Caol Ila 12 Year Old

opened this a few days back and thought it was ok, no big deal ,it's nice..... Took it out yesterday night, started
sipping. well, it's the next day in the afternoon now (afetr i slept of course!), and i started sipping again. I've got other bottles to savor but this Caol Ila just "got me". was it the dinner that affected my palate and taste buds earlier?.....Now, the dram is totally delicious & drinkable, neat. i'd fancy this over the bowmore 12, maybe even the Talisker 10,and it seems a bit lighter and less complex than the Laga 16 but in a good, warm & relaxed way. very, very nice....

1st March 2015

Very similar to Ardbeg 10 without the bitter chocolate finish. Not as meaty as Lagavulin, but the smoke has almost a "orchard/ fruit wood bonfire" feel. Lovely middle ground every day whisky, my favorite Islay.

19th February 2015

Tthe smokey finish with you from Scotland to the US!

18th February 2015

this is sweet stuff indeed..peaty, smoky, some distant fruit but sweet sweet finish..recommend for people who seek something a little different

19th January 2015

Really nice

25th December 2014

Islay malts are my favourite, Laphroaig especially, but Caol Ila is absolutely beautiful. Slightly subtler on the smokiness when compared to Laphroaig, but in a nice way, and with a lovely citrusy note that cuts through the smoky oiliness with a fantastic balance between the two. Love it!

19th December 2014

Not particularly noteworthy. A competent whisky, lacking personality.

16th December 2014

Tastes like chloroseptic spray. I paid how much for this?????

12th December 2014

I have been nursing a bottle of Caol Ila 12 for the past 6 months. It just hit me how great this stuff really is. It has an oily brineyness to it that somehow remains delicate in nature throughout the whole experience. Like zesty fruit meets oily brine. Special stuff that will definitely make an impression. Plenty of medicinal peatiness. Great for colder weather. "Bonfires on a New England beach in Fall" - to quote Ralfy

19th November 2014

Somewhere between lagavulin and talisker you'll find this baby. It has a salty smoky nose and body en has a long and satisfying aftertaste. Second bottle for me and certainly not the last bottle. Not as sweet as a highland park 12, but has more balls!

31st October 2014

My brother in law brought Caol Ila and I brought Glenfiddich to my daughter's wedding on Martha's Vineyard last month.

Caol Ila was wonderful and to my taste others do not measure up.

10th October 2014

Balanced smoke and peat with fruits and sweet. Not the most challenging whisky and the finish isn't spectacular but the nose and palate is well worth the price. Definitely better than I thought it would be with some underwhelming reviews from some respectable critics. The savory flavors really match well with the oily sweetness. If only at 46% and NCF with no caramel added!

14th September 2014

I'm fairly new to scotch, but have been trying quite a few. Fell in love with Macallan 12 yo, and Highland Park 12; but decided to venture out into the smoky and peaty flavours of Islay. Heard much about Caol Ila and decided to try it. It is very, very good whisky indeed. Very smoky and powerful but just really a wonderful drinking experience (even for a beginner). Would I buy a bottle of it? . . . Absolutely. Top Shelf!

24th July 2014

I found Cao Ila the smoothest of all the Islay whisky's i have tasted. which makes for easy, enjoyable drinking. Spot on with the notes.
Scapa 16 yr so far at the top of my list followed by Bunnahabhain 12 yr (special edition reserve).

5th June 2014

I've been drinking single malt whisky with no smokie tones for many years. Time to make a change became with Call Ila. This whisky bring me to a different level of enjoying with deeply structured aroma and very long aftertaste with absence of alcohol tone where universe of hundreds tastes requires your attention and waking up your taste sense immediately.

12th May 2014

Very specific, feels like a medicine, but God damn a perfect medicine! You keep enjoying hours after last dram. Best from highly-smoky whiskies.

10th May 2014

This was the very first smoked whisky I have been tasting and I was positively surprised about it. I still enjoy this, nice whisky indeed! gp

19th March 2014

But instead of $65 US I'd rate this at more like a $40 price. As in what I pay for Laphroaig 10 or Ardbeg 10. Doesn't make sense for it to be this price. But at $40 it would be a very decent dram.

