Caol Ila 12 Year Old

General description

A ‘Benchmark whisky’ rubric — no allegories today. Does it have to be ‘beauty in plainness’? You are the one to decide. Does it have to be ‘beauty in quality? 100% so.

Recognizable, typical AyeSLAY, yet gentle peat on the nose. A lot of black pepper, which is quite pleasant together with peat. A little bit of honey and acacia sweetness. A tiny bit of iodine. Water, as almost always, makes black pepper stronger, which makes peat going forth.

On the tongue it’s what Caol Ila is known for — oily. Salty and ashy smoke.

Don’t judge the finish after your first dram — surprisingly, it reveals its depth after several sips: fast come bitterness, salt and smoke stay in, a little bit of tobacco that has a little bit of orange arrives later.

Caol Ila 12 doesn’t have any particular feature to be an outstanding whisky. It’s more of a reference to say ‘nah, this AyeSLAY mate is not as good as Caol Ila 12’ or ‘hmm, this is even better than Coal Ila 12’ (with latter due to biggest respect). If I were ever to value pithiness — not my diagnosis — I would simply say: it’s a well made and extremely enjoyable whisky with everything at its place.

Nose

In AyeSLAY terms, gentle peat. Black pepper, a bit of honey and acacia. Iodine.

Palate

Oily. Salt and ashy smoke.

Finish

Salt, smoke, a bit of tobacco and a tiny bit of orange.

General description

Smoked without waater, fire in my mouth.

General description

Beschreibung

Nose

ja

Palate

nein

Finish

vielleicht

General description

Was expecting more 'Islay-y' whisky, but that doesn't mean I was disappointed. Interesting mixture of tastes with dried and smoked lemon and lime combined with aspects of white port. Ofcourse the peat and smoke are present as well, but more repressed. The consistency feels a little thicker compared to other whiskies. Salt & pepper in the finish and a lingering taste of smokey, dry white wine. Special whisky in my opinion, would definitely buy again.

Nose

Light peat and dried, smoked lemon/lime.

Palate

Light smoke, light peat, dried citrus fruits. Very dry white port.

Finish

Salt & pepper with light peat and smoke. Lingering taste of white pepper and very dry white wine.

General description

Rich light smoke, solid peaty whisky

Nose

Light smoke with some sweetness

Palate

Seaweed peat smoke.

Finish

Spice light smoke finish

General description

great Islay whisky. smoke, peat, meat, sweet

Nose

peat, sweet, little hints of smoke and a little bit of alcohol

Palate

spicy, peaty but not to extreme, spicy, smoke and wood, sweetness amd also alcoholic tartness. great taste. I also personally feel some bacon tastes, maybe it's just me

Finish

long, balanced, wood, salty and spicy. finish is really easy but also fluctuating. very nice overall

General description

Peaty and smoky, light salt and pepper spice and little sweetness.

General description

smooth, oily mouthfeel, strong peaty smoke, not medicinal, slight sweetness at finish

General description

* * * *
Aroma: Maritime Noten, Salz, Schinken, Gewürze, Medizinischer Rauch, Rauch, Zitrus, frisch,

Geschmack: Rauch, Medizinischer Rauch, Gewürze, Öl, Süße, Nüsse,

Abgang: Maritime Noten, Gewürze Nüsse, Rauch, Malz, Herb, Zitrus,

General description

A smooth, lighter Islay. The smoke is present, strong but not overpowering, the finish smooth with less oil and heat allowing more fruit and butterscotch to come through. My favorite Islay so far.

General description

This is soo good, smooth and smokey. Delicious

General description

Nose: peat, leather, tires, burned meat, ashes
Palate: ashes, little dry
Finish: surprisingly quiet, medium long, nice

General description

smok, honey melon custard

General description

Quite smokey and peated. Nice!

General description

Nose: Smokey, peaty, rounded.
Palate: Lots of peat, smoke, oily, medicinal, rounded.
Finish: Slightly dry with a long lingering peat flavor.

