Today’s review of the Caol Ila 12 year old is the last Islay stop in this series on peated entry level whiskies. Caol Ila 12 is a staple in Diageo’s single malt lineup. It is also a great gateway drams to dive into independent bottlings. Just take a look at any specialised online store to marvel at the availibility of alternative bottlers of this spirit. But that might be a topic for another day. Today I’ll focus on the original.
TL:DR: The proof that simple can be good, and yet it could be so much better.
Vote*: 6.5, Right between good and very good.
“Old timer whisky” cosplay
Just like many other whisky fans, I do enjoy the look and feel of bottles and labels, but very few leave a lasting positive (or negative) impression. The Caol Ila label is one exception. I am a big fan of the old-fashioned minimalist look. The slightly skewed placement, adds to the artisanal, almost handmade look. It seems casually placed, but I bet it is carefully placed at that angle. Without checking, I had convinced myself that the design must hark back to the 50’s or 60’s. This automatically created a subconscious aurea of Tradition (yes, with capital T) for this brand. To quote the Cohen brothers’ Laurence Lorentz: “Were that it were so simple”.
It takes just a quick peek in Ingvar Ronde’s Malt Yearbook to discover that the Caol Ila 12 was the first regular release from Caol Ila in… drumroll please… 2002! 20+ years on the market is certainly not a bad milestone, but not the long-standing tradition the label style suggests. Considering what other bottles of the time looked like, this look is carefully constructed. This is nothing less than whisky bottle cosplay.
The largest kid in town
And since we are on the topic let me crack another sarcastic smile for the text on the label. Calling Caol Ila “Not easy to find” is the understatement of the century. When you are the biggest distillery on Islay by >3M lpa, and part of the largest spirits multinational in the world, availibility is definitely not a challenge. Caol Ila 12 is a constant presence in hotel bars around the world and one of the easiest Islay bottles to find in stores. Add to this the fact that this is arguably the distillery with the most independent bottlings available on the market, both under Caol Ila and more generic Islay-related names, and it is safe to say that what this whisky is and what its marketing wants to sell are at loggerheads.
And yet, even if I sneer at the marketing for Caol Ila, I remain a fan of the look and feel. But let it not be said that such a detail might influence my opinion on the liquid in the bottle. So let’s not jump to conclusions and review the original Caol Ila 12.
Caol Ila 12 Years Old
Specs
Price paid: €46.90
Lot: L2242CM017
ABV: 43%
Natural colour: No
Non-chill filtered: No
Casks Used: Not stated but widely believed to be ex-bourbon
Tasting Notes
Colour: Rich old gold… the caramel is strong in this one.
Nose: Simple but intense. The overall impression is one of mild smoke, with a lot of sweet and citrusy notes. The peat is immediately noticeable, but a lot milder than the other peated drams I reviewed in this series of reviews like its other Diageo sibling, Lagavulin 8 for example. The peat notes recall TCPl and charred vegetables. Strong sweetness from pear and caramel notes. Lemon oil and lemon candy add a good punch of fresh citrus. There is a slight hint of white orchard flowers and a touch of chalky dust.
Taste: It doesn’t burst on the palate, but it is not watery either. At 43% abv it is as good as I would hope for. The mouthfeel is medium and so is the intensity of the flavours. Compared to the nose it is significantly less sweet and much more peaty and maritime. There is a lot more medicinal peat, but also some smoked tea, or lapsang souchong if you prefer, which provides a bit of astringent bitterness. Together with the peaty backbone, there is salt, lemon oil, a bit of pepper spice, a little pear and some clean laundry.
Finish: Quite simple and not terribly long. Some TCP, smoked tea, a touch of smoky bitterness, like a charred toast, lemon drops, caramel and a slightly chalky mineral mouthfeel.
Vote: 6.5, Right between good and very good. I originally marked it higher, to be honest. For what it is, a high volume, 43% abv, chill-filtered and caramel-coloured whisky, I was and remain impressed. The vote dropped slightly once I tried a couple of IB versions and realised how good it could be.
* Votes are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Closing thoughts
The Caol Ila 12 is one of the first bottle I added to my collection when I got back into whisky after a 5 year or so hiatus. Easy to find, and relatively cheap (I bought it locally, and Italian prices are higher than average), it was one of the first recognisable bottles I found when exploring the few stores near me, As a born-again whisky newby I enjoyed it thoroughly. A good year after getting back into whisky I still like it. Pound per pound (or Euro per Euro), I would argue this is one of the best value Diageo whiskies out there. And yet, once you try it side by side with one of the many Independent Bottler versions you quickly realise that this regular 12 year old release could deliver so much more.
Why Caol Ila is my Jazz Standard of whisky
The broad availibility of Caol Ila from independent bottlers makes it the perfect equivalent, in the world of whisky, of a Jazz Standard. Just like many Jazz Standards, the original is of wide appeal, easily recognisable and available for others to reinterpret. And many do reinterpret this spirit in their own bottlings. Just looking at the three online shops I have used most often in the past 6 months, I found 105 different bottlings of Caol Ila. Only 8 of these are sold under the distillery’s own label.
You could probably spend a good chunk of your whisky journey just trying different versions of Caol Ila, making this a perfect starting point to explore IBs for newbies and more experienced drinkers alike. And yet, even knowing there is a lot more fun to be had with IBs, this is a good dram, and often the choice I can rely on if I am out somewhere with a very limited whisky selection.
Would I buy it again?
While my next Caol Ila will almost inevitably be an IB, this is a bottle that is good to have around for reference and as something to offer to casual whisky-drinking guests. Even not-so-casual ones are likely to appreciate it. And from time to time, when I want a simple well-made dram, Caol Ila 12 hits the spot.
Would I offer this to a new whisky drinker?
Yes, without a doubt. This is gentle, but still noticeably smoky and medicinal intro to Islay peats. Compared to the Ardbeg 10, which I do prefer, this is less likely to provide a shock to the system when it comes to peat. It is also a perfect gateway to exploring IBs – there are so many that you can easily get 2 to 3 good ones at a fair price and build a little library of Caol Ilas to educate yourself
I always find it interesting, after writing my tasting notes, to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of the Caol Ila 12 I enjoyed:
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