Core Range: Caol Ila

Continuing the series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Caol Ila

Bottle	12yo
Characteristics	43% ABV 12yo CF/Col Heavily peated
Maturation	ex-bourbon?
UK Price	£45
Tasting notes	Nose: Subdued, citric fruitiness; a whiff of bath oil and dentist's mouthwash. A fresh and appetising nose, with little or no trace of smoke. A little water raises almond oil and old fashioned oilskins; still a fresh fruitiness, a trace of olive oil, and after a while potpourri or scented hand-soap. Palate: Drinks well at natural strength; sweet start; pleasant, light fragrant smokiness and a lengthy finish. Smooth, pleasant mouth-feel; with water light acidity, some salt and still the sweeter notes. A complex balance of primary tastes. Finish: Sweet smokiness in the lingering, slightly sour finish.

Bottle	Moch
Characteristics	43% ABV NAS CF/Col Heavily peated
Maturation	ex-bourbon?
UK Price	£54
Tasting notes	Nose: Like wet, salty sand after the tide has receded, with antiseptic and lingering smoke notes. Palate: Sweet and salty with a balancing acidity and characteristic anti-septic character. Finish: Short & drying with a little bitterness. Lingering smoky aftertaste.

Bottle	18yo
Characteristics	43% ABV 18yo CF/Col Heavily peated
Maturation	ex-bourbon?
UK Price	£??
Tasting notes	Nose: Smoky bonfires, then soapy water and wet wool, with a smouldering beach bonfire in the distance. Hints of mineral oil, then wax. Palate: Smooth and mildly sweet start with good acidity and sea salt. Finish: A lingering, charred, slightly sour finish.

Bottle	Distiller's Edition
Characteristics	43% ABV NAS CF/Col Heavily peated
Maturation	American oak and finished in Moscatel wine casks
UK Price	£70
Tasting notes	Nose: Wonderfully concentrated pure, clean Caol Ila – peaty and medicinal, with rich fruit, spicy and fragrant. With water, the fragrant smokiness comes singing through. Palate: Sweet maltiness strike first, then overwhelmed by peat smoke, intense, crisp flavours, and cinnamon spice. Caol Ila’s signature smoky bonfires are here and build to quite a size. Overall, drying, in a beautifully balanced, complex, elegant development with cinnamon spice. Finish: Long, rounded, robust and multi-layered.

Bottle	15yo
Characteristics	59.1% ABV 15yo NCF/NC Unpeated
Maturation	American Oak hogsheads and European Oak ex-bodega butts
UK Price	£110
Tasting notes	Nose: A mild nose-feel, despite the strength. Relaxed, with gently rising waves of deeply fruity sharpness; green apples and a hint of orange zest. Pear-drop sweetness and biscuity cereals sit against a distant backdrop of soft vanilla with a whiff of sea-salt; a vanilla sponge cake enjoyed on the beach.. Palate: Cool and viscous, with a surprisingly mild mouthfeel and at first a sweet, minty-salty taste. A massive freezing heat then establishes itself, packed with notes of resinous liquorice; clear honey, pine resin, salt and lemon. Mid-palate, fresh peach. Exquisitely coating and firm, oily yet drying. Finish:  Huge, long, persistent and warming, with some spice; aniseed, liquorice, honey, and lemon zest. Superbly coating, with dark chocolate bitterness and a late pungency.

Other Core Range posts