Introduction
I’m a big Caol Ila fan, starting with the 12 year standard expression. When I first started getting into Islay malts, trying to figure out what to make of the strong, tarry, oily notes of Laphroaig and Ardbeg, I tried Caol Ila and was immediately impressed by the ashy coal smoke finish. The citrus also seemed to compliment it well. There just wasn’t anything negative going on there. My favorite Caol Ila so far isn’t actually labeled as a Caol Ila…it’s the Port Askaig 17 year by Specialty Drinks, sister company to The Whisky Exchange. When the opportunity came up to get a sample of the Single Malts of Scotland (SMOS) Caol Ila 18 year, distilled in 1991, I jumped on it [Thanks Tim!]. SMOS is another range bottled by Specialty Drinks, and seems to be well regarded. This bottle currently sells for £47.82 excluding VAT, and also currently comes with a free tasting glass (a special deal for any SMOS purchase).
Tasting Notes
Caol ila 1991 18 Year old (Specialty Drinks SMOS); Cask# 194/200; 56.1%
Nose: Initially, fresh oak and peat, with underlying citrus. After a few minutes in the glass, the oak turns more to vanilla. Overall, it’s kind of muted. You really have to stick your nose in there and spend some time searching. Also, the citrus is toned WAY down compared to regular Caol Ilas.Palate: More juicy now, peat still, and some white pepper. Bigger than the nose let on. Packs a punch similar to Lagavulin 12, and perfectly drinkable at full strength if you’re used to high proof whiskies. Not harsh in any way. Finish: That classic Caol Ila ashy smoke is in full force here, along with some lingering pepper on the tongue. The smoke lasts a long time, and it’s very “pure.” No young, spirity notes at all. A peat smoke lover’s delight!
Comments:
I really like this whisky. I was surprised to find the citrus turned down a couple of notches from other Caol Ilas I’ve had, but the great mouth feel and long, smoky finish are a real treat. What especially stands out is the purity of the peat smoke finish. I’ve had younger high-peat whiskies (like Kilchoman) that have an almost one-note ash smoke finish, but they all have a youthful, “spirity” counterpart. Not here. The only thing keeping this from an A rating in my book is that the nose could be more expressive, and it’s not super complex (but not completely one-note either). As a fan of the Caol Ila brand of peat smoke, and big, cask-strength palate attacks, I’d rate this in the B+ range. I think I need to buy a bottle of this.
Rating
This was a big enough sample that I was able to taste it over three sessions. I’m going to go ahead and do the full rating thing…
- Score: 88/100 points (B+) [My personal score relative to other whiskies I’ve tried]
- Bottom Line: A little muted on the nose, but great mouth feel and gets my tongue all a-tingle. Brilliant ashy, coal-dust, peat-smoke finish if you’re into that sort of thing.
- Rate higher if: You’re a huge peat-head, and the palate/finish are much more important than the nose.
- Rate lower if: The muted nose is going to bug you; you want more than peat smoke on the finish.
- Value: The Whisky Exchange is selling this SMOS 18 year for the same price as the standard distillery 18 year. Given that I like the standard 12 better than the 18, and I like this SMOS 18 better than the 12 [OB 18 < OB 12 < SMOS 18], I’d call this a good value. A special treat to share with your peat-smoke loving friends. Only 620 bottles available.
Comparisons
I sampled this alone, and along side Caol Ila 12 (43%), Port Askaig 17 (46%) and Lagavulin 12 (57.9%). The family resemblance with the other Caol Ilas is there, but the big ABV difference separates them, and the citrus influence is much bigger in the lower proof whiskies. Also, the Port Askaig 17 offers up just as big of a smoky finish, but it’s more complex. The only thing the PA 17 lacks is the big mouth feel from the high ABV. PA 17 is the first whisky review where I tried to start doing ratings. I gave it an 89…probably should have been a 90.
Frankly, I think the profile of this SMOS 18 year is closest to the Lagavulin 12, though the Laga 12 is more expressive on the nose, and has just a hint of “youth” on the peat smoke finish. The feel in the mouth is very similar, as is the focus on ashy peat smoke, with other flavors toned down in comparison. I’d rate the Laga 12 a point or two higher for additional expressiveness on the nose, and perhaps a touch more complexity.
Other Opinions
I can’t find any reviews of this particular bottling…not even on the Whisky Exchange site. However, Serge at WHISKYFUN.COM rated two SMOS 16 Year expressions (here and here), as well as a 17 Year, all from 1991 and bottled in 2007/2008. You can see that Serge also mentions a toned down nose on the 17 year, which seems to have carried over into this one. He rates the 17 year at 85 points, marking it down because of the nose, but it sure sounds like he enjoyed it more than that.
