Introduction
As with the two elder Taliskers and the Mannochmore 18 that I reviewed recently, I bought a 30ml sample of Caol Ila Unpeated 10 year from whiskysamples.eu as part of a set of 2009 Diageo Special Release samples. However, after taking a tiny sip of this CI, I proceeded to purchase a full bottle the day it became available at Loch Fyne Whiskies. I suppose I’m probably giving away the direction I’m headed with this review. 🙂
Caol Ila has historically produced their whisky primarily for blends, with the regular CS, 12 and 18 year single malts having just been introduced in 2002 [according to the Malt Whisky Yearbook]. Caol Ila is a key component of the Johnnie Walker blended whiskies. While their bread and butter is a peated malt (I love the 12 year), I guess Caol Ila has been experimenting with low/no peating for quite some time. Perhaps some of that was put into blends in the past, but their first unpeated single malt offering just hit the shelves as a special release in 2006. For the past three years, this unpeated special release was aged for 8 years, as opposed to the 10 years of the 2009 release.
Tasting Notes
Caol Ila 10 “Unpeated Style” 2009, OB, 65.8% abv
Disclaimer: I’ve been reviewing all of the cask strength special releases at full strength. In this case, the CI 10 smells great at full strength, but pretty much burns the taste buds right off my tongue. I’m going to provide my notes based on adding 1 part water to 4 parts whisky. According to my handy dandy Easy ABVs iPhone calculator, that brings it down to about 53% ABV. The great thing about CI Unpeated is that it holds up very well when adding water.
Nose: Lemon drops as the primary component, followed by rich vanilla cream and some fresh oak. With a little more time, the oak seems to turn into spices (nutmeg and ginger?). Palate: Thoroughly entertaining. Fizzy lemon sherbet turns to ginger powder (and possibly white pepper). My tongue is all kinds of tingly.Finish: Lemon and vanilla, with a return of the oak for a medium duration, while the spice continues to linger for a while.
Conclusion
My top two goto whisky experts for notes and opinions, Ruben at WhiskyNotes.be and Serge at WhiskyFun.com, both gave the CI 10 Unpeated a good score, but not a great one. This certainly isn’t the most complex whisky out there, and I can understand the desire to mark it down a little because of that.
Fortunately, I’m not a whisky expert, so I’m going to unapologetically state that I love this CI Unpeated. Sure, that wonderful Caol Ila coal smoke is gone, but the citrus is there, and it’s balanced with just the right amount of sugar and spice to make everything nice [that’s right…I just said that]. The fizzy lemon and spices make for a party in the mouth, and I can’t find anything “off” in the entire experience. This instantly became one of my favorite whiskies, and the bottle is disappearing fast.
Rating
- Score: I’m going to say 89 points for now (same as Port Askaig 17). It could go higher.
- Rate it higher if you’ve tried and loved some 15-20 year Rosebanks but wanted more excitement on the palate and finish (and fewer floral notes).
- Rate it lower if you need high complexity to get close to 90 points, or if you require peat.
- Value: The lowest price of the 2009 special releases, I think it’s a must buy if you can find it. [$60 – $70]
Other Opinions
In addition to the reviews mentioned above by WhiskyNotes and WhiskyFun, here are some other notes on this release from the whisky web:
Several bloggers attended a Diageo tasting of the whole Special Release lineup. Notes for CI Unpeated included:
- The Whisky Exchange Blog
- Whisky For Everyone
- Caskstrength.net – They divided their coverage into three posts. They covered this Caol Ila in the third one.
I also sent a sample of the CI Unpeated over to Jason at WHISKYhost, and his notes have a lot of similarities to mine. I don’t think he likes quite as much as I do, though, based on his reference to Cragganmore.
well, i dont require peat 🙂 but it’s a nice addition.
i am very curious about this…
i should need to sample it sometimes.
Great review, Jeff.
I agree about the need for water. I think it handles the alcohol well for 65.8% but certain notes are clarified with water.
I really like the comparison to Rosebank. In the last year or two I’ve really fallen head over heals for all things Rosebank. A couple of top notch SMWS bottlings helped!
Finally, when will the graphics return to your reviews? I miss them…
Slainte!
