3 Décember 2021.
A bit of history (those who are familiar with it can skip this part)
The distillery was founded in 1846 by a certain Hector Henderson, a gentleman from Glasgow, who sold it just six years later to Norman Buchanan, who owned the distillery on the island opposite, Isle of Jura.
Caol Ila is aptly named, as it means Sound of Islay in Gaelic, after the strong current that flows between the two neighbouring islands of Jura and Islay.
Finally, in 1863, the distillery was sold to Bulloch, Lade & Co, a Glasgow blending company. They also built the famous little church behind the distillery, where the workers came to sing gospel songs on Sundays.
After the First World War, Caol Ila went into liquidation, and in 1920 it was bought by Distillers Company Limited, which later became Diageo. Because of Prohibition, it had to close again between 1930 and 1937.
In 1972, it was time for modernisation. The site was largely demolished, then rebuilt to accommodate a larger production capacity. Production resumed in 1974. It could be said that this was a completely new distillery, as the profile was very different, smoother and lighter, whereas the pre-1972 Caol Ila was a real Islayer, heavier and more aggressive.
Today, the distillery houses 6 stills and produces 3.6 million litres of alcohol a year. It is the largest on the island.
Caol Ila is aptly named, as it means Sound of Islay in Gaelic, after the strong current that flows between the two neighbouring islands of Jura and Islay.
Finally, in 1863, the distillery was sold to Bulloch, Lade & Co, a Glasgow blending company. They also built the famous little church behind the distillery, where the workers came to sing gospel songs on Sundays.
After the First World War, Caol Ila went into liquidation, and in 1920 it was bought by Distillers Company Limited, which later became Diageo. Because of Prohibition, it had to close again between 1930 and 1937.
In 1972, it was time for modernisation. The site was largely demolished, then rebuilt to accommodate a larger production capacity. Production resumed in 1974. It could be said that this was a completely new distillery, as the profile was very different, smoother and lighter, whereas the pre-1972 Caol Ila was a real Islayer, heavier and more aggressive.
Today, the distillery houses 6 stills and produces 3.6 million litres of alcohol a year. It is the largest on the island.
The distilery's stills
The Line Up Project
For 101 years Caol Ila has been owned by the conglomerate now known as Diageo. Most of the production is devoted to blends. The Core Range has remained unchanged for 10 years. It's fair to say that Caol Ila has really been neglected by its owners, in favour of Lagavulin, the other Islay distillery owned by Diageo, which has seen two new entities join the Core Range over the last ten years.
Is this choice justified? Is Caol Ila a secondary distillery? Does it deserve the silence and discretion it has enjoyed for the past 10 years? I'll find out straight away by tasting the entire Core Range in order.
I've included the Distillers Edition in the Core Range because, although it's strictly speaking a limited edition, it comes out regularly every year, it's always fairly easy to find and the profile is always the same. For me, you could say it's a piece of the Core Range.
Is this choice justified? Is Caol Ila a secondary distillery? Does it deserve the silence and discretion it has enjoyed for the past 10 years? I'll find out straight away by tasting the entire Core Range in order.
I've included the Distillers Edition in the Core Range because, although it's strictly speaking a limited edition, it comes out regularly every year, it's always fairly easy to find and the profile is always the same. For me, you could say it's a piece of the Core Range.
The distillery's shop
The Tasting
Caol Ila Moch : This is the latest addition to the range. Launched in 2011, it is a NAS aged in Bourbon casks. It has the advantage of highlighting the distillate.
I can smell sea spray, iodine, gypsum and limestone. Peat and clay. Tide, kelp and salt. On the fruit side, barely a hint of lemon. The palate is suave but a little light, with spices, vanilla and cream. Quite powerful finish, charcoal and peat. Score: 85
Caol Ila 12 yo : This expression is now one of the Classic Malts of Scotland. Created in 2002, it replaced the Single Malt from the Flora & Fauna range that had been lying on the shelves for ages. It is an extremely successful whisky, and is without doubt the best you can find today for under €40, excluding special offers of course.
This is the distillery's typical profile, very iodised and a bit mineral, with welcoming peat and a cosy Sherry. Fruity, with a good dose of creamy vanilla. Hints of honey. On the palate, peat and apricot jam, some spices. Lovely finish of charcoal and lacquered wood. Cola. Score: 87Caol Ila 2006 The Distillers Edition : This vintage limited edition has been released every year since 2006, each time with the same finish in Moscatel casks, a sweet white wine from Portugal.
