Caol Ila in Utter Chaos, Part 1/4


January 14, 2026

Caol Ila in Utter Chaos, Part 1/4

You may already know this, but we love vertical tastings, especially by vintage, to track any changes in style over time. But we also really enjoy diving into large sessions in complete disorder — it's more fun that way. You just have to make sure not to start off with an absolute beast that could ruin the rest of your tasting. Oh, and take your time if you've got any. Here we go…

(Caol Ila/Diageo)

Caol Ila 14 yo 2011/2025 (58.7%, Best Dram, 1st fill red wine barrique, cask #900098, 279 bottles)

Entirely matured in a Bordeaux barrique, not just finished therein, which is worth noting, although the colour shows no salmon or rosé hues whatsoever, which is rather reassuring. Colour: let’s say light apricot. Nose: this is remarkably gentle, with pink peppercorns and assorted small red berries, all rather well-balanced, though at the cost of Caol Ila’s usual feral edge, already somewhat tamed in general, now rather dialled down. Some chalk, ashes, and oysters in raspberry jam—an experiment one ought to attempt someday, perhaps. With water: bruised strawberries on the ground, plus a few fresh rubbery notes. Mouth (neat): smoked and salted red fruits, say redcurrant jelly licked off burnt driftwood. The pink pepper returns, now with pink grapefruit thrown in, of the fleshy, bittersweet kind. With water: green pepper, pink pepper, and briny water. Finish: fairly long, though without any further evolution. Comments: really not bad at all, but it remains something of an oddity. A fine opener to kick off a session.
SGP:655 - 81 points.

May as well go for a sister cask while we're at it...

Caol Ila 14 yo 2011/2025 (53.5%, The Stillman’s De, 1st fill marsala, cask #900113, 290 bottles)

Marsala ought to be far less deviant than red Bordeaux, and indeed, that seems to be the case. Colour: full gold. Nose: the aromas of the Sicilian wine and those of the whisky are far more aligned here, or adjacent if you prefer, than in the previous configuration. Caol Ila comes through much purer, with crab, shellfish, ashes, sea water, and a trace of cigar tobacco trailing its own ashes. With water: a brand-new box of rubber bands and a handful of bitter almonds. Mouth (neat): excellent, with bitter oranges, lemon, sea water, ashes, greenish peat and tiny pickles in brine. With water: just lovely. Finish: very elegant too, with a faint touch of mustard. Comments: I’ve no idea if this was Grillo, thus a white Marsala, but it could well be. Not all are great, but from top houses like De Bartoli, Grillo can be utterly splendid. Just my two pence… In any case, in this rather particular context, it leaves the red wines in the dust.
SGP:566 - 87 points.

Port Askaig 10 yo 2014/2025 (57.8%, Elixir Distillers, for Kirsch Import, toasted barrel, cask #1033)

It’s long been accepted that these Port Askaigs are Caol Ila in disguise, barring the very oldest ones, and nothing has come along to convince us otherwise so far. That said, peated Bunnahabhains could also be contenders. Colour: gold. Nose: rather rich and creamier than the previous ones, with banana, mastic, camphoraceous touches and seaweed dried on a sunny beach. We’re just waiting on the oysters now… With water: sauna oils and freshly sawn wood, a faint ‘IKEA note’, if you will. Mouth (neat): the banana’s back, some toastiness perhaps, then lashings of mustard and curry. The cask was seriously talkative. With water: it’s the wood calling the shots here. Finish: long, with paprika and more curry. Comments: oak is cool, but let’s not overdo it. That said, this one’s very, very, very good, of course.
SGP:575 - 84 points.

Caol Ila 'Distillers Edition 2023' (43%, OB)

This one's never quite been our thing, and pairing Moscatel with Caol Ila remains something of an uphill task. Let’s press on, then… Colour: pale gold. Nose: you do get the muscat loud and clear, yet it doesn’t clash too much with the Islay side—here in a softer guise, leaning slightly towards mint. Mouth: vinous, but not bad at all, fairly fresh, muscat-laced indeed, aromatic and slightly sweet. Finish: pink grapefruit, lightly salted and peppered. Comments: really quite alright, even good in fact, though it’s not as if we’re short on other Caol Ilas.
SGP:555 - 81 points.

Caol Ila 10 yo 2014/2024 ‘Edition #28’ (57.1%, Signatory Vintage, 100 proof, 1st fill & refill oloroso sherry butt)

A most commendable and ‘clever’ series from SigV. Colour: pale gold. Nose: I suspect the proportion of first fill was kept relatively low, and if that’s the case, so much the better, as everything remains wonderfully fresh, with overripe apples, soft leather, whelks and salmiak. Really lovely. With water: a touch of eucalyptus and medicinal notes, mercurochrome, and pink grapefruit peel. Mouth (neat): echoes of the official Cask Strength, as far as I recall, with green walnut, ashes, fine bitterness, seaweed and oysters. With water: elegantly chiselled peat, as they say, blended with lemon and bitter notes of the ‘Italian’ variety, not necessarily bright red, mind you. Finish: long, vibrant, fresh, peppery and peaty. No dissonance whatsoever. Comments: truly beautiful and admirably classic, I nearly went up to 88.
SGP:456 - 87 points.

