:
- Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years – 2015 International Whisky Competition
- Gold for Islay up to 12 years old – 2015 The Scotch Whisky Masters
- Gold for Distillers’ Single Malts 12 years and under – 2014 International Spirits Challenge
- Price Range: $60 (Approximately)
How did Caol Ila get its Name?
The name is derived from a Gaelic phrase Caol Ìle which translates to “Sound of Islay”. Sound of Islay is a narrow strait between 2 Scottish islands namely, isle of Islay and Jura. The whisky takes this name owing to the fact that its distillery is located in an area that overlooks this strait between Islay and Jura.
Those who have visited the distillery talk highly of this view. Depending upon the tide, the flow of the sea changes either in the direction of the island of Jura or towards Islay.
The History of Caol Ila & Its Distillery
This distillery has undergone long years of changing ownership since its incubation in 1846 until it finally became a part of Diageo. It was founded by Hector Henderson in 1846 but he could not turn a profit leading to being sold to the owner of Jura Distillery, Norman Buchanan in 1854. In 1863, Bulloch Lade & Co acquired the business only to go into voluntary liquidation in 1920. Then came a consortium (Including DCL who later became owners of Diageo) who tried to revitalize the distillery and things started looking good by 1927.
World War 2 also took its toll on the distillery. Since 1939, wartime constraints led to heavy restrictions on barley supplies needed for whisky distilling. Caol Ila distillery closed its doors from 1941 to 1945. Post-war though, is a different story altogether. The production steadied till 1972 after which the company owners overhauled the old distillery and brought together a much larger and modern structure in place. They did keep the original architectural design so not much has changed visually, paying homage to the deep and troubled history the distillery has survived. Today, Caol Ila is the largest distillery on the island of Islay both in terms of size of the distillery and production capacity.
Until the early 2000s, the whisky produced by Caol Ila was predominantly used as the peaty expression in blended whiskeys to add smokiness. Many of the popular blended whiskeys including Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker Red Label, Johnnie Walker Black Label, J&B, etc. will have Caol Ila as a part of their blend. In 2002, the distillery launched its first-ever single malt as Caol Ila 12, and since then it has been dear to whisky connoisseurs.
Now, let’s look at what makes this whisky always fight for a spot on my bar cabinet, time and time again.
Caol Ila 12 Nose
The smoke, as I mentioned in the introduction of this review is elegant. Not too intense, but it leaves a cool feeling inside your nose. Then there is the disinfectant or medicinal smell that jells well with the bonfire smoke. There is citrus. The citrus in this case goes towards the lime and lemon side, instead of oranges. The spicy finish reminds me of fennel seeds. Key nose profiles would be:
- Bonfire smoke
- Medicinal
- Herbal, Damp Grass
- Distant Sea, Saline
- Peppermint
- Lime, Lemon Peels
Caol Ila 12 Palate
Whisky from the Caol Ila distillery is known to be oily. If you pour a dram and tilt and roll the glass, you will see streaks of whisky slowly pulling down as you roll because of its oily nature. What this does is that when you drink the whisky, the oil gets coated on the inside of your mouth which subdues the heat or intensity of the flavor, making the experience a lot more elegant. And similar to the nose, there is a perfect balance between the bonfire smoke, the medicinal flavors, and spice and citrus from cask maturation. Key palate notes would be:
- Oily Body
- Elegant Smoke
- Brine, Maritime Salt
- Spicy Warmth
- Peppermint Freshness
- Lime
Conclusion
As Horst Luening from whisky.com puts it, Caol Ila 12 is like a well-balanced 3-legged table, with all 3 legs being peaty smoke, disinfectant/ medicinal notes, and spicy, citrusy finish making it a perfect whisky. I definitely recommend having a bottle to call your own and enjoying the rich heritage of the Caol Ila distillery.
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