Review: Caol Ila 12 years Islay Single Malt

Do you ever form observations in your mind that you are sure are true, but afraid to voice in polite company for fear that you will find yourself committed to an asylum?  Okay, maybe not committed, but at least seriously shunned by practically everyone.  Yeah, I mean everyone.  Your life partner will look at you out of the corner of her eye late at night, while you slumber, and think:  He worries me.

Well, I do make such observations or connections via my chronically misfiring brain snapses.  Like all the time, and in spite of the risk of rejection and the stink-eye gaze from my wife,  family, peers, co-workers and even you, and living out my days in a straight-jacket, while listening to ABBA muzak in an egg shell white walled institution, I am gonna voice one right now.

I was thinking about adventure/thriller writer Jack Higgins and at the same time I was pondering the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, and realized a profound insight about the two men of the pen from different centuries:  They both were able to come up with awesome titles for their entertaining tomes!

A Sampling of Nietzsche Titles

Beyond Good and Evil

The Dawn of Day

. . . and my favorite . . .

Twilight of the Idols

Check out these Jack Higgins Book Titles

East of Desolation

The Judas Gate

. . . and my other favorite . . .

The Last Place God Made

I was thinking about these titles and what they are about?  Truth!  It must be truth.  Beyond good and evil, there must be truth.  Right?  At the dawn of day, it is Mistress Truth who is there to remind you that your headache and upset stomach is the dowry you received when you became betrothed to one of Dionysus' maidens the night before.

East of desolation?  Surely it is the cold, hard truth that you face?  Surely right?  I think so.  So, what about truth?  Well, that is why you are here right?  You want the truth about Caol Ila 12 years.  Well, I am here to give it to ya baby!





Color
Straw.

ABV
43%

Nose (undiluted)
Gentle peat.  Still smoking, charred beach wood and a sweetness, grassy with a hint of seaweed.

Palate (undiluted)
Salty, cold orange pekoe tea, light peat notes, and smoke.  Think branches piled for a small beach-side fire.  Not overpowering.  Salted cod too.

Finish (undiluted)
Tart apple, tangy green seaweed, and the final note is salt.  Heavy salt.

General Impressions
Caol Ila is a distillery on Islay that is not as well known as the others like Lagavulin, Ardbeg and Laphroaig.  Why?  Probably because their 12 year old single malt has only been available since June 2002.  You see, Caol Ila's principal business is producing single malt for the purpose of blending.  You will taste Caol Ila in two fantastically great blends: Johnnie Walker Green and Black Bottle.  Some say Johnnie Black, but Diageo aren't talking (well, not to me).  It probably is present in other blends too.

So, what is the truth about this single malt, as I stand at the twilight of the idols and east of desolation?

Price Point - Be Wary
I paid a lot of money for this bottle.  $80 to be exact.  So, my expectations were elevated. I was disappointed.  While Caol Ila is a pleasant smoky and peaty single malt from Islay, it lacked complexity of flavor.  If there is a word I overuse on this blog, it has got to be "complexity."  Seriously lacking here.

A regular reader told me he picked up a couple bottles on sale for $29 (he lives in the US).  At $29 I would be singing the praises of this malt as a great value for money play.  But, at $60 plus, I cannot say that.  On the plus side, it is smooth, balanced, with no bitterness.  Well put together, just missing a certain pizazz or Elvis Presley karate move that malts should have at the price point I paid.  Even you lucky Americans should be cautious about picking this bottle up if it involves paying in excess of $50.

Alternatives?
While I was drinking Caol Ila, I couldn't help but think to myself that Talisker 10 years is twenty dollars cheaper and delivers a similar flavor profile, but far more interesting and rewarding drink experience.

If you do not want to hop to the Isle of Skye from whence Talisker comes from, you can stay on Islay and try Laphroaig Quarter cask.  Again, cheaper and superior.  As for Ardbeg, it is saltier and more pronounced than Caol Ila.  The latter is really easy drinking.  No wonder it is used for blending.