Caol Ila 4 yo 2019/2023 (61.4%, Milroy’s Soho Collection, 1st Fill Rivesaltes, casks #309863+ 309880)

Was this meant as a provocation, or was there sound reasoning behind offering a Caol Ila at just 4 years of age? And matured in Rivesaltes, no less? Let’s see… Colour: gold. Nose: no idea what kind of Rivesaltes this was, but it certainly shows. Feels a bit like a CI DE at cask strength, if you will. Mandarins, muesli, peaty smoke, rose petals, porridge, grape berries… With water: the distillate regains control, with a rather lovely combo of camphor, mint, and eucalyptus—quite unexpected in this context. Mouth (neat): very ‘trans’, with loads of peppered apples, apricot jam stirred with lapsang souchong, and blood orange. You get the idea. With water: same evolution as on the nose, once hydrated—more camphor, mint, eucalyptus and a touch of lemon. Finish: long, fresh, medicinal. Comments: there’s a provocative edge to this slightly transgenic CI, but the job’s been very well done. I was wary at first, but in the end, I like it quite a lot.
SGP:566 - 85 points.

While we're at it with wine...

Caol Ila, 10 yo 2015/2025 (58.3%, Lady of the Glen, refill ruby Port finish, 300 bottles)

The word ‘ruby’ is a bit unsettling, but ‘refill’ is somewhat reassuring. Beyond that, we trust Lady of the Glen. Colour: mirabelle with a faint onion-skin hue. Nose: not bad at all. Strawberry sponge, white chocolate and pistachio (not quite Dubai-style, mind), then chamomile and wild rose. It’s different. With water: damp earth, soot and seaweed return in earnest. Mouth (neat): a rather fine winesky, peppery and citrus-driven, with a good dose of bitterness. With water: more pickled now. Italian-style preserved lemons, if you like. In the end, it’s Italian cuisine that seems closest in spirit to malt whisky, which might explain its early success across the Alps. Finish: long, sweet-salty-bitter. Comments: for a ruby Port paired with peat—a rather improbable combination, let’s be honest—this one turned out rather well.
SGP:566 - 83 points.

Caol Ila 17 yo 2001/2019 (57.9%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, for Shinanoya Tokyo, refill American hogshead, batch #19/063, 247 bottles)

Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: oh lovely, almond milk, paraffin, fresh butter, fresh tar, shellfish and crustaceans, old fisherman's ropes washed up on the shore. Could one possibly get more classic—or more beautiful? With water: damp ashes, pencil lead and carbon paper. Mouth (neat): perfectly sharp and precise, with kippers, lemon, green apples and oysters. With water: even better—lively, taut, with coriander seeds and above all heaps of citrus and black pepper. Finish: razor-like, yet gentle. Then comes the green pepper. Comments: let’s not beat about the bush, this style sends all those finishings and wine cask maturations straight back to nursery school.
SGP:567 - 90 points.

That was also the kind of bottle that proves Caol Ila is absolutely not a ‘lighter’ Islay. Right then, let’s carry on, randomly...

Caol Ila 30 yo 1980/2011 (58.8%, Wilson & Morgan, Barrel Selection, bourbon, cask #4688, 196 bottles)

Caol Ila 30 yo 1980/2011 (58.8%, Wilson & Morgan, Barrel Selection, bourbon, cask #4688, 196 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: candle wax and sweet almonds—here comes an old-style CI, brimming with charm and refinement. These are often the loveliest. Notes of smoked salmon, manzanilla, langoustines and linseed oil. With water: that old tweed jacket, the one that's weathered many storms, makes its grand return. Mouth (neat): absolutely stunning, though far edgier than the nose suggested—peppered lemon, Thai basil, and a near-brutal salty-citric blast that borders on the ‘chemical’—in the best possible way, mind, especially considering the number of Caol Ilas we cross paths with. Vive la différence, as they say in some parts of Paris. With water: a delightful touch of wonkiness now—smoked brine, resinous ashes, and plenty of mischief. Finish: medium in length, salty-bitter, just a touch challenging—but that’s precisely why we love it. Peppery seawater? Perhaps even a hint of strawberry. Comments: another cracking adventure. One or two bonus points awarded purely for the character.
SGP:366 - 90 points.

Let’s finish with another “oldie” and there’ll be plenty more CIs tomorrow and in the days to come. The thing is, we’re hoping to reach 1,000 Caol Ilas before we shut down this wretched little website. You might say it’s doable — we were at 903 before this session…

Caol Ila 12 yo 1982/1995 ‘Cask Strength’ (60%, The Cooper’s Choice, VA.MA Italy)

So many fine Islays from Vintage Malt Whisky Co.—Lagavulin, Port Ellen, and of course Caol Ila, which brings us here today. And let’s not miss the chance to taste some youthful old CI, as that’s often when the DNA shows most clearly. Colour: white wine. Nose: this is fairly massive, nothing light about it, yet an obvious elegance shines through—whitecurrants, top-tier sauvignon blanc, birchwood or beech, and paraffin oil. With water: doesn’t budge an inch. Perhaps a touch of virgin wool. Mouth (neat): superb tension, lemony and almost vinegary, with heaps of ashes and something like a grand vin jaune, à la Overnoy if that means anything to you. With water: the palate loses some structure with dilution, at least with our usual Vittel (Nestlé, are we still waiting on that cheque?) Finish: fairly long, salty and waxy, ending on green apple. Comments: magnificent, though not exactly easy drinking—water behaves very differently on nose and palate.
SGP:466 - 88 points.

Right, ten at a time is more than enough. In any case, when we post longer sessions — like the 21 Karuizawas not long ago — it’s because we tasted them over multiple sittings. Right then, see you…

Check the index of all Caol Ila we've tasted