Caol Ila Feis Ile 2021 12 Year Old Whisky 57%

Caol Ila Feis Ile 2021 12 Year Old 57%

Official Tasting Notes

BODY - Medium to full.

NOSE - Complex, unfurling in stages after light early prickle. A lightly green, faintly herbal top note. Soon, lush with scented fruit; as with sweet eating grapes, or a ripe fresh peach. Part of an alfresco picnic in a summer garden. Beneath this, a spicy woody note and faint notes of char from an extinguished bonfire. Water brings up a striking earthy yet floral note; there are newly planted geraniums in the garden. Later, more pungent, with typical hints of freshness and cleanliness.

PALATE - At natural strength, lively yet creamy-smooth in texture, intensely sweet to begin and balancing this with notes of pepper spice, a hint of salt and more rich fruit, to develop a racy and embracing warmth. Easy to enjoy straight. A dash of water softens the spice but keeps the smooth texture, rich sweetness and vibrant intensity.

FINISH - Quite long, still intensely tangy and drying, with that spicy warmth growing gently to leave a lovely, finally smoky aftertaste. Similar with water

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 olds. Also in the range is The Distiller’s Edition which has a delicious muscatel finish.