Lemon sherbet and apple crumble, topped with creamy custard, dry grass without a single hint of smoke

If we decide not to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms, such decision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. It was in 1846 that Hector Henderson decided to build a small distillery in a tight bay next to Port Askaig, on Islay’s east coast. He named his venture Caol Ila, Gaelic for the Sound of Islay, the stretch of water which it overlooked. Caol Ila throws a lot of its output into Johnnie Walker so it’s not surprising, then, that it has a capacity of some 3.5 million litres of whisky a year. That’s over three times that of Ardbeg. And because it’s big and ungainly – and because we’re led to hate any company that’s big and ungainly these days – many people overlook Caol Ila.

Bottle at a glance

It’s important to keep in mind that these are just a few suggestions, and the best food pairing for Caol Ila 12 will depend on personal preference. Experimenting with different pairings can be a fun and delicious way to enjoy this whisky. Each and every Member must be of legal drinking age in its country of residence to be allowed to use the Service. If no such law exists in a Member’s country of residence, the Member has to be over 21 years old to use the Service. We have the right to ask you to provide proof of your age and/or to provide further identification to prevent underage usage and/or for any other legal or legitimate purpose. By using the Service, and by creating an account you represent, warrant and confirm that you are of legal age. A blended Scotch label indicates that it is a blend of malt and grain whiskies from various distilleries, blended to create a more consistent flavour than single malts, which can vary between bottles, an example for this is Johnnie Walker.

Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services.You are responsible for all activities through your account. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide to us in relation to your account, and for updating it where necessary. You are not allowed to create multiple accounts. We may terminate or temporarily suspend your account to protect you, ourselves or our partners from (suspected) identity theft or other (suspected) fraudulent (e.g. false, misleading, deceptive) activity. You have the obligation to keep your login credentials confidential. You shall not authorize any others to use or access your account. Caol Ila underwent a complete renovation in the 1990s, with a new stillhouse built in place of the outdated one. In the early 2000s, a visitor centre opened, and in 2008, a new bottling facility was constructed. In 2011, the distillery underwent a major upgrade, increasing its capacity from 3 1/2 million liters of single malt produced yearly to an impressive 6 1/2 million liters, making it the biggest whisky producer on Islay. These were still the days before the single malt market had really taken off,and its make was destined for a huge array of blends across the whole whisky industry –most notably within its parent company, it filled requirements for Johnnie Walker. I’ll be keeping this bottle well away from my bedside, just in case. Chez Forbes has a new house dram, and Diageo might just have a hit on their hands. Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”).

Dessert-like dram, soft mouthfeel that is complemented by the sweet notes of lemon meringue pie.Gentle smokiness. The first spirit came off the stills in 1848. The distillery was initially named “Lagavulin Distillery”, but it was soon changed to “Caol Ila”, which is Gaelic for “Sound of Islay”. Distilleries that primarily produce single malt whisky for blends and do not generally release their own whisky to the public are referred to as “hidden distilleries.”Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products. Comment: A hugely enjoyable romp through Islay’s middle ground. Moch is the whisky that Blasda should have been. Where Blanda fell down was in sacrificing both strength and peatiness – Moch, at 43%, is a sensible strength for a whisky of this comparative youth, and is certainly softer and more approachable than the 12yo, without ever becoming too beige and boring. Colour: pale gold. The house white. On the nose: aw, now that’s a lovely aroma. Just beautiful sweet peat. The kind of peat you dream of wallowing in like a rare breed of Islay pig. Nothing much more than that, but by thunder! It’s beautiful. Definitely a citrus streak here and there. Melted caramel sauce. Islay tablet. Not staggeringly complex, but I’m quite happy to keep sniffing this all day. The Caol Ila 12 and Caol Ila Moch are both excellent single malt whiskies that can be enjoyed in different ways, depending on your taste. No partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship is created as a result of your use of the Service.

Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819. The Moch was first made available to the Friends of the Classic Malts, a Diageo fan club, in 2012 as a limited-edition release before being made available to the general public, whereas the Caol Ila 12 was released 10 years earlier in June of 2002. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, the remainder of the Terms shall continue in full force and effect. When it comes to Caol Ila 12 vs Caol Ila Moch, there is no clear winner. Both are excellent single malt Scotches that offer an enjoyable experience.We deliver to a number of international destinations including the USA. Please use the 'Change Location' link above for an estimate in your local currency or find out more about international delivery Palate: Thin body. Sweet, at first, but the sweetness recedes and peat – now a little ashy – pervades. Bitter barrel char, earthy almost-fungal peat, a hint of tobacco leaf, and campfire smoke are the main flavors. Most importantly, they’ve kept the smoky bite that a young Islay whisky needs (and the nerds demand), as well as the balancing honeyed sweetness that makes this a genuinely pleasurable drinking whisky rather than a why-don’t-we-do-this marketing exercise. If I had a quibble, it’s that I suspect that at 46% this might have been even better, and of course it’s a racing certainty that this has been coloured and chill-filtered. Does that mean it’s necessarily worse than if it hadn’t been? Let’s not get into that now.