Caol Ila 18 Year

Single Malt
Purchase Price: $70
Place of Purchase: Warehouse - New York, NY
Rating: 7.8

A lot of people have a high opinion of Caol Ila, and indeed, even its own labeling isn’t afraid to declare itself the Islay malt for people in the know--a “hidden malt” that only a chosen few will find. A couple Christmases ago, I took all this at face value and used some gift money to buy a bottle. I quickly found out that Caol Ila forbids retailers to stock it on the shelves with other “mere” malts—prospective consumers must go to the counter and ask for it by name. If you don’t pronounce the name correctly, you don’t get a bottle. It’s simple. I passed the test, hence this review, but I must say in comparison to the other Islays I’ve tried, notably Ardbeg, Bruichladdich and Laphroaig, it comes up a bit short. Now, the Caol Ila 12 year might be the revelation of a lifetime for all I know, but the 18 year seems slightly threadbare to me--a wisp of smoke, a sniff of peat, some brine and pepper on the palate and then it seems to fade away rather quickly. It’s often said that Islay malts are the Van Halen of whisky. If that is true, is Caol Ila 18 year the island’s “Diver Down?”