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If you could buy a 25-year-old Ardbeg or Lagavulin for way under 200 €, most peatheads would go nuts. Not so with Caol Ila, which has always puzzled me. Delicate, complex and surprisingly fruity, the aroma ranges from peach, lemon oil and mild spices to pinewood, soot and hints of sage. Flavorwise, the peat smoke has taken a back seat, while aromatic, citric and slightly resinous notes mingle with eucalyptus, honey and white pepper. Espresso, salmiak and even a touch of gin fade in the gentle finish. Showcasing the quiet side of Islay, this is a superb malt. RATING: 4.4/5.0 stars ≙ 90 pts → SUPERB [-]

Good but if it was fatter on the palate I would have scored it higher, the palate was just a little thin.

A great thank you to Slàinte Mhath and Feorag86 for this generous 700ml "sample" :-) A good representative of the more matured and more rounded and refined side of Islay.

22 21 22 21 86 Good drinking whisky, but does not draw a lot of points, sorry

Start with a very relaxed nose. And when you think, 'was that now?' he opens up wonderfully and delivers beautiful "elderly" flavors. And that both in the nose, as well as on the tongue. I like it very much. Until recently you could find it for less than 100 €. Now he's getting dressed, but still worth his money.

Sample, unknown bottle code.

[September, 2017]  What is better:  A batch that contains the flavours of many different casks or a carefully selected single cask release?  To check this I selected two 25-years old Caol Ila from the great 1984 vintage for a head-to-head namely this original bottling (OB) bottled May, 19th, 2010 and a Bladnoch Forum release (BF, WB id17481) with 52% abv. Colour:  The OB is at old gold (but remember Diageo uses caramel to fix the colour) while the BF is at jonquiripe corn.  The texture of the BF shows medium fast legs and many small sticky tears.  The OB shows much slower legs and late fat sticky tears so its oiliness is better. Nose:  The OB offers a real great nose on lots of different aromas with adorable peaty, fruity, malty and spicy wooden notes and some OBFs.  It is very complex and beautiful balanced, one to sniff for hours.  The BF is more closed due to the abv but owns a peaty, malty and wooden profile too, just the fruits are shy in the background.  I like the OB more here. Initial mouthfeel:  The OB instantly coats all of the mouth with a warming feeling, no distracting moments (just as the texture promised).  The BF is coating too (but less than the OB) and it has a slight drying feeling (metallic).  Again I like the OB better. Taste:  The BF shows a peaty-barley sugary-herbal flavours profile that is somewhat layered and easy to sip.  The OB is truly multi-layered and multi-flavoured on the palate, very delicious.  I do not name all the different flavours but it adds nice chocolatey and honey-sweet notes to the peat and fruits.  This is simply "lecker".  I prefer the OB by several points. Finish:  Both own a long finish that nicely vanishes in waves.  The OB is really sticky here and I still taste it even after minutes with all of its beauty.  No bitter or drying notes at all.  The BF adds more sugars to the finish and has no distracting moment either.  Nevertheless I prefer the OB again. Water opens the BF up and the nose gets more complex as does the taste - now it comes closer to the OB and guess what, I like it best when reduced to about the same strength as the OB.  Water is not needed on the OB (it just gets flatter). So this head-to-head showed a clear result:  A batch of many (good) casks provide a greater aromas and flavours variety and a more balanced profile than just a single cask (of course, it all depends on which single cask was choosen).  As all bottlings of the 1984 vintage of Caol Ila (that I tasted so far) were great the 2010 Diageo 25-year old should be and indeed is a stunner.  I tasted all later 25-year Diageo Caol Ila releases and they are good too, but this one is the best so far.

Pleasant, complex, matured Caol Ila.

Light golden colour. Light oiliness.

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2021/01/25/swc-members-grand-dram-4/ These official 25yo’s used to be bottled at cask strength under Daigeo’s ‘Special Releases’ series. Since 2010, as a core range release, they have been presented at 43%. N: It’s a whisky I know well enough, mostly because – until fairly recently – it was remarkably affordable. As a result, I guessed this was the an official Caol ila 25yo, even before I knew it was in the line-up. Its dreamy fruity juicy fragrant creamy-fresh barley nose with more than a phenol suggestion, has everything you could ask for from a well aged yet still spritely nose, one I likened to a blend of Springbank mixed with the earlier Balvenie. T: Oh so lovely, delicious, dreamy. I’m enjoying the abv-soft ones more and more these days. Tonight I picked out soft sweet smoky cocoa > raisiny [sweetcorn?] barley with a little seaweed and half a fresh oyster. Oozes dry, very relaxed. F: Soft humming [almost a purr] cocoa > faint smoked salted raisins,… salty bonfires,… this is effortlessly easy whisky to sit back with, those bourbon casks wonderfully submissive. Refill refill refill!!! C: Doesn’t require too much thinking in its own right, a 1/4 bottle can be gone in no time. ‘Easy going’ has always been this one’s charm ever since I’ve known it. Funny that some see its softness as a negative, but then these days, we are so frequently plied with cask strength offerings. One of my favourites. Great dram.