Personal take:

I have had mostly Speyside whisky and was temptate to see what all the peaty fuss was about. First sip was not very pleasant, yet on the second sip i started to appreciate the peaty characteristics a bit more. I can understand why people enjoy this style, but for me it will probably work best in combination with the right food paring (smoked spareribs for instance) and to me its probably less of a stand alone sipper.

General description

fine Ilay whisky

Nose

smoke
peat
roses
choclate

Palate

smoke
peat
malt
wood
peers

Finish

herbs
salty
long finish

General description

super smoked, enjoyable to sit on occasionally. feels indulgent.

Nose

subtle smoke

Palate

stinger smoke

Finish

lingering burn

General description

Torfrauch, grasig und nur ein Hauch Süße... Hinten raus dann Wechselspiel von Torf und Gras das recht schnell mit trockenem Rauch am Gaumen endet. Gradliniger standard Raucher für gesellige Runden.

General description

Jedna z moich ulubionych. Dym, morska bryza, ognisko, trochę słodka.

General description

My first real malt whisky. Still one of my most favorit. The peat, the sea and the beach after a thunder. Love it

General description

Great balance of peat and sweetness. Really nice nose with lemony spice and long finish. A wonderful aromatic Islay whiskey.

General description

Good peaty whisky, worth to buy

General description

Great peaty Islay Whiskey.
Smoke is very present and long lasting.

General description

.

General description

Smoked ham (especially on the nose). Dried fruit: pear, orange. Salt.

Reminds me of early spring.

General description

Strong smoky, peat odor. Sweet, peaty taste.

General description

n: peat, peat, peat, pepper, fruit, banana
t: sweet, cold, spicy
a: oak, spicy, peat

General description

pleasant whisky with a subtle smoke flavour

General description

A smooth peat introduction with a citrus and sea salt finish.

General description

非常にスモーキー

General description

Smokey and sweet vanilla notes, but for a Smoked en peaty Whisky not too Smokey.

General description

band-aid aid smell dominated at first, after quite a while in the glass a sweet meat note emerged, this is most wonderful on the palate, it's rich with an olive oil like texture, sweet and briney, the finish is kinda short with band aids and some smoke.

General description

Very light colour. Very light citrus in the beginning then plenty of leather and peat.

General description

full flavoured body with hints of dark fruit and a lot of smoke.

General description

Smooth

General description

Smokey

General description

Delicate. Sweet peated nose and taste.

General description

Ofcourse very peaty, almost a completely vegetal peat. Some unripe fruit notes and oily clinginess. Very interesting and tasty, but not as complex as expected

General description

Average Whisky with nice smoke and sweetness. No real surprise.

General description

very well balanced whiskey. it's fresh , sweet, smokey and delicious.

Nose

smoked malt and after that fresh lemon.

Palate

bisquites, pepper, smoke at the very end

Finish

sugared lemon suppressed subtitle peat

General description

Caol Ila is often overlooked in favor of Laphroaig, Lagavulin or Ardbeg, but this one is a great option if you want to get into Islay whisky

General description

Peaty

Nose

Torf Rauch, Salz, fruchtige süße, Pfeffer

Palate

Torf, Eiche, Pfeffer, Gewürz

Finish

Eiche, Gewürz

General description

You'll smell some smokiness and feel the sea breeze's scent. Sweet, citrus, and smoky on the taste. Great combination of smokiness and sweetness to start your Islay journey.

General description

on the nose: smokey, salty and sweet.
on the pallet like the nose, smokey anf maritime.
all the way into the finish

General description

.

General description

verry light, little smokey

General description

A smooth, smoky Islay malt with surprising lightness.

General description

Turf whisky wel blijf je de whisky proeven en is het niet storend. Ook zit er een zoetje in

General description

Balansert, røyk, salt

General description

lovely dram very gentle in comparison with other islay whisky's

Nose

peated smoke fruitiness vanilla and briny

Palate

mouthfeel is quite oily which is nice the smoke,fruit,vanilla and saltines are well balanced

Finish

lovely smokey

General description

Very subtle for an Islay.

