Insider knowledge: Caol Ila 12 Year Old whisky is named whisky by virtue of the fact it's from Scotland. If distilled in America the spelling would be Caol Ila 12 Year Old whiskey, as opposed to whisky.
Nose: Fresh, herbal. Rubbed peppermint leaves, stemmy, damp grass, smoky. Oily, cigar leaves, smoked ham, hickory.
Palate: Good body, oily, tar, elegant smoke. Hints of boiled sweets.
Finish: Long, peppery, spicy warmth, smoke.
Peat and the sea... but boy it's good. Oily finish makes it last. An improvement on the previous Caol Ila 12. A great stereotypical Isla.
And what a price 4 this one! GREAT STUFF'!
Really good whisky, nice drink, nice health.)
Really delightful stuff and great value for money
I was in NY 2 weeks ago (Nov 2011), and a Scotish lady recommended....... amazing good....
Bao demais da conta veio..... tao bao quanto uma Cachaca de Salinas
Whilst I've always liked some of the Islays, I've previously stuck to a limited few and am not that taken with Lagavulin. I was therefore really pleased to find how delicious Caol Ila is, having never heard of it before. I'm definitely going to buy some more.
Along with Bowmore 12, Caol Ila 12 is a classic example of medium peatiness and as such a good introduction to the Islay style. Less complex than the Bowmore, but none the worse for it - it delivers a good dollop of smoke and it's a great alternative to Lagavulin if you want to save a tenner.
This is a Must to Try....I have never tasted anything similar to this Single Malt....you Love it...or Hate it....I Love it!....Not for beginners though! beginners go with Speyside or Lowland Single Malts.
Went to play golf with old Navy buddies and everyone brought a flask with them, and each flask had a different whisky in it; mine having the 12 year old Caol Ila. By the time we finished playing, my flask was the only one empty because my buddies drank it all! For now on I’m keeping it to myself! Terrific whisky.
For people who like Islay malts but find Laphroig a bit too full on, I recommend this. It's oily, salty and grassy and kind of like a really smooth and refined version of Talisker. If you could drink embers they would taste like this!
Not as good as Laphroaig 10yo or even Bowmore 12yo. I was a bit disapointed, because people brag about this dram. I guess Laphroaig spoiled me :P
Light scent of medical adhesive. Definite taste of smoked meat and aftertaste of smoke or ash. For all that, it's not unpleasant. I'd try the 12 year old again, certainly try a different Coal Ila expression.
Light, but packs a punch too. Nice sweetness... a must try!
Love Islay whisky and this is a very good one. A must try!
Highly recommend. The finish is long and gloriously warming. Nice balance, not as hard hitting as brother Ardbeg but complex enough for a late evening dram. Brill
The answer was of course Caol Ila. This was a very nice surprise. I think I had become an Ardbeg snob. So there are other Islay's which are well worth the investment. One bottle on order please and dont spare the horses.
This is a very nice whisky. Also recommendable for beginners like me. I would give it 4.5 star if it was without artificial coloring.
It always amuses me when fairly uneducated people comment on Caol Ila about it's unique Islay qualities. It is in fact taken off the Island as soon as it is Distilled and matured wholly on the mainland. Not quite what it says on the bottle!
it is true that call is aged on mainland Scotland, although nowhere in Scotland is more than 40 miles from the sea so it is not especially important...but the distilling is and Call gets a better share of copper surfaces than most.. as good as you will find d anywhere, the 12 is in fact better than the 25. a five star dram!
Tried this whiskey at my friend's over the weekend and I have to admit I was not expecting such a surprisingly tasty and relatively unknown drink! Totally recommended!