A well-matured smoker, filigree, the smoke is well integrated, otherwise incredibly sweet, but not a complexity monster

Nose: faint smoke, a bit like lime dust in the nose, removes a little oak, weak grapefruit and sweetness Taste: Sweet wood, oily balance, pepper, mountain pine, delicate carnation .. with the second sip of intense tobacco, liquorice, warming, finish becoming more intense Conclusion: Has some of Bowmore White Sands but the Bowmore tastes better, not a bad malt but nothing special, I would not value the price, a maximum of half.

Beware of batch variation...

An understated 25er, Caol Ila typical, I like 'Caol Ila', so he scores higher than many others for sure ...

Great nose, pineapple and fruity notes dominate. Round, full flavor that is a bit dry. Long, dry finish - smoke is increasingly evident. Interesting, complex Caol Ila.

I can understand that so many like it. He has almost reached the maximum harmony for an Islay Heavily Peated. Seldom so drunk a mild, yet intensely aromatic and balanced Torfer. The perfect High End Daily Dram from Islay.

Very complex and intensely sweet malt with a beautifully integrated smoky note. Appears very balanced and set without being boring. There's a lot to discover. Sweeter and fuller/rounder compared to the 18J. A recommendation on offer.

surprised the price almost too low !!

Quite mild drink but I expected more from a Caol Ila 25. The low alcohol does not carry all the taste. Although it seems to be a pretty good peat entrance whisky for people that wanna try peated whiskys.

N22 P21 F21 B22

I want to come around the corner with a comparison: Caol Ila 25 competes against Ben Bracken Islay 27 WID: 104496 So that's the same DNA, but the 25yo OA is much more elegant, with finer smoke aromas, the Ben B. is already snottier despite its 2 years more. Basically, they offer a similar citrus note smoke or rather ash enjoyment. I then diluted the Ben Bracken down to approx. 43% in order to have "fairer" requirements. So the result that was astonishing for me was that despite the initial great sympathy for the 25yo OA, today the Ben Bracken was slightly ahead, more intense aromas, good, a bit "dirtier", but not quite as bitter as the Caol Ila in the finish (although that still is relatively delicate with CI). But that may be different on other days. They are both good!

Smokiness and leather.

Robust smoke, chocolate. It's fruity, sweet, banana, juicy apple, pomegranate, redcurrant. A touch of peat to cement everything together. Palate slightly peppery, woody, caramel, licorice, pumpkin. It's oily. Exotic fruits stand out: mango, maracuja. Endless finish, with chocolate and hazelnuts, or could it be puffed rice? Some spices, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron. After a few minutes, a zest of lemon, a touch of salt. Crushed chestnuts, heather. It's absolutely delicious, with very pronounced fruit, chocolate, and an ounce of peat. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2020/06/caol-ila-25-yo.html

A good whisky. Balanced and well-behaved.

Didn't disappoint! Phenols have not disappeared even at this age, although I expected that there would be not enough of them, like in some Laphroaig 25 or Talisker 25. Cool! You know, I really love this distillery, and now it seems to me that the water that is used here for production plays a very important role in this preference. This is clearly some kind of hard, mineral water, saturated with alkali metal salts. 22 23 22 22

It was good, but I have to admit that I had a battle with the 27 sweet the discounter. In my honest opinion after 2x test, I found the bracken better. Here it is a bit too woody and bitter for me, but of course has such nice spices ... The 18 oe also tasted better for me personally

Many of the current (within the last 5 years or so) Islay OB 25s (Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Laphroaig) just don't sit right with me. On their own they are very nice and often nicely nuanced whiskys but their price just doesn't seem to give that much in return. All of them are slightly different to what the entry level and 18yos would lead me to expect and none of them seem to match the best IB 25s from roughly the same age group and assumed vintages. I like this Caol Ila well enough to recommend a glass if you find it anywhere at a reasonable price but not a full bottle maybe. Less peaty and more hayish than its younger siblings, yet also fruity and quite subtle. I much prefer the 25yo in the Port Askaig series.

certainly not the most complex or even best 25 years I know, but just delicious and extremely tasty!

