Caol Ila 11 Year (Berry Bros and Rudd)

 

Caol Ila is a fascinating distillery. Easily the largest facility on Islay, because it's mostly buried by Diageo the general public has almost no awareness of the name. The people I meet in bars who can even pronounce Caol Ila are few and far between. 

Yet since so much of the spirit gets sold off to independent bottlers (although that situation seems vaguely precarious, and a couple years ago there were rumors it might end or at least curtail), there are myriad presentations of Caol Ila, some of which are simply stunning. 

Caol Ila 31 Year (SMWS 53.504 "Maritime Drift")

 

There is something a little magical about very old whisky (30+ years old) ... it tends to balance out, sharp corners get rounded, harsh alcohol hits evaporate, and in general most old whisky tends to gain a lot of depth, but the sheer time required for the investment means that it's expensive and few people end up trying them.

There is also specifically a little magical about very old Islay whisky. All the things people commonly object to: the peat, the smoke, the medicinal aspects, the bracing strength, the general in-your-face nature ... well, they can be civilized by time, reigned in. Secret strengths can be revealed. 

Caol Ila 14 Year (Single Cask Nation)

 

(Post this accidentally! Rather than go back and make up some banter, I'll present it as I have all my templates - the Single Cask Nation flavor notes, then my own. Enjoy!)

Scotch Malt Whisky Society 2023 "The Gathering," in Washington DC with Pip Hills (founder of SMWS)

Tonight the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") celebrated its annual Gathering at the Jack Rose Saloon... with founder Pip Hills in attendance, all the way from Scotland. It was a night of six whiskies, and many new faces to meet and greet and swap stories with. 

Caol Ila 15 Year (Elixir Distillers)

 

I have taken a bit of a shine to older, more mature Islay expressions this last winter. They are softer, hazier, subtle, and complex. The peat punch to the face becomes a smoky breeze full of savory things and sweet things. So when I saw this 15 year Caol Ila while at a whisky tasting, I took a chance. It'll be the last bottle I get for a while (budget reasons) so I figured to make it something I could enjoy for some time to come. 

Caol Ila 9 Year (SMWS 53.391 "Dark Secrets")

 The sixth and final sample from the September 2022 outturn of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon here in Washington DC. 

I've had my fair fill of Caol Ila from the SMWS, that's for sure - and every damn time I tell myself "this is quite nice stuff, if a bit staid." It really occupies a strange zone of eminently tasty and well-executed yet also distinctly un-thrilling.

Caol Ila 8 Year (SMWS Islay Festival 2022 Rare Release "Throw the Cork Away!")

 

Released as part of the 2022 Islay Festival by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), this 8 year Caol Ila has been finished for two years in a first fill Oloroso barrel made of American oak (!!!) by the Tevasa cooperage that SMWS works with. Wow, ok. 

Caol Ila is a behemoth of a distillery, and one of the most ubiquitous distilleries - especially in terms of Islay productions - bottles to find on the independent scene. My good friend Rob often - and correctly - jokes that "10 year Caol Ila" should be its own category of scotch. 

Caol Ila 10 Year (SMWS 53.386 "Phenomenal")

 The final dram of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") March outturn preview tasting at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC on 2/28/22. Predictably, they ended with a peated expression, since peat tends to dominate your palate after you've sampled it. This is yet another ~10 year Caol Ila, which they SMWS seems to have an unlimited stock of. My notes tell me I've only had three of these bottles, but I feel like it's been twice that number. They stick with you.

Caol Ila 10 Year (SMWS 53.357 "Smoke and Smirr")

 

Yet another ~10-12 year bottle of single cask Caol Ila from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). In the past, I have liked a few of these, and one ("Industrial Chimney Soot") was quite distinctly good indeed. Nicknamed "Smoke and Smirr," which originates in a poem called "The Smokey Smirr O' Rain" by George Campbell Hay: 

A misty mornin’ doon the shore wi a hushed an’ caller air,
an’ ne’er a breath frae East or West tie sway the rashes there,
a sweet, sweet scent frae Laggan’s birks gaed breathin’ on its ane,
their branches hingin beaded in the smoky smirr o rain.

The hills aroond war silent wi the mist alang the braes.
The woods war derk an’ quiet wi dewy, glintin’ sprays.
The thrushes didna raise for me, as I gaed by alane,
but a wee, wae cheep at passin’ in the smoky smirr o rain.

Rock an’ stane lay glisterin’ on aa the heichs abune.
Cool an’ kind an’ whisperin’ it drifted gently doon,
till hill an’ howe war rowed in it, an’ land an’ sea war gane.
Aa was still an’ saft an’ silent in the smoky smirr o rain.

Smokehead High Voltage Islay Single Malt (NAS)

 

I've been curious about Smokehead for a while, but only recently was I able to source any in the DC area. An unnamed, no age statement single malt from bottler Ian Macleod, it's from Islay, it's young, and at 58% it's very punchy. No idea about the casking, but it doesn't taste sherried to me at all. Likely ex-bourbon, maybe even 2nd fill. The core spirit overwhelms the wood influence, that's for sure. It's pretty much a mystery all the way around - although internet sources variously say it's either a young (~6 year) Ardbeg, or a young unsherried Lagavulin. Others have even guessed it's Caol Ila. My money is on Ardbeg. 

Caol Ila 11 Year (SMWS 53.345 "Industrial Chimney Soot")

 

Another great expression of Caol Ila to review - always a treat. This is another Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling, nicknamed "Industrial Chimney Soot," and aged for 11 years in refill ex-bourbon hogsheads. Bottled at 58.1%. Here are the facts (and impressions): 

Caol Ila 12 Year (SMWS 53.338 "The Quay to Success")

 

I am a long-time fan of Caol Ila, the largest (by far) distillery on Islay. Although much of Caol Ila's output is unpeated and sent to the blender, they do release a nice little 12 Year official bottling, along with a few other official releases I've never actually seen in the wild. 

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!

Johnnie Walker Green Label (15 Year)

This is the first Johnnie Walker blend I'm reviewing, but far from the first one I've tasted. In fact, it's pretty easy to make the claim that Johnnie Walker blends are the single most available Scotch blends in the world - you can find Red Label in virtually every bar, and over the years I've had (and will review) Red, Black, Double Black, Gold, and Blue Label. 

Green Label is my favorite.

Caol Ila 12 Year

This is another "secret" Islay distillery like Bowmore, Kilchoman, and Bruichladdich ... basically, my liquor store experience is that if it's not Ardbeg, Laphroaig, or Lagavulin, it's virtually unknown to the common whisky drinker/buyer. It sits on the shelf waiting for adventurers or blog readers. 

Well, this is one they SHOULD know. It's a particular favorite of mine, one that I always keep on hand. I discovered it in the Adams Morgan scotch/bourbon bar Smoke & Barrel on (I think) July 4th and was particularly enamored of it. Since then it's only grown in my estimation.