Jason
Thanks Jason! I’ve also enjoyed the couple of Rosebanks I’ve had, and there seems to be a similarity in the way the lemon presents itself.
As for the graphics, I don’t do that full analysis when I’m just sampling a whisky, which seems to be what I’ve been doing most of lately.
In this review, I was experimenting with doing a text-only equivalent of the graphic “quick take” with the Rating section, hoping it would serve the same purpose. I guess this is one vote to the contrary. 🙂
Cheers,
Jeff
I’m not usually a Coal Ila fan, but this sounds like something I could get behind. Is it available at US retailers?
Hi Matt,
Indeed, the Caol Ila Unpeated is being shipped to the U.S. this year (for the first time, I believe). I haven’t seen it locally yet, but K&L Wines in CA is advertising it for $65: http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1053053
I’d ask around, as it’s certainly worth checking out.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Jeff
I’ve been eyeing this stuff for a while. Love CS drams, peat or not. Sounds great!
Hi Joshua,
Have you actually seen it in one of your local stores? They got Caol Ila DE here, but not Unpeated yet.
Thanks,
Jeff
[…] Hobbyist loves the unpeated Caol Ila 10 (Diageo Special Releasae […]
Don’t get me wrong, I loved the textual rating at the end. I just remember the pie charts…
And you’re right, I don’t like this as much as you, but I do like it and thought it was a delightful change of pace.
Slainte,
Jason
Hoping my bottle of the Caol Ila unpeated will arrive Wednesday!
Very cool – I’m intrigued.
As I understand it, Caol Ila produces unpeated whisky for the early parts of the distilling year (for blends, some independent bottlings, and releases such as this), but turns toward their peated creations for the late distilling season.
If you’re looking at an independently bottled Caol Ila, the higher cask numbers indicate a peated barrel, whereas a (rare) lower cask number is demonstrative of the early-year, unpeated whisky.
-Mike Ef
Interesting. Thanks for the info, Mike! Now go get a bottle.
The Caol Ila unpeated arrived today (from shoppersvinyard – $54!). It will be my #whiskywednesday.
That’s a great price! More than worth it, especially considering the ABV. I’ll check Twitter to see what you think of it…
It’s on the Michigan list for $49.99 – but hasn’t shown up yet, and I’m not sure what quantities it will be in, either. The Lagavulin 12 is on the list at $75 – and given that it’s already disappeared nationally, I doubt any will show (but I have my bottle already… just want more!).
I may just have to order from Shoppersvineyard – and pick up a McCarthy’s while I’m at it; I miss that stuff!
Jeff – what are you drinking for the holidays? John Hansell has a great post on holiday drinks – some neat ideas there.
I’m still undecided for Christmas – but leaning towards cracking open a Signatory Unchilfiltered 14 yr Caol Ila, or maybe tilting back with Ardbeg’s Beast – it dropped to $85 here!
New Years I think we’ve decided our “near empties” will be emptied with our fellow Whisk(e)y friends – the gang will bring bottles with less than 1/4 left, and we’ll kill them…. and sleep on a couch 😉
Hi Tim,
Good to see you here again. It sounds like you’re set to enjoy some good drams. Mmm…14 yr. Caol Ila.
$50 for the CI Unpeated is awesome, but the Shopper’s Vineyard price is pretty close. Especially if you can defray the shipping cost with a couple more bottles. Don’t wait too long!
I need to go through all of the comments in that WTJK post. Right now, I plan on drinking some Secret Stills 2.2 (40 year Cragganmore) and definitely some Glenfarclas 17, as it just plain tastes like Christmas.
Maybe I’ll switch to bourbon for New Year’s Eve. Jefferson’s Presidential Reserve 17 yr and William Larue Weller should hit the spot.
Have a great Holidays!
Jeff
OK – I’ve got my bottle, and at $50 locally it was a steal. I’ll give away my impression by telling you I’ve wasted no time in picking up another.
I LOVE Caol Ila – and I realized that much of the taste profile I’m enamored with does NOT come from the peat! There’s an “ashen” taste that I enjoy that every CI has, and this one is no exception. The lemony/zesty and herbal appeal is all still in there. In fact it loses virtually nothing without the peat – and the high ABV and racy 10 year age goes a long way for me.