The nose is similar to the previous one, but more ashy at first, then more fruits, more cream, a winey, syrupy note, pine needles. The palate is more balanced, more complex, soft, with spices and juicy fruits. The finish is long and powerful, very charcoal and deep, but the wine influence comes through at the end. Score : 88Caol Ila 18 yo : This expression was released at the same time as the 12-year-old, in 2002. Today, it's a classic, fairly inexpensive compared to its rivals, and dominated by Sherry.
On the nose, cherry, morello cherry, spicy blackberry, vanillised earth, a hint of peat, perfect balance. The palate is delicately fruity, spicy and silky smooth. Blueberry jam, amarena, and a touch of earth behind. Muddy peat. Very long, charcoal finish, amarena; gooseberries, it's mellow. Score: 89Caol Ila 25 yo : The top of the range appeared in 2009. Dominated by Bourbon, it offers a synthesis and the highest expression of what the distillery can offer. Today, it is hard to find.
The golden sand of a beach in the sun, honey, a hint of salt and limestone, chocolaty peat. Chestnut cream. Full-bodied, warm and slightly spicy on the palate. Varnished wood. Chestnuts cooked over a wood fire. A hint of smoke. Very long finish, which takes off slowly, you can feel the grooves in the wood, the crunch of charcoal under your fingernails. Quince jam, pumpkin. Almond paste, sugar pearls. Score: 90
What I gain from it
- The 5 elements of the regular range complement each other: the Moch, which highlights the distillate, the Sherry-dominated 18 Year Old, the 25 Year Old, where the Bourbon is omnipresent, the Distillers Edition with its slight vinous influence, and finally the 12 Year Old, which is a monster of balance. The range is totally coherent, logical and justified. There are few expressions, but these are the ones that are needed.
- As expected, Caol Ila's low profile is undeserved, as it offers enormous potential that is still under-exploited. The 12yo and 18yo in particular are superb and still offer very good value for money (but you shouldn't say too much about that, they'll realise it in the end).
- At Caol Ila, the peat is there above all to bring out the iodine character. This is probably the most iodine-laden distillery I know, far ahead of Pulteney or Scapa. The peat is balanced, rather ashy, and blends very well with the different maturations, Sherry, Moscatel and Bourbon. At times it can be very greedy.
- Finally, Caol Ila is one of those distilleries that is as good young as it is old. Younger distillates bring out the iodine and sea spray, while older distillates are smooth and balanced, very clean and subtle. Old school.
As a conclusion, Caol Ila is probably the most underrated distillery on Islay. It's not flashy like Ardbeg, or divisive like Laphroaig, or prestigious like Lagavulin. It doesn't have that independent farm feel that appeals to environmentalists like Kilchoman, it doesn't produce 10 limited bottlings a year like Bruichladdich, no Aston Martin bottlings like Bowmore, it doesn't multiply NAS like Bunnahabhain. It stays in its own corner, away from the media noise, out of time, without changing anything in a range that is close to perfection. It seems that fashions don't touch her, don't affect her. Connoisseurs do not deny its qualities, but they often fall back on independent bottlings, of which there are many, whereas the regular range is astonishingly obvious.
If I may make a suggestion, it would be to add a well peated cask strength to this range. Lagavulin has a cask strength that comes out every year, so why not Caol Ila? What's more, the ashy peat of this distillery is distinctive and very pleasant, I think. It's time to do it justice with an expression that puts it first. There used to be a cask strength whisky in the regular range, but they stopped producing it around 2015. Why not try it again now? It would finally be an opportunity to recreate the event with this distillery, which is definitely in a class of its own.
If I may make a suggestion, it would be to add a well peated cask strength to this range. Lagavulin has a cask strength that comes out every year, so why not Caol Ila? What's more, the ashy peat of this distillery is distinctive and very pleasant, I think. It's time to do it justice with an expression that puts it first. There used to be a cask strength whisky in the regular range, but they stopped producing it around 2015. Why not try it again now? It would finally be an opportunity to recreate the event with this distillery, which is definitely in a class of its own.
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