Caol ila Cask Strength

The Caol Ila distillery is located on Islay, near Port Askaig, overlooking the strait between Islay and Jura, and was founded in 1846. Its name derives from the Gaelic for 'Sound of Islay'. The distillery belongs to Diageo, and in addition to being sold as a single malt is used heavily in blends such as Johnnie Walker and Black Bottle.

The nose is fresh and briny. Peat smoke mingles with delightful citrus notes, and there are hints of grass and apples. A delightfully fresh nose to begin with.

The palate almost overwhelms you! It is full-bodied, oily and mighty, very peppery and dominated by salty brine and peat smoke. Wow! Then there are subtle notes of lemon and vanilla.

The finish is of medium length and warming, full of brine and ashes. Some smoked ham notes also appear.

This is my favourite everyday Islay whisky! You could say that this is young, wild and hot! It is perfect for the hip flask on long walks during wintry afternoons and will forever be part of my whisky cabinet.

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