Remember the candies called Zots? Hard candy that was all citrusy and zippy, but had this almost hydrogen-peroxide like foaming center? That’s what this reminds me of. It’s utterly delicious.
I don’t know how CI takes the *same* ingredients all the other distilleries use and manage to come up with something this unique by TAKING SOMETHING AWAY that appears in the standard expression – but they did it.
Home run – a 93 from me. How weird is it that the younger the CI, the better they taste? Seems true for a number of whiskies I’ve had lately.
That’s awesome you were able to get a couple of bottles at $50 each. Congratulations!
Thanks for taking the time to share your great notes here. Good call on the Zots! I’d completely forgotten about those, but that’s a great way to describe the “fizziness” I was talking about.
So…at 93 points for this, what have you had that you would rate higher?
I’ve had a number of “better” ones – but I have the luxury of rating them based on MY enjoyment – not what other’s would expect.
In terms of what I liked better, I think the Lagavulin DE-16-21, Ardbeg Beast, Ugadail & Supernova, Talisker DE, Laphroaig 25, GlenMo Signet, a couple of older Macallens, a Signatory Caol Ila and a few others would square off with this one very nicely – or beat it.
It’s just something that rubs me the right way – probably like it did for you. I can certainly see why it only scores mid-to-upper 80’s for folks who’ve been at this longer than I have. As you noted, it’s lack of complexity can be a huge liability for long-term aficionados of scotch – because that’s what the ‘pros’ look for. But in this case, it’s just got that unique element that defies it’s simplicity and hugely appeals to my personal pallet.
Thanks for the review – I wouldn’t have worked so hard to get it had you not talked it up!
[…] to be posting their ideas for whisk(e)y related holiday gifts. While I’m hoping for some of Diageo’s Special Release Caol Ila 10yo (Unpeated), I figured it would be nice to share what some of our friends in the blogosphere are […]
Well, Tim…hopefully everybody has the luxury of rating based on THEIR enjoyment. I promise any ratings I give are just an attempt to share how I like whiskies relative to others I’ve tried. I don’t believe in “universal” ratings.
Although…I’m starting to lose track of some of my own ratings. I’m going to post a Google App spreadsheet with my ratings so that I can keep track of them.
Who knows, once I’ve tried enough whiskies, I might need to reset my scale. I tried to leave some room at the top when I got started.
Those are some great whiskies you mentioned for your top tier! I really want to try the Laphroaig 25, but the price is so out there.
We’ve talked about it before, but we seem to have very similar tastes. So…when are you going to start your own blog so I can keep track and discover some new goodies to try?
Thanks,
Jeff
It’s as flavorful as any of the tasting notes suggest. I like the full strength… something about getting older makes the taste buds require a stronger tang, but I think I’d like the clean taste at regular strength. It’s brandy for adults I described it once. Amazing tones, overtones, hints for something that was single cask.
I’ll be back!
BTW, it’s hit Ann Arbor. But, as I type this, I’m making plans to buy two more bottles. Don’t want to risk any of you hitting my favorite scotch-monger before I get the chance to stock up.
Thanks for the comment Lawrence! I didn’t buy any backup bottles, and don’t have much of mine left. Maybe there will be some extra allocation for the U.S and we’ll get a few bottles here in AZ later in the season. Glad to hear you’re able to grab a couple of backups.
I’m happy to see this whisky getting some attention — I think it is fantastic, and just reviewed it myself. I was disappointed with recent bottles of Caol Ila 12 and the Distiller’s Edition, but this one restores my faith in Caol Ila. Just so clean and rock-candy-like! That makes it sound too sweet, but the sugars are quite “burnt” and nutty like the toasted pecans on a pecan pie, and that keeps it from being too cloying. It really is a great example of how flavor isn’t always all about old whiskies, and Islay isn’t always about peat!
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the comment! Great notes in your blog post, too. Caol Ila DE was one of my biggest disappointments this year. I really love Caol Ila in general, and I enjoy the Talisker and Lagavulin DEs very much. Unfortunately, the CI DE seemed to lose all of its Caol Ila-ness in the process of the wine finishing. After a few sips, all I could taste was the wine finish itself!