General description

Smoke, salt, lemon. Metal, smoked meat. Decent, not as much depth as much of the other Islays.

General description

👌👍

General description

Tourbé et rond, un vrai best-seller.

General description

Easy to swallow, recommendable for peat beginners

Nose

peat
sea salt

Palate

peaty
tropical fruits
woody

Finish

gentle smokiness

General description

Peaty, smoky.

General description

Peat smoke and sweet fruit

Nose

Smoke, Peat, honey pear

Palate

Oily, Smokey, sea brine

Finish

Smokey apricot

General description

+

General description

Very smooth, easy on the palate, generally very drinkable if you like your peatier whiskys

General description

Spectacular. Great balance of peat and fresh fruit. Definitely must have in your collection

Nose

peat. light smoke. citrus.

Palate

sweet. apple. cinnamon. nutmeg.

Finish

sweet and smoke. Christmas spice.

General description

plenty of smoke and peat

General description

wood, fruits and obviously smoke, nice buddy

General description

rokerig zowel smaak als reuk

General description

goede uitgebalanceerde whisky met een heerlijke afdronk. rijk aan rokerige turf, ziltig zeewier en iodine

Nose

vol van turf, zeewier, jodium met heel in de verte wat zoete appel.

Palate

rijk aan turf, zeewier, rook en peper.

Finish

lang en warm

General description

smoky, burning wood, fruits. very delicate chemical-medical tones of phenols. bit sea-shore.
taste is smoky, citrus fruits, wood. finish is long and nice citrus dry and some iodine.
it is nicely complex and long finish make it very pleasant but too weak at the beginning. I think tha smoky whisky should be hard and strong more on the Laphroaig side

General description

Peaty and smoky, but not too overbearing. Slightly medicinal, oily flavour. Very drinkable.

General description

it's reely nice wiskey reely nice smoke and dry pet,pear Vanilla reely good 12 yr

General description

Good smoke and peat taste, rounded with fruityness. Smells really good also

General description

smoke dry peat. Good body and mouth feel.

Nose

heavy peat

Palate

flavour in the whisky and still light

Finish

short for a peated whisky.

General description

fumo e torba al naso con sentori di agrumi.
Al palato emerge la torba e qualche sentore salmastro che terminano in un abbastanza persistente finale.

General description

Легкий дымный виски. Послевкусие - яблоко, лимон и что-то соленое. Идеальный вариант для любителей легкого дымка ;)

General description

Tourbe légère, fumée, pointe de sel.
Fin en bouche, facile à boire.

General description

typical "westcoast" whisky: smokey with tones of citrus and pepper. light whisky. Taste ends nice and sweet...

General description

initial taste is boring however the subtleties start to.play. the peatrness and sweet comes through medium finnish

Nose

citrus peat

Palate

sweet smoky

Finish

medium sweet overtone smoke

General description

like it

General description

Viel Rauch, leichte Süße

General description

Mist have for Islay fans

General description

Recht mild geräuchert für einen Vertreter der Insel auch in der Nase eher untypisch.

Beim ersten Nipper kommen gleich fruchtige Noten auch eine leichte Süße bevor sich eine beachtliche Pfeffer-Schärfe breit macht.
Er wirkt recht jung am Gaumen.
Der Abgang ist mittellang und wieder etwas rauchig.

General description

not a peat whisky fan but definately enjoyed this one: elegant smoke but accompanied with great sweetness which makes it really delicious

General description

peated islay. but not as strong peated as other islay malts. its like a cold campfire. the smoke is not so dominant

General description

Gentle and soft for an Islay malt. Peat and smoke present but in a moderate way.

Nose

Smokey. Citric. Iodine.

Palate

Spicy. Smokey. Peaty. Malt. Herbal.

Finish

Smokey. Peaty. Old wood.

General description

great Islay in general - a good balance between the stronger versus mild Islays.