Nose: slightly smoky, sea breeze, sea salt, eraser, fruity, fresh green apples, peach, mirabelle, citrus, citrus zest, vanilla, crumble yeast dough, toffee. Taste: incredibly arranged, delicate, creamy and buttery, slightly smoky, fruity, salty, floral, pleasantly spicy, ginger and pepper. Finish: long, fruity, tart, slightly cocoa and salty nuts, cinnamon.

Madness! What a whisky. Unbeatable for the price! 89 points!

I had times somewhere for just under 100 EUR. From this top PLV, it was not far to try this malt. Now I'm glad to have 2 more of it. House whisky.

Really good for the price

Drafting Class on the Dunes The aroma was pungent, the finish long, and even the palate, while a touch quiet, had a lovely oily quality. Despite attenuating this malt to 43%, it had plenty of stage presence with a beautifully soft maritime and earthiness— coastal dunes for miles. The wife pinpointed it more as Chinese barbecue and black sugar bans— a slightly different set of memories for caramelized sugars and smoke. Overall, dependable and drinkable; a lovely malt for a special occasion or to get over the Wednesday hump.

Like sitting by the camp fire... and eating a bit of ash.

the nose started slow and maybe it was just my biased expectation. this is a gentle malt! peat, salty, some bacon, some sea fruits, spices, oaky, hints of pepper even, sweet vanilla, some yellow fruits as well, a distant barbecue, some dark chocolate as well. that malt takes time, the finis is nicley and really long lasting. the price is more than all right! Some very fine old peated sinlge malt. gentle and dignified.

A silky and supple whisky with fine aromas. Rather quiet and restrained with a spicy-sweet bouquet to enjoy without overstraining - 25.03.2017

n: gentle peat smoke and loads of wood and spices. i found cloves, allspice, nutmeg and a hint of aniseed. a touch of mint. there a some sweet citrus notes but i found they are far behind the spices and the oak, which is not too loud for its age. a delicate, subtle but complex nose. t:  oily mouthfeel, rather sweet. the peat is singing louder than on the nose. lemons and apples. malt candies. and all the spices i had found while nosing. it is really very nice and complex f:  medium, a little dry now 90/100

Gorgeous fresh creamy malt. Nose is terrific. Many different flavors harmonize very well together. A true olfactory monster. The light smoke is consistently there, but does not bother. Make the whole thing nice. In terms of taste, it fades out in the back, which is a pity.

Very good Caol Ila. Quite complex. Concerning price/performance ratio: 7/10

It's flat, almost bland. Too (bad) diluted ... or bad sample ???

The 25-year-old Caol Ila presents itself as an extremely complex and elegant Islay whisky, combining the best of a quarter of a century of cask maturation with the distillery's signature maritime smokiness. Even on the nose, it demonstrates its impressive qualities. The subtle, mature peat smoke is present but not dominant, rather embedded with a salty freshness, citrus notes, and an almost bakery sweetness of biscuit dough and vanilla. Additional notes of raisins, damp leaves, and a subtle wood bitterness hint at the maturation period and lend the aroma a complex yet harmonious character. In the background, there are light tropical notes of mango and apricot. This impression continues seamlessly on the palate. The whisky is creamy and smooth—a typical characteristic of high-quality maturation—and surprises with a sweet, almost fruity opening reminiscent of pear, plum, and grape. The smoke always remains subtle in the background, allowing the other aromas to unfold. Menthol, white pepper, and wood spice provide freshness and structure, while vanilla and citrus maintain balance. Earthy and nutty tones round out the flavor and add depth. The finish is medium to long and impresses with a pleasant development. The peat smoke is even more present here, without being overpowering, and is accompanied by a salty sea breeze, lively citrus fruit, and a subtle wood note that reflects the long cask aging. Overall, this 25-year-old Caol Ila is a prime example of mature Islay whisky with elegance and depth. It offers not only the typical smoky and maritime notes, but also a rich, complex aromatic palette that clearly sets it apart from younger bottlings. Despite its age, it remains approachable and balanced—a delight.

In addition to the price, it is difficult to say anything, but perhaps because of her age somebody might expect more, but I was not disappointed. Nice whisky.

A weak 25 yo malt in my book, but works very well with Champagne (no bs, try it!): A glass of Champagne and maybe 2 cl Caol Ila 25 tastes very good, adds slight smoke and austere earthiness to the Champagne. Just wunderful. Other than that for old Caol Ila, get the 27 yo @46% abv. from Lidl for 90 EUR instead.

