Caol Ila 12 Year (Second Take)

Here is another one that deserves a second look. When I first discovered Islay whisky, I did the usual triumvirate - Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin - and then branched out in the expected manner - Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Kilchoman, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain. 

Of the second set, Caol Ila (Cool EE-lah) was a big winner, and something of a surprise, since I'd only ever heard about it in terms of its mammoth output capacity. 6,500,000 liters!

I really loved Caol Ila 12 Year, a lot. I found myself yearning for another glass. It was rich, nutty, peaty, complex, smokey. Everything I wanted. It was much better than I expected from a whisky that had been traditionally consigned to blends. Caol Ila was a surprising winner in my initial discovery period of Islay whiskies. I will always remember sitting next to my coworker Joe Kano and drinking Caol Ila and hearing him ask "what's burning?" before describing the exact pleasures of Glenmorangie. 

So it's been three or four years since I had Caol Ila 12 Year, which is three or four years too long. Today I rectified that mistake, and am going to review it anew, with wiser, more experienced taste buds. Bottled at 43% ABV, presumably chill-filtered and colored (as per Diageo standard). The core malt of Johnnie Walker Black, Double Black, and Green.

Nose: A really well-balanced and integrated nose - peat and smoke, peanuts, key limes, iodine-and-brine and smoked fish, salted caramel, apple, cut grass. Left to sit in the glass awhile, the sharp lime and smoke notes fade, and the nutty malt and caramel come forward. 

Mouthfeel: Medium, and oily. 

Palate: Follows the nose, but in somewhat different strengths. Roasted peanuts, with hints of cashews, hazelnuts, almonds. Lime zest. Peat and smoke hover. Light medicinal aspect. Slight alcohol bloom. Caramel apple. At the end, a drying oak plank-and-pepper. 

Finish: Medium length, firewood, lime, smoke. 

Verdict: Still an exceptional dark horse of an Islay single malt. This is beginning to gain the reputation it should have, and I'm dying to get my hands on the Distiller's Edition or one of the independent bottlings. This is so well balanced, yet has such a rich, chewy nuttiness at the core that brings you back every time. Not a fundamentally sweet whisky, per se (and I'd bet it's all ex-bourbon casks), but it contains all the core flavor elements - sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami. Every dimension is worth exploring, with a basic underpinning of that peat bog flavor that Islay is famous for. I'm a big fan.