Nose

sweet peat, smoked meat

Palate

salt, meaty, pear, bit of citrus

Finish

dry, slightly oil, fast finish

General description

My first from Caol Ila, good flavor profile. Peat but not overpowering, going to be a go to dram for a while.

General description

I call this fine Islay a cigarette vs a cigar in its smokiness. That is when compared to heavy hitters in the peat, like Laphroaig 10 or Ardbeg 10. Smooth enough for a 12. It presents against its Islay neighbors with a lighter taste and less complex, but a truly worthy Islay. Buy if you think you’d like a light Islay.

General description

Peaty smoke with a smooth, oily finish.

General description

sweet, peaty

General description

Lekker maar smaak waar je van moet houden

General description

Strong tobacco smell and taste, plenty of iodine, lingering, enjoyable aftertaste

General description

A good choice for trying the aromas and taste of Islay single malt with wood, tobacco and smoke at the nose, smokey and slightly salty and medicinal at the palate and with a long finish of smoke and spices.

General description

süsser, fast sirupartiger Duft, der noch nichts von seinem erdigen und rauchigen Geschmack vermuten lässt. Und der ist ziemlich der Hammer!

General description

I like this. Yamy

General description

Medium smoke, Sweet caramel, earthy, very oily. Easy drinking and affordable. Not very intense.

General description

really great, especially with some drops of water

General description

Delosh. Refined, maritime, unwavering smokiness.

General description

Lighter bodied than most other Islay malts,yet retains that typical peatiness

General description

good Islay to stsrt

Nose

fruity a bit smoky

Palate

smooth, fruity sweet a bit smoky a bit peaty interesting but not overly complex unfortunately a moment of clove I would prefer not to taste but passes

Finish

spicy sweet smoky lingering long

General description

Good peated whisky. Easy to enjoy. Missing the complexity of other Islay whiskies

General description

The perfect balanced caol ila!

General description

very peaty, but it starts light and then swells. Good general scotch for those who like a little prat but not too strong

General description

peaty

General description

tourbé bien sur mais délicat et maritime. Un excellent daily dram

General description

peat smoke with a background sweetness this Whisky takes me to an oak paneled sitting room with a roaring fire and two obedient Irish Wolfhounds by my side my favourite distillery I love the 25yr but as a penny pinching alternative shes a good'en

General description

Goto peated whisky, there's always a bottle of Caol Ila 12 open in my cabinet.

General description

peat nose, delicious

General description

Torfig. Komplex. Nicht beißig

General description

delicious but didn't like finish

General description

A very approachable Islay whisky. Well balanced with smoky, salty and notes of floral and pepper. A great introduction for those not acquainted with peated whisky.

Nose

Smoky and peppery

Palate

peat smoke, salty with floral and peppery notes

Finish

Medium finish that draws out the salty elements

General description

Always nice to find back in every bottle its golden clear colour and smoky taste. Not particularly complex for an Islay malt, but I appreciate its lemon and grass notes, refreshingly warm for a peaty malt.

General description

Like Lagavulin, but without the "pow" you see in comic books. Pretty friendly for an Islay, would recommend to beginners.

General description

Fruchtig-frischer Malt mit tollem Raucharoma

Nose

Zuerst frisch mit Zitrusfrüchten, dann toller aromatischer Rauch.

Palate

Süß und weich, dann rauchig und würzig. Ölig auf der Zunge.

Finish

Langer, rauchig maritimer Abgang

General description

lagavullin 8y lim edition complexer . Nice whisky for the price

General description

Guter Standart Whisky um einen angenehmen Preis. Für Peatheads ein Muss!

General description

Smokey but not overwhelmingly so

General description

reakky smooth with nice smoke. Have to have all the time in home

General description

nice balance, interesting smoky flavours.

General description

Smooth, smoky and sweet Scotch whisky. A really pleasant one to drink. Certainly try it, if you get a chance!

