
Basic but delicious Islay malt, an oddly unsalted sweet and smoky combo. 84/100
Basic but delicious Islay malt, an oddly unsalted sweet and smoky combo. 84/100
Delicious sweet and char notes plus some extra fruits from the Moscatel wine cask boost classic Coal Ila sweet smoke flavours. Rich with plenty of depth and stewed and dried fruits.
Sweet and medicinal but I can’t get that germolene in my mouth feeling away, nice but a little sickly. 84/100
Caol Ila 1984 Connoisseurs Choice whisky review: Tropical fruits on a bbq, a rich and deep fruity profile for this aged example then a dash of salt like seared scallops in butter, plenty of woody and charred notes too. A fantastic Caol Ila! 91/100
Caol Ila 8 Years Old 2009 Bass whisky review: Slightly less well rounded and full bodied than the younger sample we tried, evidence of a slightly under-active or over-aerated cask perhaps? 83/100
Caol Ila 7 Years Old 2012 Claxton’s whisky review: Very drinkable, quite simple and clean on the palate but all the better for it. Sweet vanilla with a hint of citrus meets peat smoke and wood. 83/100
Caol Ila 2008 Post-Octave whisky review: Again a very different experience, lots has moved around in this whisky when compared to the pre-octave and a heap of spices added, although here they are less distracting than the Highalnd Park Post-Octave. A lot more burnt, but dry burnt rather than over-caramelised sugars. Although the same score I prefer the Pre-Octave Caol Ila. 86/100
Caol Ila 2008 Pre-Octave whisky review: A lovely vanilla and ashen Caol Ila, for a 10 year old this has developed a lot of subtleties that make it simply wonderful, ever-evolving on the palate gently introducing new flavours and aromas – not overpowering. Yum! 86/100
Caol Ila 2004 Distillers Edition whisky review: A much more meatier and smokier edition than the previous years vintage. Some may like this more but I think this has drifted slightly too far from the sweet and peat balance. More like a standard Caol Ila, malt and smoke becomes spicy and drying and a little sourness from the wood is unmasked too. 82/100
Caol Ila 2003 Distillers Edition whisky review: A deliciously sweet and peaty Caol Ila Distillers Edition with a burst of well-integrated fruits adding to the heady malt and smoke mixture. 84/100