Crakcing review Jeff.
i also seem to really like the CI 12 OB, haven’t really tasted the 18 year. so i think as a follower of the peat society 😉 i will also like this one. too bad TWE dont ship here.
Kfir my friend has just visited the TWE and bought a bottle of the PA 17, so next week, i hopefully will be able to taste it and see how my notes match to yours.
you are turning into quite hte peathead also, aren’t you?
Keep it up. great posts.
Caol Ila all the way, for me. I, too, would rate the 12yo above most others, but I still set the 18yo aside on its little throne as my present favourite (it has been there since September 2008).
For the OB 18yo, the nose is a constantly-evolving delight and works well with or without water. What I especially adore, however, is a firm, charred cask note that I get very early on in the finish. I rate whiskies highly when I can taste their ingredients and especially their ‘terroir’, thus making the 18yo quite a malt indeed.
I think I must embark on an exploration of independent bottlings. The only inhibitor is price: so few, besides the G&M expressions, are available in 5cl form. D’oh!
Killer, in depth review. Thanks so much Jeff! The only Caol Ila I’ve ever had is the 2009 unpeated (bought because of your suggestion/review). I now see that I have to branch out and try their peated malts – this and the 12. Cheers! And, thanks again for such a great review. Very enjoyable read.
[…] Hobbyist gives the Caol Ila 18 from Single Malts of Scotland a […]
Always happy to see any review of Caol Ila, especially from someone as well versed in it as you Jeff. I’ll try and find this one if I can.
In return can I ask if you’ve read my own review of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s latest Caol Ila bottling – number 5 in http://www.discoverwhisky.co.uk/2010/02/12/smws-february-tasting-olaf-excels-himself-with-5-fascinating-single-malts/
It’s not cheap but it’s the best Caol Ila I’ve drunk for years, and I can’t praise it much higher than that.
Much appreciated your comments about my review of the Balvenie Madeira by the way.
slainte
Bill
Thanks for the kind words, Bill. Wow, that 27 year CI sounds wonderful! I totally see what you’re saying there about CI being peat “smoky”, rather than peaty. The peat itself definitely doesn’t come through like it does with Talisker.
I’m curious as to whether you generally prefer older CIs to younger ones. So far, I’ve only tasted a couple of older ones, and have tended to lean more towards the 12 year, or these IB 17/18 year versions that keep the same intensity and strong coal smoke of the younger bottling.
Thanks,
Jeff
Thank you for another Caol Ila review. I am one of those who put Caol Ila high on the preference list. I am glad that I am not alone 🙂
I like CI DE1996 quite a bit (have 10YO, 18YO, CS and getting 10YO Unpeated, this week).
My favorite whisky may be still Laphroaig (love 30YO and also have CS, 10YO CS and Douglas Laing 18YO).
I am one of those few who may prefer Caol Ila to Ardbeg (Airigh Nam Beist) although I like Lagavulin very much (DE1993, 12 YO CS).
Other whiskies, I have tried/tested are: Bowmore 12YO, Highland Park (12,15,18,25, 30YO), Yamazaki 18YO, Glendronach 15YO (Revival), Balvenie and some other, in the past (Glenrothes, Glemorangie, Oban, Dalwhennie).
I will be coming back to see what you may taste and like.
Thanks Michael! It sounds like we have some similar tastes. My favorite is still Laphroaig 30 year, and generally prefer CI over Ardbeg. Can’t go wrong with Lagavulin or any of the HPs either.
Oh…and sorry about the late reply. I’ve been quite negligent with the blog lately.
Cheers,
Jeff
Loved the reviews. We’re big fans of Caol Illa but we just relocated to the US from Europe…. where can we buy it here (either online) or preferably somewhere in Pennsylvania? Suggestions?
Thanks
Thanks for the kinds words, and welcome to the U.S.! I can’t help with Pennsylvania, but for mail order within the U.S., I’ve had good results with:
Shopper’s Vineyard: http://www.shoppersvineyard.com/store/pc/home.asp
Beltramo’s: http://www.beltramos.com
Wine&Liquor Depot: http://www.wineandliquordepot.com/distillery.htm
And if they ship to PA, then Binny’s is quite popular: http://www.binnys.com/index.cfm
Cheers,
Jeff
Janmac,
You can make a “Special Liquor Order” at any state-owned liquor store. You pay half up front and the balance when the bottle arrives. I just did and the price is reasonable.
Caol Ila 12yr Scotch
SKU 501840 SLO 750 ML $44.99
Diageo North America Inc
http://plcbusersgroup.org/ is the best way to search for anything and see what store has it in inventory.
The things we must do for whisky!
Slainte, How
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