🥃 Caol Ila Moch
Islay single malt whisky from Caol Ila with no age statement, 43% ABV; released in 2012 as a lighter style.
Caol Ila Moch is a single malt Scotch whisky from the Caol Ila distillery on Islay, released in 2012 according to Difford's Guide. It carries no age statement and is bottled at 43% ABV. The name is Gaelic for 'dawn', and the style is lighter than the 12-year-old expression.
Production. This single malt is made from heavily peated barley malt and, according to Difford's Guide, matured in second- and third-fill American oak hogsheads. The taster estimated the age at about 7 to 8 years, but that is his assumption, not a statement from the producer. The aroma is described as smoky with lemon and orange citrus notes and a salty, peppery finish.
Why it matters to you. Moch is an entry into the Caol Ila style without an age statement: compare it with the 12-year-old for lightness and smoke. The lack of an age on the label does not mean the spirit is young, but it does not guarantee anything either. The status of this line as permanent may vary by market. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Year founded | Caol Ila distillery: 1846; Moch: release 2012 |
|---|---|
| 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 | second- and third-fill casks, American oak (hogsheads) |
| Minimum maturation | no age statement; by law at least 3 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 43% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Caol Ila Moch → 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, 🥃 Caol Ila 12 Year Old, 🥃 Caol Ila 12 Year Old, 🥃 Caol Ila 25 Year Old, 🥃 Caol Ila 25 Year Old
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Moch is 7 to 8 years old?
It is unknown. That is the estimate of a Difford's Guide taster; there is no age statement on the label.
What does the word Moch mean?
It is Gaelic for 'dawn', according to Difford's Guide.
How is Moch different from Caol Ila 12?
It has no age statement and, according to Difford's Guide, is lighter than the 12-year-old; both are 43% ABV.
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 18 Year Old · 🥃 Caol Ila 25 Year Old · 🥃 Caol Ila 12 Year Old · 🥃 Lagavulin 16 Year Old · 🥃 Kilchoman Machir Bay · 🥃 Kilchoman Sanaig
⚠️ 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 Moch (2012, NAS, 43 %, second- and third-fill American oak hogsheads)
- 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)