Caol Ila 11 Year Old SMWS Whisper Of The Waves 53.503 Single Malt Whisky 59%

Looking at the colour, one Panellist’s thoughts went to cricket; the batsman came in and departed without troubling the scoreboard! Pale, like a manzanilla sherry, the aroma was very similar with that dry, fresh, crisp aroma, a hint of saltiness and, different to the sherry, a sweet-smoky note. Imagine pouring it over a fresh oyster. Tip your head back and slurp it – simply delicious! Following reduction things turned a little more maritime, with sea spray, moss on the sea rocks and yellow gorse bushes along the shore. Wherever you are, imagine the gentle sound of waves lapping on the beach and you will forget all the daily hustle and bustle.

Caol Ila in the north of Isle of Islay was founded as far back as 1846 by Hector Henderson. The distillery is sited near Port Askaig overlooking the beautiful Sound of Islay which it is named after in Gaelic- ‘Caol Ila’.

Over the years the distillery changed hands numerous times and was subsequently bought by Distillers Company Ltd in 1927. In the early 1970’s there was a complete overhaul of the old buildings and six new stills were put in place then in 2022 a brand new visitors centre opened.

Much of the whisky produced goes into the Johnnie Walker blends and a very small amount is kept aside for maturing as a Caol Ila expression. The single malt is mainly made with peated barley giving the final flavour profile that classic Islay taste. In the core range there’s the Moch with no age plus the 12, 18 and 25 year old's. Also in the range is The Distiller’s Edition which has a delicious muscatel finish.

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