Caol Ila 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky | 43% vol | 70cl | Scotch Whisky | Peaty Whisky from Islay | Distinct Smokiness | Fresh | Sweetly Fruity & Smooth-Bodied

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I'm a relative newbie (less than a year), but when I see terms like "liquid smoke" come up in the context of CI 12, I wonder what that person has been tasting. I haven’t had a negative experience from them so far, although I’ll admit that unpeated Caol Ila is a whole different story; let’s just say I felt lucky to have tried it at a bar before committing to a whole bottle.I'm not a professional Whiky taster, but if I had to describeit, I would say it doesn't smell as smokey as other Islay Malts, but rather light / fresh and maybe even a bit sweet. Its yearly limited edition releases and the occasional independent bottling (IB) are quickly snapped up by collectors or flippers. My girlfriend was at her ballet class, so when the 2 youngest wer in bed, I opened up a bottle of 12YO.

The flavour is equally intense, with a thick richness on the palate, rich in malt and sherry with bright fruited sweetness and the smoky peat always there in the background. The mouthfeel does hinder the overall satisfaction a tad but given how easy and light this is I don't feel it's a huge negative. I have tried mixing Arran Sherry Single Cask 12 with some success, so long as the Caol Ila is at least 60% of the blend. The more it sits, the less dry it becomes, allowing fruit which is slightly astringent to reveal itself on the palate. I tried the unpeated 14yo expression earlier this year which cost more than twice as much as the standard 12yo, yet was only half as good.I find both Talisker and Lagavulin to be more “elegant” than Laphroaig or Ardbeg, which are a punch in the face as far as Islays are concerned. It leads to more tastes of faint flavors of nori and pesto that seem to have been squeezed with toffee, sandalwood and almonds. I also did the same thing for Ardbeg 10 a few days later, but when compared side by side, this one has more flavor and body. Initially the nose is quite restrained, but we are getting notes of bonfire smoke, sweet rice paper, and caramel.

You will defend (at our option), indemnify and hold harmless us and our parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, (sub)licensees, assignees, successors, authorized third party contractors from any and all loss, damage, claim, liability or expense (including reasonable outside legal fees and costs) actually incurred as a result of a third party claim arising out of a breach or alleged breach of your obligations, representations and warranties made herein. Finish: lasts well, really good length, fruit and peat combine really nicely, bit of tingle on the back of the pallet and throat. And definitely a whisky that I enjoyed, I think I prefer Ardbeg 10 yr old over this, but it's still a nice change of pace and an interesting variation on the typical Islay whisky. Gonzales Byass Matusalem Oloroso has been aged for over three decades and sweetened with additional Pedro Ximenez, delivering a deep and intense flavour you won’t be able to help yourself from drinking.Fresh, sweetly fruity and smooth-bodied, Caol Ila 12 year old is the colour of pale straw, with a delicate balance of tastes. I feel like they’re pumping out more for blends and it’s lowering the quality of the distillate and not just the aged stuff. Caol Ila 12 was a good 'gateway' Islay for me - not too harsh on the nose, but still decent peat and smoke. As it sits in the glass, we notice it becoming quite savoury on the nose with lots of pistachios and peanuts.