🥃 Caol Ila 12 Year Old
The base 12-year-old single malt whisky from Caol Ila on Islay, 43% ABV; the distillery's first permanent official release (2002).
Caol Ila 12 Year Old is the base single malt Scotch whisky from the Caol Ila distillery on the Isle of Islay. It is 12 years old and bottled at 43% ABV. According to Whiskypedia, it was the distillery's first permanent official bottling, introduced in 2002. Peat is present, but according to Difford's Guide it is light for an Islay whisky.
Production. Caol Ila makes its whisky from heavily peated barley malt, and the spirit is distilled twice in copper pot stills. The single malt matures in refill casks; the sources do not say which cask type was used for the 12-year-old. Difford's Guide tasters describe citrus, wild quince and light earthy peat on the nose, with a briny, slightly spicy finish.
Why it matters to you. This is the reference point for comparing other Caol Ila releases: Moch is younger and lighter, while the 18 and 25 year old are older and more intense. The age on the label refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Year founded | Caol Ila distillery: 1846; 12 Year Old expression: since 2002 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Islay) |
| EU category | 2: whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | heavily peated barley malt |
| Distillation method | twice, copper pot stills |
| Cask type | refill casks; the exact cask type for the 12 Year Old is not named in the sources |
| Minimum maturation | 12 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 43% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Caol Ila 12 Year Old → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Caol Ila, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Islay whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Lagavulin, 🥃 Laphroaig, 🥃 Kilchoman Machir Bay, 🥃 Kilchoman Sanaig, 🥃 Caol Ila 18 Year Old, 🥃 Caol Ila 18 Year Old, 🥃 Caol Ila Moch, 🥃 Caol Ila Moch
Frequently asked questions
Is Caol Ila 12 very smoky?
Not always. Difford's Guide calls it light for an Islay whisky, with a faint earthy peat note; the taste depends on the batch and personal perception.
When was this expression launched?
In 2002, as the distillery's first permanent official bottling, according to Whiskypedia.
What is the strength of Caol Ila 12?
43% ABV, according to Difford's Guide.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Peated whisky — Whisky with a smoky aroma from malt dried over a peat fire; it is a style, not a separate legal category.
- 🥃 Laphroaig — Distillery and brand of peated single malt whisky on the island of Islay, founded in 1815; it has its own malting floors and uses Islay peat smoke.
Similar
🥃 Caol Ila 25 Year Old · 🥃 Caol Ila 18 Year Old · 🥃 Caol Ila Moch · 🥃 Kilchoman Machir Bay · 🥃 Kilchoman Sanaig · 🥃 Lagavulin 16 Year Old
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Caol Ila 12 Year Old (43 %, 12 years, light peat, Diageo)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Caol Ila (range: Moch, 12, 18, 25; 12 Year Old, 2002, first permanent official bottling; refill casks)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)