Color: dirty gold (dyed) Nose: a subtle smoky note blows against me, more than in my memory, some oak mingling, caramel, after a few minutes in the glass increasingly sweeter and fruity, not alcoholic at the 43% ABV. Mouth: A film of smoke lays on the tongue and spreads pleasant warmth in the oral cavity, here comes the oak to a pleasant sharpness - black pepper - paired with sweetness is added, again caramel, cinnamon, then dry. Finish: medium in length, the smoke lingers a bit in the mouth, the oak is the most pronounced on the finish, a slightly bitter taste paired with sweetness remains behind. Conclusion: A delicious OA, without much rough edges, despite the price increases of its "DIAGEO brothers" (eg Talisker 25yo) in the last few years itself hardly increased in price and thus with approx. 145 EUR in D now belongs to the "cheap" DIAGEO-OA representatives in this age group. For "Genrefans" sure a purchase.

I would still like to taste this bottle cask strength…

Banananananananan.......

Age has taken the whisky's wildness. The smoke is present but gentle. The overall picture of smell, taste and finish is conclusive: a dainty, smoky islay whisky.

A lovely mature yet still lively dram.

You can immediately hear the sherry influence in the nose. Sweet, moderately smoky, spicy, and at first somewhat alcoholic, but it disappears in a couple of minutes. The taste has too much bitterness and spices, for my taste. This is a case where a young Islay wins over an aged one.

Blindtasting 23.02.2018 => 87/100

Nose: Full and round Peat. Gentle, but still very active after 25y. Sweet oranges. Some oak. Taste: Salty arrival. Starts gentle and sweet. Some salt and pepper. Citrus and oranges. Finish: Ashy. Gentle. Oranges.

I liked the 18 a little better to be honest, maybe a higher abv and some sherry casks were nedded for the extra oomph.However the nose is superb. 89

2021-02-07

More on: https://tomtrinkt.blog/

I do not feel the 25 years here - no oak, no really long finish. It does not have to be bad and is always a matter of experience and expectation. In a blind button, this 25-year-old would probably be far ahead. Personally, the Lagavulin Distillers Edition tastes even better.

Nice and comfort to the price

WWW ... "What a Wonderful Whisky"! Elegant, significant, noble, precious. Although I normally prefer whisky at cask strength and like to adapt the ABV individually (sometimes leaving it as is), the ABV of 43% fits perfectly to the sophisticated and elegant profile of this outstanding Caol Ila. It is a typical older Caol Ila, the peat from young Caol Ilas is transformed into an unobstrusive layer surrounding a clean complex taste of highest quality. "This is the taste of distinct luxury" ;-). Check the shop links @whiskybase or browse the internet, you can get it for around 100 Euros, only, right now (before Christmas 2017), this is a real bargain (normally it costs around 150 Euros being still a reasonable price for such a high quality, especially when taking into account that it's a 25 y.o. original bottling from one of the major traditional Islay distilleries. At least regarding the price level of 2017 during the malt whisky boom, especially the hyper boom for Islay malts).

Blind sample courtesy of ThePanda. Somewhat reminiscent of Longrow 21yo that I had earlier. Quite malty with nice minerality, but what ties it together is a perfume & soapy tinge that is sadly absent from most of today's Caol Ila. The only gripe is the very noticeable dilution, which prevents it from scoring higher. Otherwise quite fantastic malt.

9 word review: Mild peat over subtle fruit; medium complexity, strength & finish.

Nase: Süß, Vanille, Zitrone, Rauch, Keksteig, Malz, mineralische, Eiche, Gewürze (Lakritz) ••• Geschmack: Süß, Gewürze, Rauch, salzig, Vanille, etwas Zitrone, etwas Kirsche, Malz, Eiche, mineralisch ••• Abgang: Mittellang bis lang, süßes leicht rauchiges Malz mit etwas Vanille und einem Hauch Kirsche bleiben. ••• Fazit: In der Nase geht es sehr entspannt los. Süße Vanille mit Zitrone (die nach einer Weile im Glas intensiver wird) und Rauch gibt es zum Anfang. Danach kommt eine süßer, cremiger Keksteig, Malz und mineralische Noten. Eiche schwingt dezent im Hintergrund mit. Er wirkt „staubig“ in der Nase. Gewürze, die mich an Lakritz erinnern, komme dazu. Im Geschmack startet der Whisky süß und würzig. Auch hier denke ich an Lakritz. Ein aschiger Rauch, etwas Salz und Vanille kommen nun. Ein Spritzer Zitrone und ein Hauch Kirsche, die im Abgang deutlicher wird, habe ich jetzt. Mineralische Noten, Malz und Eiche bilden den Abschluss. Ein schöner, alter, gesetzter Caol Ila, der in der heutigen Zeit (10/2024) mit ca. 400€ leider sehr teuer ist. Ein Whisky ohne viel Schnickschnack. Einfach, ehrlich und lecker. Mit etwas Zeit im Glas öffnet er sich mehr und mehr. ••• 89

Youtube Review: https://youtu.be/5mnD_hUuRfA

Gorgeous, smelling, smell and rich in flavor, the wood takes me somewhere summer to campfire

Very elegant, well-aged.

