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Caol Ila                                              Back to Whisky Reviews

Caol Ila is hidden in a quiet cove near Port Askaig. Many consider this to be the wildest and most picturesque spot on the island. Situated on Loch Nam Ban, the site has an abundant supply of good water. Caol Ila (Gaelic for 'the Sound of Islay') was built in 1846 by Hector Henderson - a Glasgow businessman with a keen interest in distilling. In 1857 Henderson went out of business and the distillery was purchased by Bulloch Lade & Co. The Distillers Company Limited took over management in 1927. From this date production continued until 1972, when the entire structure of the distillery was demolished. A larger distillery was built in the same original architectural style, and production resumed in 1974. 

Caol Ila is considered to be one of the lighter of the Islays. Medium-bodied with a rounded flavour. Pale in colour with a greenish tinge. This malt has a peaty nose, with distinct floral notes. It is described as tasting slightly of seaweed/iodine, lightly medicinal, smoky, salty, sweet with a dry peppery finish.[1]

Caol Ila 15 Yr. old Cask Strength 1990/2005 (Islay – North Shore)

(55%, Wilson & Morgan, casks #4709/4710, 600 bottles)

This is an “Independent Bottling”, meaning that a private company bought 1 or more casks from the distillery and released them under their label with full permission of the distillery. This is often the mechanism for releasing rare whiskies and limited production runs, which the large owner (Diageo) aren’t interested in doing, thereby these private bottlers provide a valuable service to the whisky connoisseur. 

Malt Manaics Silver Medal Winner [2]This was one of their favorite Caol Ila's this year with one vote for gold and nine more votes for silver this earns a very solid medal. Overall, it was the 4th highest scoring Caol Ila in 2006 according to the Malt Maniacs. 'Fairly restrained nose opening up quickly. Peat! Pretty solid on the palate with plain peat, although it doesn't really have a unique style of its own. Pleasant tannins in the finish… Good but a little simple - it feels just a tad too rough on the palate for my tastes'; 'Ointment, smoked meat, tar sweet unguent sweet rubber, dry perfumed smoke. Tar and spirit, creosote and coking coal, oily and phenolic palate. Spirit, charry notes old fireplaces, some burning leaves'.