Caol Ila Distillery...

Caol Ila is the Gaelic name for the Sound of Islay, which separates the island from Jura in one of the most remote and beautiful parts of Scotland's West Coast. The distillery is situated on the shores of the Sound, a spot originally chosen in 1846 partly because of the clean water from Loch Nam Ban, which still provides its main supply. And even today you can still watch the seals in the Sound from the still room.

When you sip this tempting, easy-drinking malt, well, at first you’d know you were in Islay – but you might not know where. Well-known whisky writer, Michael Jackson, pinpoints the smooth, olive-like house style, calling Caol Ila™ ‘a wonderful aperitif’.

Sniff the air over a glass and smoky, sea-fresh aromas recall an age, not so long ago, when fishing and cutting peat were the traditional occupations in these parts. Few men make a living cutting peat on the island today, but the old traditions live on in the skills of our distillery workers and in the ingredients they still use at Caol Ila.

12 Year Old Caol Ila Old Malt Cask
Distilled	March 1994	Bottled	August 2006
Bottled by	Douglas Laing	ABV	50%
Size	70cl	Price	£50.00
Region	Islay	Bin No	OMC1359
Nose: firm barley and peat: this could almost go snap. Taste: is this really Caol Ila? The fruit is a shrinking violet to the massive peat attack which is crisp and lean. Finish: usually the palate is by now swamped in oil; instead there is smoked flavoured cocoa and a sprinkle of mollased sugar. Balance: is it the wine at work here? Something appears to have removed the usual gushing oil and crispier Caol Ila is a charmer, a real class act. Jim Murray's Whisky Bible: 92 Points.