Sampled as part of The Good Spirits Company's 11th birthday tasting. A very pleasant surprise - I'm now actively seeking a bottle.

The box says: "Sweet, smooth and lightly smoky, Caol Ila 25 year old has an elegant profile that brings to mind the faint yet resolute outline of the distillery itself, silhouetted in the soft moonlight of a still winter`s night."

Pretty good Caol Ila!

Smoke, peat, light sea air, sweet oak, refreshing spices. Long finish and balanced peat, very nice and typical of Caol ila.

A good standard bottling from a distillery that I highly respect. Regardless of whether it was originally bottled or bottled independently, Caol Ila manages to retain its basic character at any age. A very pleasing dram, more for the quiet part of an evening. N- Initially restrained and very soft with a velvety smoke. Increasingly sweeter, accepting the smoke with peach and lemon oil. Very harmonious and deep. Intense vanilla lingers in the glass M-Soft texture, not particularly heavy on the tongue, but still pleasantly oily. Alcohol perfectly integrated, but could be a bit more punchy. Smoke announces itself discreetly, determines the first impression, followed by lemons and subtle hints of yellow bananas and vanilla. Wood then enters, not bitter but very assertive. That remains, very pleasant with fine forest aromas of juniper and green conifers, perfect with fine, restrained smoke. Long in the finish, but due to the weak alcoholic chest a little less widespread.

Gentle, round, sweet smoke, with sweet chocolate. A pertinent high-year drink, delicious

Quite strong Wonju, candied peach/apricot, slightly savory at the end.

A nice and balanced Caol Ila, not too complicated while still interesting to drink. Maybe one of the 25yo OBs with the highest C/P ratio. However, 43% is simply too low to manifest a stronger structure and more complicated flavors. If there's a 46% version pls let me know.

A beautiful, mature Caol Ila. It doesn't need a lot of idle time, it opens pretty quickly. At Caol Ila you know what you have, namely solid craft. You can occupy yourself with the 25 y for a while, an example of a great old smoker at a "fair" price.

The aroma is very calm, soft, gentle. Slightly sweet, slightly iodine, slightly smoky - all slightly, like a breeze. Over time, it reveals its full strength. Sour chocolate and vanilla are joined by leather and tobacco notes. Good development in the nose. The taste is soft, grainy, with a hint of menthol on the inhale. Over time, the elegant flavor on the tongue becomes tart, peppery, almost fluffy, and then develops into a nice fluffy, creamy consistency. In the aftertaste, unexpectedly, there is a beer aftertaste of hops. The more you drink, the better the whisky behaves in your mouth.

A complex and very balanced peaty whisky

very good, all flavors are well balanced, typical Caol Ila notes

Very smooth and slightly sweet. Smokiness is more subdued than A. And the softness that wraps around the whole thing is pleasant. Overall, the wine is gentle, and one can sense a firm sense of maturity.

Very melt pineapple nose, smoked meats, peat is fine, a little plum and a little chemical. The palate is well balanced between the four basic flavors. The alcohol is very well integrated and unfolds only in the long final. Good and well done but lacks charm for me, the reduction probably does him harm.

my highlight in 2017, surprisingly much smoke after 25 years in the barrel, good PLV compared to other 25er Islays, additional purchase

A mature and very oily old OB, but crisp, coastal and fresh in the meantime. All aromas are well integrated, whispering, fragrant and complex. No islay loudspeaker here. Very sensual whisky! I love it!

This was a wonderful surprise. The smell just brings me to a seashore with bashing waves. The taste is like someone dropped seeds of a forrest on your tongue, well ballenced.

Sweet and smokey.

Nice one, cheap islay 25 years, very nice and complex nose, the taste is lighter than 12y or Moch. The nose changes every five minutes so be careful!

It's a 12 years but concentrate with more taste without the acid side. The vanilla is more present. More wide. The finish is like her sister, quite short.

Crisp of great fruity, slight peat and smoky. Very good balance of nutty, fruity, malty. Long finish of malty.

overall gentle

Good whisky, but for the price I can imagine a few others that are at least equally as good.