Online praise is everywhere for this malt.  Ralfy rated this malt 89 out of 100 and was very pleased with it.   So were many others.  Me, I am going out on a limb here and probably will attract heaps of criticism, but oh well, comes with the territory, though I hope I don't end up instituionalized like Nietzsche.

Cheers!


Jason Debly

Review: Caol Ila 18 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

I received an email the other day from a whisky obsessed fellow, Mack McConnell.  Mack introduced himself and explained that a month ago he and some others launched a website: Taster's Club Whiskey of the Month

He wanted the opportunity to basically promote his business venture on this blog.  I checked out his site and basically the business concept is: in exchange for a fee, members get a different 10 - 15 year old single malt or American whisky every month.  I thought to myself, "nothing wrong with helping out an entrepreneur in the whisky field."  So, I suggested to Mack that he send me a review of a whisky of his choosing, and if I like it, I will publish it.  In that way he gets some business promotion.  He shot back a review of Caol Ila 18 and judging by his review, I would say the guy is a certified whisky nerd like moi.  Nevertheless, you be the judge:

. . .

First of all, get a load of this distillery:

It was built in 1846 and is situated in a picturesque cove on Islay, near Port Askaig.  Yes, this is the stuff postcard images are made of.  The distillery sources most of its water for production right there in its own front yard - Loch Nam Ban.  

Also check out this photo of a control booth inside the Caol Ila distillery:

The Star Wars movie fan in me found the distillery's control room strikingly similar to the weapons control room on the Death Star:  

 Okay, turning off sci-fi geekiness.  Whisky geekiness engage.

I recently came across a bottle of Caol Ila 18 year old as a gift.  It wasn't on my top five list of new whiskies to try, but this was a nice excuse to give it a go.  After all, I had heard quite a bit about it.  I knew it was heavily used in blends like Black Bottle and Johnnie Walker blends, but had never had it on its own.  I was excited to see how it held up as a solo act.  By the end, I was pretty glad this one fell into my lap because it became a new favorite of mine.

This Islay malt is not as coarse as many I have tried from this region, and it is also not peat-heavy either.  The nose is exciting and addictive.  The flavors don't deliver quite as much as the nose, but still very satisfying.

Appearance
Pale, golden.

Nose
Warm rounded peat - again, not hitting you over the head, but has a strong presence.  Also distinct floral notes.  Then a bit of citrus - lemon - and some apricot.  An ashy camp bonfire.  A bit of salty burned meat, too?  Oak and herbal leafy notes seem to be all over the place.  Well balanced with the peat taking a bit more of the stage than the others.

Palate

The beginning is smooth and mellow.  A little bit sweet.  I also get a fair amount of acidity and a bit more salt.  Vanilla and peat start to creep in - a bit of the same ash camp bonfire as detected on the nose.  I noticed some almonds and cedar wood.  It's clear that the flavor is not as direct as the nose was hinting to me.

Finish

Warming.  That light smoke from before surrounds the end and really rides out the flavor.  A bit of the salty notes that I had before remain, still.  Also I notice a bit of sweet peat, similar to what the nose hinted at.

Conclusion

All in all, I'm glad I was able to get my hands on this bottle.  It's simply awesome.  For me the nose was the most interesting part.  It promises a bit more than the flavor delivers, but it's no disappointment.  The peat is there, but it's not a raunchy peat party like some, contributes to an overall well rounded Islay malt experience.

It was interesting to drink it with a friend of mine, who is very new to whisky.  He loved it equally.  I'm confident this is a good one for whisky aficionados and jedis, alike!

Mack McConnell

. . .

Well readers, I think Mack has written a scotch review from the heart of a sci-fi nut!  Let's show our appreciation and check out his new business:  Taster's Club Whisky of the Month

Cheers!

Jason Debly