23rd February 2014

Purchased at very short notice in a sleety storm in Barnsley from a supermarket, on our way to a Burn's night celebration. Im not sure why i picked this one the selection was good and I'm a big unpeated fan, so was ready for some Bruichladdich. Obviously a liberal dose of peat in this one makes it almost a polar opposite. Having always had myself as not being a fan of peat, overcoming the very pungent nose introduced me to a wonderful, smooth, rich but also delicate smoky dram, doesn't suit added water. I'm so impressed I'm going to submerse myself in the world of peaked whisky and see if i need to re-evaluate my palate.. Fantastic

30th January 2014

I got a bottle of this at Christmas during the height of a cold. By boxing day, half the contents were gone and I was feeling much happier! It's characteristically Islay, containing briney and peaty notes though it's nowhere near as aggressive as Ardbeg, Laphroaig or Lagavulin.

If you're new to Islay whisky, this one's probably the best to start you out. It has the savoury flavours of the sea and smoke, but with a gentle, warm, soft touch.

20th January 2014

At all the rave reviews for this particular whisky.
Has a very medicinal nose and oily mouth feel, the taste can only be described as that of the smell of smoke, which lingers for too long.
While not totally unpleasant its certainly not the best single malt in this market bracket but perhaps worthy of a taster.

19th January 2014

sweet and smoky, wonderful palate

9th January 2014

It's all about oil (plus some Islay peet and smoke)... Oil in the nose, oily texture, smooth oily palate. Fantastic. Long friendly finish, sweet, oily and quite spicy.

6th January 2014

I love this whisky. There is nothing more to say.

18th December 2013

I once went into a bar and someone had ordered this. It had a very good label.

17th December 2013

Køber en i julegave til min svigersøn, og satser på, at få lejlighed til at prøvesmage.

13th December 2013

I'm nearing the end of my first bottle of Caol Ila 12 and it's been excellent. Very unique. Positively medicinal.

11th December 2013

Caol Ila 12 was the first bottle of Islay whisky I purchased for my home cabinet. I was attracted by the rumors of exquisite "balance" between sweetness and smoke, and I was not at all disappointed. I get an immediate sweetness in the nose of soft fruits, honeydew melons. Peat comes along with a minty edge. The palate follows along appropriately, with a rock-candy sweetness and a surprisingly creamy mouthfeel; the sweetness gives way to fresh-baked bread and toasted nuts. Gentle smoke dominates the finish and is ultimately carried away by that wonderful Islay sea breeze.

5th December 2013

What can I say: Islay whisky from the finest

18th November 2013

This was my first Islay whisky and I really liked the smoke and peat flavors, so it made me check out a few other Islay brands like Ardbeg and Laphroaig. Those are a more expensive but also more complex and richer in taste, and I do prefer them a little bit over Caol Ila but the latter sure stand it's ground.

4th November 2013

Good one. Recommended

30th October 2013

This was my first Islay whisky but this tasted really awful. I felt sick after just nosing it a few times. I can't really explain it but it tasted really bad, even after adding some water i couldn't keep it in.

I quess Islay Whisky just isn't for me.

30th August 2013

Lovely whiskey, just sad that I have to wait 4 work days to get it to Sweden.
Fruity but powerful. Complex but simple. Just overall a great whiskey.

7th August 2013

Reminds of the Ardbegs but re-tuned, with more pronounced, oily finish. A well balanced, smoky whisky.

27th July 2013

I was surprised how similar this is to the Laphroaig 10 (a littler milder perhaps). Not that that's a bad thing, but after all the rave reviews I had expected it to be quite different.

22nd June 2013

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!

14th May 2013

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!

8th May 2013

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!

6th May 2013

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.

20th April 2013

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.

13th April 2013

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

12th April 2013

Love Islay whisky and this is a very good one. A must try!

1st April 2013

Light, but packs a punch too. Nice sweetness... a must try!

1st April 2013

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.

19th February 2013

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

8th February 2013

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!

2nd February 2013

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.

13th January 2013

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.

24th October 2012

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.

22nd June 2012

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.

7th January 2012

Bao demais da conta veio..... tao bao quanto uma Cachaca de Salinas

30th November 2011

I was in NY 2 weeks ago (Nov 2011), and a Scotish lady recommended....... amazing good....

30th November 2011

Really delightful stuff and great value for money

1st July 2010

Really good whisky, nice drink, nice health.)

11th June 2010

And what a price 4 this one! GREAT STUFF'!

27th May 2010

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.

14th December 2009