Caol Ila 12 Year Review | Whiskey Raiders
Skip to main content
right-pointing

More to Enjoy

  • Tequila Raiders
  • Rum Raiders
  • Gin Raiders
Lead post image
90
Scotch

Caol Ila 12 Year

  • Distiller:

    Caol Ila

  • Bottler:

    Caol Ila

  • ABV:

    43%

  • Age:

    12 Years

  • Price:
    $$$$$
Buy
Aggregated Reviews
  • Raided Score: 88
  • Publication: The Whiskey Jug
  • Excerpt: It’s A wonderfully tasty and aromatic dram that delivers crisp and clean across the senses with a strong peaty back bone and lighter fruity undertones. Lovely stuff indeed!
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 86
  • Publication: whiskyfun
  • Excerpt: Everyone should have Laphroaig 10, Ardbeg 10, Bowmore 12, Lagavulin 16, and Caol Ila 12 in the bar. Just talking about the obvious peaters.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 89
  • Publication: Whisky Advocate
  • Excerpt: The peatiness isn’t dominant, but flows throughout the palate, scenting, lifting, and subtly changing the mix. A delicious oiliness makes it a great food whisky.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 100
  • Publication: The Whiskey Wash
  • Excerpt: I would recommend tasting it next to other Islay whiskies for a fun comparison, to help highlight the particular styles of each distillery. This is definitely a Scotch worth trying for all whisky drinkers.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 87
  • Publication: Distiller
  • Excerpt: The whisky finishes with hints of tart green apple, spicy white pepper and a big salty sea smoke that lingers with memories of bonfires on the beach that burn long into the night.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 92
  • Publication: Wine Enthusiast
  • Excerpt: Ends on a sweet malty note. Builds from stage to stage, each phase being better than the last.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 90
  • Publication: Whiskey Raiders
  • Excerpt: This is a very solid pour with great balance.
  • Read Full Review

Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.

House Review
  • Intro:

    This is Caol Ilas 12yr old expression from their core line of age stated products.

  • Nose:

    Smokey with mild vegetation. Lots of sweet honey and mild brine.

  • Taste:

    There's a lot of smoke followed by custard sweetness. I'm amazed at how much salty caramel follows. For being smokey, it's a really sweet dram to me and I love it. There's a tiny bit of vegetable notes, but not in an off putting way. This salty, smokey, sweet profile is really starting to become a favorite of mine.

  • Finish:

    Medium to long. Sweet and smokey, taking turns having their moment. Gentle, but it is fairly low proof.

  • Overall:

    This is a very solid pour with great balance.

  • Score:

    6

  • By t8ke
  • Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
User Reviews
Read our privacy policy