Caol Ila 10 y.o. Unpeated

65.8% abv

Score:  87.5/100

Check the label.  What the hell am I drinking?  Caol Ila?  Malt whisky?  Nah…I don’t buy it.

This is simply a mindf*ck.  I dare anyone to stick their nose in this glass and not believe they were dealing with an aged grain whisky.

For curiousity, if no other reason, I’d suggest snapping one of these up if opportunity presents.  Last word from the distillery is that there are no plans to produce anything else unpeated in the future.  Demand for the standard peated Caol Ila (5% of production being for single malt…95% for blending fodder) is simply too great right now.  Shame really…this was a fun little experiment.

Nose:  Big and rich in sweet barley notes, this has much more in common with an old grain whisky or mature rye than with a whisky from one of the most polarizing Scotch producing regions in the world.  The malt notes you’d expect from a single MALT are sparse and almost seem to be lacking.  In good conscience I have to say…bloody hell, is this sharp!  Clean toasted sugar notes and a lovely coconut aroma up front (hmmm…ever had a Malibu and pineapple juice?).  Smooth chocolate.  A bit of lemon, very typical of Caol Ila.  Lightly floral and a fair infusion of menthol/eucalyptus.

Hot and biting on delivery.  Lemon sharp and anesthetizing (nearly lobotomizing, to be honest!).  Shimmering grains and sweet vanilla pulled young and lively from the oak.  Finishes surpringly rich in balance, and absolutely altogether pleasant.

Did I love it?  Nah.  Did I appreciate it?  Hell yes.  Surprising and enamoring.  And I gotta ask…have you ever bought an abv this high?!  Gawdamn, but this is ENORMOUS!

- Reviewed by:  Curt

- Photo:  Pat

Caol Ila 25 y.o.

58.4% abv

Score:  91/100

A nose to melt your heart and buckle your knees.  A palate to pucker your face and wait…what?  This is like falling asleep in the comfort of your own bed and waking up in a scuzzy brothel.  Both great, but for different reasons. 

I simply can’t wrap my thoughts around the unnerving disconnect between nose and palate on this one.  A truly great olfactory experience leads you to a slightly bitter and hoppy ride on the palate.  IPA meets malt whisky.  F*ck me, I’m stumped.

Ok…if you’re as unseated as I was, let me clarify.  This is a really good dram.  Well…quite good anyway.  Peat ages well.  Men bulge and women sag, but peat often mellows with grace.  One need look no further than the adoration heaped in buckets on our beloved Port Ellen (may she rest in peace).  The biting aggression and astringent notes of iodine and tar don’t necessarily shove off, but they do know when to back up a bit and allow some of the fruits to come forth again.

A couple dozen miles from the afore-mentioned Port Ellen we find Caol Ila; one of many thoroughbreds in the stables of Drinkmonster, Diageo.   In terms of pure volume, if not the number of expressions it produces, Caol Ila is Islay’s most prolific distillery.  Even so, official bottlings of Caol Ila with an age statement of anything beyond a dozen years are tough to find in these parts.

When the opportunity arose to cobble together a few OBs* of Caol Ila and assemble the troops for a range tasting, I was nearly salivating at the opportunity to taste this vintage.  Approaching a whisky with expectations this high is almost never a good idea.

The nose is smooth chocolate and vanilla, sweet melons and aged wood.  A bit of cherry, some mild pepper and very distant smoke.  In hindsight, I’m almost willing to go up a point or two based on the nose alone.  I’m a bit of a slow-go’er with whisky (well…until the alcohol sinks its teeth in and winds the gears a little tighter), so the nosing process alone can take quite some time before first sips.  This is a whisky that absolutely demands this dedicated time.

Then we get to the juice splashing across the tastebuds.  Hmm…tart and hoppy.  Not dissimilar to some of the milder India Pale Ales I’ve tried.  This is compounded by the absolutely teeth-smashing arrival (almost 60% at 25 years?!  Bloody hell!).  Skunky and weedy notes are very, very prevalent.  It is highly possible this was magnified by being tasted just behind the rather stunning 18 year old, in all it’s understated glory, but I rather think it is simply the nature of the beast.

Though far from divine, still an excellent malt.

* OB: Original Bottling

- Reviewed by:  Curt

- Photo:  Pat

Caol Ila 12 y.o.

43% abv

Score:  90/100

This whisky is a showstopper.  It has truly left me struggling for a proper review.  In some senses it is a typical Islay whisky…big, bold, peaty and full of that big seaside salt and brine we’re used to.  In other ways it is much different.  It comes across almost like a well-behaved, slightly mellowed, older brother to the more obnoxious big three Islay siblings (Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig).

The more I look into blended whiskies, attend tastings and read reviews, the more I’m noticing the Caol Ila name cropping up.  It seems to be a blender’s staple in providing a little peat to many bottlings.  Caol Ila is apparently the single largest distillery on Islay, and with its whiskies having a certain softness lacking in some of the other big peats, it is simple logic as to why it would be a blender’s choice.  …Of course the absolute top notch quality may have something to do with that as well, no?

On the nose…certainly peat…smoke…sea side salt and freshness…some fruit…a little spice.  It reminds me of campfires by the water’s edge.  Like most ‘peatheads’, I find myself sticking my nose in the glass between sips.  It is actually quite a light and fresh smell.

The arrival doesn’t overpower with smoke.  Instead it envelops you and then develops into a nice marriage of flavors.  The smokiness is almost like a hazy curtain, slightly masking the other notes.  Occasionally you’ll be able to pick out something through it, such as hints of grass or sea salt.  It also reminds me of a sauvignon blanc, as it has all of the same light herbal, grassy notes and refreshing character.  The finish is long and leaves you with a bit of oak and peat as final flavors.

This 12 y.o. has a rather nice mouthfeel.  A little thin for my liking  perhaps, but pleasant nonetheless.  Our favorite liquor store (Willow Park) has the cask strength version available as well for an additional $30 or so.  I will certainly try that, as I anticipate a little more viscosity and that wonderful ‘coat-your-mouth’ feel.  I also imagine (or hope) it will have a bit more of that raw edge often found in the higher abv whiskies, which is a characteristic I also look for.

In trying to not re-invent the wheel here, I will close with the words of our good friend, and all ‘round whisky aficionado, Ralfy, who described it as having a “delicate intensity”.  I couldn’t have possibly said it better.

Absolutely stunning.

- Reviewed by:  Curt

- Image:  Pat at www.standstillphotography.ca