General description

lightly smoked

Nose

peat smoke subtle. citric when watered. some phenol after a while in glass

Palate

smoke species

General description

sehr torfing

General description

initial burst of peat and smoke on the nose, but then develops into sweet and spicy undertones. very oily on the palate, coats the whole mouth. then the spice comes in, pepper and chilli!! ends in a waft of smoke and peat. slight medicinal taste but very pleasant! nice long spicy and smoky finish! beautiful whisky!!!

General description

Lots of peat and smoke. Good stuff.

General description

Smoke, peat, sea spray. Hints of orange zest in the background. Long finish if only slightly unidirectional.

General description

Strong medicinal taste.

General description

real solid choice for someone thinking about diving into the peat world

General description

A very straightforward dram. Smoky and salty and not in an overwhelming manner.
Very good. Great value for your money.

Nose

Smoky with a bit of sea.

Palate

Salty, oily, peat, a little herby.

Finish

Salty. Doesn't make a long impact.

General description

first whykeys, so not much to reference

Nose

lite smoked

General description

smoke and peat, hint of grass

General description

On the nose lovely soft salty peat with hints of leather, young wood and wet soil.
Alcohol is very subtle present in the background.
On the mouth a soft and subtle taste of ripe fruits, but also smoke and peat are there.
In the medium finish the salty peat kicks in again.
A lovely Islay, although the taste comes closer to Talisker then most of the Islay ones.
A nice soft peat whisky.

80 points.

General description

peat, smoke, a bit salty and very well balanced with a nice long finish.
Not as extreme as its Islay brothers Laproaig or Ardbeg but definitely a keeper.

General description

Great peaty island whisky, great name!

General description

An excellent Islay. Reminds me of a more mild Lagavulin, and I believe to be a great intro scotch for someone who isn't a fan of smokey flavors. Great find

General description

like a slightly milder, smoother and maybe even more pleasant, laphroaig 10.
nose: meaty and rich
palatte: slightly salty, deep and rich, medium oily
finish: medium
overall, very similar to laphroaig, but a smoother finish that opens up some of the other flavours.

General description

Rokerig, beetje zout

General description

I like drinking this as much as saying the name correctly. Full flavors that never disappoint.

General description

_

General description

Nice flavour! very smokey taste, it gives a kick after drinking.

General description

Sehr aromatischer Islay Whisky. Anfängliche süße weicht leichter schärfe und torfigem Abgang.
Gefällt mir sehr gut, sollte in meine eigene Sammlung.

General description

Smooth, spicy and rich islay.

Nose

Swirl of smoke and honey slowly covered by sea salt

Palate

Smooth, rich and smoky entry -hints of vanilla and honey- closely followed by a growing spiced heat -cinnamon and pepper- that lingers while peated smoke prepares for the finish.

Finish

Peat finally expresses it's full potential then leaves the sweet and spices linger a little longer.

Oily texture will stick to the mouth.

General description

good, peaty, smokey. Not as deep or smoky as Lagavulin but smoother than Laphroaig

General description

A smoky, sweet whisky, more reminiscent of a Speysider than an Islay. Very good, except for a slightly oily mouth feel.

General description

my favorite smoke whisky.
if you like bowmore you like this.

General description

Lekker stevig en rokerig. Toch is deze whisky ook erg zacht en voelt als fluweel in je mond. Heerlijk!

General description

Behind Lagavulin 16 my second favorite Islay

General description

Un classique d'Islay.

General description

Excelente.

General description

krachtig en rokerig

General description

crossover from talisker to laphroaig. Smokey, islay.

General description

very nice islay, peaty, well balanced

General description

One of the best out of the hart oder Islay

General description

pleasant and well balanced.

Nose

pear, light peat, tropical fruit, banana

Palate

medium body, wood, iodium, peat

Finish

flavored tobacco, mint, peat, chimney

General description

My favoriete

General description

This is a gateway Scotch to Islay whisky...light peat and smoke compared to others.

General description

Quite nice

General description

Очень... острый.

General description

soft & mild