Caol Ila 18

Oh, very nice! And as the oldest of the three official bottlings it is the most complex and smooth and sweet one.

But then again, that's just why I personally prefer both the 12 yo and the CS over the 18. They may be simpler, but has more peaty smokiness and tar, and more punch (especially the CS of course). With this style, less sweetness is also a pluss in my opinion.

Gunnar

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I taste it as a "silky" dram. It's flavors are more tightly woven than the younger expressions. I find that it rarely, if ever, needs water to open up. Nice with a pipe full of an Oriental blend.

I have an unopened bottle I am waiting to taste. I loved the 15 but I only have a cm left :-(

Brett, I'm afraid you will be severely disappointed. Although the current

Cheers, Rajmund

Rajmund, I am sad to hear your disappointment in the 18. So much so, that I had a wee tasting from 6 different Islays last night. It was like a wake. I am sorry, but I loved them all. And I still like the 18. Perhaps my taste buds and memories are not so acute as to discern their flaws. I feel that’s the blessing of my age. Just to be able to have a dram each day and know how great that opportunity is may have made my pallet less discerning. I am just happy to have a new experience in tasting and if that sip is a bit lacking it is only moderate to the evil that can exist in other people’s lives. I liked Caol Ila 18 as well as any of the Islays I can remember and better than most. There are many whiskys that I will never drink and many that will never be produced again. I think the 18 will be around for awhile and I believe it is comparable to the Lagavulin 16 both in price and quality. That may not make it the "Greatest" Scotch in the world but if someone is looking for another Islay, give it a try.

bp

Rajmund M wrote:

I've never tried Caol Ila but it's name has always attracted me. Very strange name. I'm going to have to pick up a bottle. It's an Islay, so how different is it compared to Ardbeg 10? Ardbeg 10 is the only Islay scotch I have tasted so far in my short scotch tasting career.

Did you like the Ardbeg 10?

If you did, various expressions of Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Talisker (not technically an Islay, but definitely related), Bowmore and Caol Ila await you.

No special order, although if you check back here and report what you liked and why you liked it, you'll get some informed advice as to where to turn next.

I've tasted only a couple of variations on Caol Ila -- it's not widely available where I live -- but it definitely belongs in that company.

If any or all of these seem a little extreme to your palate, you may want to sample the Bruichladdich [1] and/or the Bunnahbain.

I envy you your journey.

bill

This has been posted in the past but it is a great site to bookmark for those that haven't seen it before, or for those that can't remember how to pronounce "Coo Li-la" (Caol Ila). I use it quite often.

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I like the 18 yo a bit better than both the 12 yo and the Cask Strength. I love a peaty punch but I think it's even better when the peat marries with the wood an the sharpest edges are, well not cut off as I see it, but kind of rounded off and back into the body of the whisky. This makes the whisky more complex, full and interesting, IMHO.

But it really is a mood thing; sometimes the raw power of a young peaty whisky is perfect. The Ardbeg very young is wonderful...

A funny thing about the 18 yo is that I find it so much more discreet on the nose than the 12 yo, the cask strength and most other Caol Ila I've tried.

(BTW, I pinpointed the Caol Ila 18 yo once one a blind testing where we tried six different whiskies. The Auchentoshan Three Wood, on the other hand, fooled me completely; I was far, far away up along the river Spey seeking Macallans, Glenrothes and other sherried whiskies...)

I haven't noticed any demise in Caol Ila, maybe I've just been lucky. A highly recommendable Caol Ila, I think, is the 10 yo Chieftain's Choice Rum finish. Young and enjoyable. The 12 yo is my "house whisky", very reasonably priced here in expensive Sweden.

Cheers! Ingemar "The Ardbegbrother"

(Sipping Ardbeg Uigeadail)

Taking a moment's reflection, DaveS mused: | | This has been posted in the past but it is a great site to bookmark for | those that haven't seen it before, or for those that can't remember how to | pronounce "Coo Li-la" (Caol Ila). I use it quite often. | |

I think you're breaking down the syllables a bit too much. That site, the speaker runs it together, but it's pronounced more like "cool eye-la" ... "coo li-la" presents the wrong cadence to my ears. ;-)

You could be correct. I can hear it both ways to be honest. In any case, I'd guess that regardless of how it is stated (at least here in the U.S. and specifically in Florida) it will make little difference. The average person will look at you with a dumb look on his/her face if you ask for it because they wont have a clue what your asking for. Best that you simply go look and see if they have it on the shelf!

I love Caol Ila, I find it has a unique oily flavour alongside the typical Islay peat.

sgrìobh mhicaoidh

From a native Gaelic speaking, Ileach in Port Ellen, cool eelah

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You know best, obviously. I merely thought Caol would rhyme on gaol? But then, I'm just a furriner. :-) Anders

"Cool eelah" it is then. Thanks for the help.

Dave

Uzytkownik "bp" napisal:

Well, it's not so much disappointment in it as a fine dram in itself, but it seems to me that the new (if you can still refer to them as 'new', having been on the market since 2002) Caol Ila's seem to be unnecessarily drifting south, towards Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg in their flavour profile. Unnecessarily, in my opinion, because there already are fine Laprhoaigs, Lagavulins and Ardbegs. The old, F&F version of Caol Ila was far more complex than any of the 'new' OB range, much more subtle and delicate, which is what I loved it for. The 'new' lineup is great in its own right, only a far cry from the once great subtle, complex, wonderfully balanced 15yo F&F. Just my three cents.

Cheers, Rajmund

U¿ytkownik "DaveS" napisa³:

It has to be noted here that the pronunciation of certain whisky names can differ from one speaker to another. While on Islay (quite a few times, actually) I have never heard anyone say "cool-eye-lah". Instead, they seemed to be positive the name should be pronounced "cahl-eelah". It seems to me that the quoted website is the only source that I've come across giving the "cool" pronunciation...

Cheers, Rajmund

Believe it means "Sound of Islay".

/Nygaard

Taking a moment's reflection, DaveS mused: | | You could be correct. I can hear it both ways to be honest. In any case, | I'd guess that regardless of how it is stated (at least here in the U.S. | and specifically in Florida) it will make little difference. The average | person will look at you with a dumb look on his/her face if you ask for | it because they wont have a clue what your asking for. Best that you | simply go look and see if they have it on the shelf!

Agreed. I remember the first time in the States I asked if a local shop had either Bruichladdich or Bunnahabhain in stock ... ;-)