77 Customer Reviews

• 5
  Chad 14 July

  The olfactory effects of this fine Islay offering elicit fond memories of working with various coal fired steam locomotives. It is my favorite.

• 5
  antineil 4 July

  The first taste is sweet Caramel and then comes an oily-ness and subtle Peat, and then an antiseptic burn which is a light numbing that mingles disconcertingly with an disinfectant nose that takes getting used to. A fine creamy sweetness of that Caramel at the finish, all the flavours and smells of smoke and Caramel are well defined and separated. Clearly a complex 12 year old and classically Islay. Smoother than Lagavulin and none of the brute force of a Laphroaig. Great value.

• 1
  Thomas Hamilton-Hailes 20 May

  I'm reading reviews which have 5 star assessments and wondering if I just sampled a counterfeit COAL ILA 12 last night at a friend's table. I strolled into the kitchen with my wife on the pretence of going for a smoke and for the first time in my life I washed a whisky away down the sink.

• 5
  Nefyn 13 May

  Lovely! Very sweet perfumes as if in Paris! Overwhelming smokey taste spreads in to entire breathing. But the perfume when you first opened the bottle is ahhh... Thanks to my son for it.

• 5
  LOKNES 9 March

  Just into my 3rd dram of this over the last 3 nights. To me it's an incredible whisky, the nose is very good but the palate is where it all happens.. On the nose a slight salty brine with wonderful banana and pineapple sweetness and just a subtle hint of peat. On the palate, so smooth and complex, hints of toffee, vanilla and sweet ripe fruit with a hint of ashy peat floral, honey and bubble gum. Well done and one of my new favourites. Do yourself a favour and pick yourself up a bottle.

• 1
  Karim 13 February

  Is there something wrong with my bottle or does this whisky really have no body whilst leaving a chemical aftertaste? I love peaty whisky and found Lagavulin, Ardbeg and Talisker all way superior to this.

• 5
  Faye Harwood 29 December 2017

  Excellent price, quick delivery and good customer service. Very impressed and would order from again.

• 5
  Jonathan W 1 December 2017

  Smooth and smokey at the same time. May not be as rich tasting as a Lagavulin 12, but well worth the price tag. Love it.

• 5
  T.P. Anderson 24 November 2017

  The whiskey I rate all others against.

• 5
  Gary 17 November 2017

  That strange distinctive smell of something like antiseptic cream or tcp haha but to taste it’s a beautiful mix of sweet and fruity with a punching smoky finish. Toffee and ash are the two main properties for me but I’m still learning. Perfect balance.

• 4
  Nick 1 October 2017

  When I first tasted this my overwhelming impression was of disinfectant. After persisting I got used to it and started to like it. Having now just found a quarter of a bottle in the back of the cupboard (must be at least a year old) I am really quite enjoying it. I shall have to get some more Islay's to compare.

• 5
  Chungstick 10 September 2017

  Wonderful dram. The Caol Ila 12 leads with classic Islay peat, earth, and smoke. However, the whisky is not as peated as an Ardbeg or Laphroaig. But it's definitely still an Islay. In addition to the earthiness and peat of this dram, there is a definite sweetness. I can taste pears as well as vanilla in it. This is a must have for peat lovers.

• 2
  Kabir 23 July 2017

  yeah, caol ila12, the malt may be the the island's mr. consistent, but diageo, the owners of the malt have sworn to keep their consistency about reducing the quality of fine malts. Chill filtered whiskes DO taste thinner and less than the non chill filtered ones. Those who dont believe this, get any chill filtered malt and a non chill filtered one and have both side by side, and you will note the difference.

• 5
  Lewis 19 July 2017

  Smoky, fresh and TCP on the nose. It tastes sweet and smoky (I think there is something to be said about the 'smoky bacon suggestion) Lovely drop. At around ?45 it's stunningly good value.

• 2
  K 18 July 2017

  It has good favours and aromas, good complexity going on. But Diageo Diegeo Diageo!!! why the hell do you ruin a perfectly good malt, why you strip off its quality and flavour. The current bottling of Caol Ila 12 is noticeably thin in the mouth, extremely thin mouthfeel, nothing oily or rich about it... Again, it has good complexity, good start, good development, good finish, but really awful mouthfeel.. just for the crappy mouthfeel, I doubt Im ever going to get another bottle of this again. I mean... seriously, would it kill Diageo to stop chill filtering their malts and bumping the alcohol to 46%, as it is these days, the barley being used is commercial, so while it is high in yield it lack in richness, so given this, I think Diageo should give us our money's worth by NOT chill filtering their single malts.

• 4
  Anonymous 28 May 2017

  The sweetness off the palate is then met with smoke that covers through the mouth. Great drop for it's price.

• 1
  Chris 13 May 2017

  Can't recall not liking a drop this much , kinda tastes like a cleaning fluid , sorry :(

• 1
  Jesper 26 March 2017

  Undrinkable. Way too chemical. Big disappointment

• 5
  Anonymous 9 March 2017

  For my money this beats the Ardbeg 10. It's comparable to the Lagavulin 12 but half the price. But I actually prefer this. A super whisky which seems to be getting better while the Taliskers, Ardbegs and Highland Parks disapear up their own NAS.

• 4
  FS 2 March 2017

  Looking at the Tasting Notes from The Whisky Exchange and Rocky, I get the malted barley (Shreddies) nose and the smoky notes. On the palate, for me, a mixture of salty and smoky. Didn't get the toffee and vanilla notes but maybe just a hint of pear. Finish was, again salty and smoky. None of this means I didn't like it. Out of the Islays I've tried so far, my personal favourites are Ardbeg 10 (more than Uigeadail) and Lagavulin 16. Didn't get on with Laphroaig 10 - too medicinal TCP for my nose or tastebuds. This one, I'd put close to Lagavulin 16 or Ardbeg 10.... but not quite as good.