With its limited availability and its difficult name (pronounced “cull-eela”) it has been almost a secret Islay malt. The gaelic word Caol is in English “kyle” meaning “sound” as in a narrow strip of water. Caol Ila means “Sound of Islay”.
The distillery, appropriately hidden is in a cove near Port Askaig overlooking the Sound of Islay, across which the ferry chugs to the nearby island of Jura. The water source for Caol Ila is the peaty Loch Nam Ban about a mile away from which the water flows through fields, arriving at a waterfall near the distillery. The six stills are large and lentern shaped. Caol Ila was built in 1846, reconstructed in 1879 and rather brusquely modernised in the 1970s.
NSC Comments:
Does not need water
A light taste but that lingers
A bit of toffee
A hair sweet
Some orange
Pepper
Smooth up front
No one noticed the porridge
Fruity
Round 2: GlenDronach 8 Year Old The Hielan’
Cost: $75 CDN
Region: Highland
Fun Facts:
William Teacher was a wine and spirit merchant during the 19th century and he was noted for his blended whiskies. The Glendronach distillery was founded in 1826 but was not acquired by Teacher’s until 1960. Teacher’s later became part of Allied. Glendronach has a floor maltings and coal-fired stills. The distillery is east of Huntly and south of the river Deveron, on the very edge of Speyside.
NSC Comments:
Water helps quite a bit
Short finish
A bit of burn
Doesn’t linger too long
Buttery
Raisins were noticed by a single person that would be Chris (sigh)
Bonus Round: Legent Bourbon
Cost: $55 CDN
Region: Kentucky
Fun Facts:
Legent is an unprecedented collaboration between two whiskey legends. Fred Noe, from the founding family of bourbon and Jim Beam’s seventh-generation Master Distiller. And Shinji Fukuyo, from the founding house of Japanese whisky and Suntory’s fifth-ever Chief Blender.
NSC Comments:
Lingers
Smooth
Sweet but not as much as many bourdons
Really enjoyed by all
Bonus Round: Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky
Cost: $?? CDN
Region: England
Fun Facts:
Ron brought to Philips because he’s a good man
NSC Comments:
Afraid no notes were taken, but scotch was indeed drank.
