Caol Ila Moch Single Malt Whisky | 43% vol | 70cl | Soft | Smooth | Clean & Fresh Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Peaty Whisky | Crisp | Assertive & Bright Scottish Whisky

Product Information

The extended aging of Caol Ila 12 results in higher levels of phenols, adding more body and flavour to the whisky without overwhelming the delicate flavours created during distillation.

The distillery produces a wide range of single malts, including the 12-year-old, 18-year-old, and 25-year-old, as well as several special releases, like the: Caol Ila distillers edition and Caol Ila Moch.When it comes to Caol Ila 12 vs Caol Ila Moch, there is no clear winner. Both are excellent single malt Scotches that offer an enjoyable experience. Most importantly, they’ve kept the smoky bite that a young Islay whisky needs (and the nerds demand), as well as the balancing honeyed sweetness that makes this a genuinely pleasurable drinking whisky rather than a why-don’t-we-do-this marketing exercise. If I had a quibble, it’s that I suspect that at 46% this might have been even better, and of course it’s a racing certainty that this has been coloured and chill-filtered. Does that mean it’s necessarily worse than if it hadn’t been? Let’s not get into that now. Caol Ila throws a lot of its output into Johnnie Walker so it’s not surprising, then, that it has a capacity of some 3.5 million litres of whisky a year. That’s over three times that of Ardbeg. And because it’s big and ungainly – and because we’re led to hate any company that’s big and ungainly these days – many people overlook Caol Ila. Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”).

Regardless of whether the Service offers the functionality to contribute, you are solely responsible and liable for any content and information that you create, upload, post, publish, link to, duplicate, transmit, record, display or otherwise make available on the Service or to other Members, such as chat messages, text messages, videos, audio, audio recordings, music, pictures, photographs, text and any other information or materials, whether publicly posted or privately transmitted (“Contributions”). Caol Ila (“Cull Eela”) is a staple powerhouse of Islay scotch whisky. Now owned by Diageo, it is the largest producer on Islay in terms of quantity. The whisky that isn’t placed into Caol Ila single malt bottles goes into Johnnie Walker or other blends, because the beautiful balance of peat adds a wonderful complexity and mystery where needed. In fact, it’s importance in the blended Scotch world is indeed the reason for Caol Ila’s modern day success. However, the Caol Ila 12 being reviewed here, along with their 25-year and unpeated releases (that’s right, they have unpeated whisky too!), is the reason Caol Ila shines in the public eye. If we decide not to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms, such decision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.Turns out Moch is only available in European markets, so thanks to a generous reader for providing me with a sample! You are responsible for all activities through your account. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide to us in relation to your account, and for updating it where necessary. You are not allowed to create multiple accounts. We may terminate or temporarily suspend your account to protect you, ourselves or our partners from (suspected) identity theft or other (suspected) fraudulent (e.g. false, misleading, deceptive) activity. You have the obligation to keep your login credentials confidential. You shall not authorize any others to use or access your account. No partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship is created as a result of your use of the Service. Distilleries that primarily produce single malt whisky for blends and do not generally release their own whisky to the public are referred to as “hidden distilleries.”

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Let my sermon continue with Caol Ila Moch. Moch is Gaelic for ‘dawn’, which suggests something a little easy-going – and that’s just what this is, a slightly lighter styled Caol Ila. It’s selected for taste rather than age. Or rather it is “unconstrained by age, cask wood, strength or finish”. That kind of spiel means there are no other clues as to what goes into this. All that is known is that it’s bottled at 43.0% ABV. It has a strong, smoky flavour with hints of seaweed, salt, and pepper, which makes it a great pairing for a variety of foods. Seafood is a classic pairing for Scotch whisky, and the Caol Ila 12 is no exception. The smokiness of the whisky enhances the flavour of the seafood, while the briny flavour of the fish brings out the subtle sweetness of the whisky. Grilled salmon, oysters, and shellfish are all good options. To make the pairing even better, try pairing the whisky with a side of roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables. I’ll be keeping this bottle well away from my bedside, just in case. Chez Forbes has a new house dram, and Diageo might just have a hit on their hands. Finish: The smoke and soot linger, and the overall finish is longer than expected for a young whisky. A dryness at the death demands the glass be refilled. Which it is. Unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise, your use of and membership to the Service are exclusively governed by Dutch law. We shall first try to settle any dispute over a dram of whisky. Disputes that cannot be settled over multiple drams of whisky shall be solely submitted to the court of Amsterdam, The Netherlands unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise.

Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819. The first spirit came off the stills in 1848. The distillery was initially named “Lagavulin Distillery”, but it was soon changed to “Caol Ila”, which is Gaelic for “Sound of Islay”. The distillery has also released several limited editions, including the 25-year-old “The Distiller’s Edition” and the 30-year-old “The 1973 Single Cask”. A not so hidden distillery Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products. Colour: pale gold. The house white. On the nose: aw, now that’s a lovely aroma. Just beautiful sweet peat. The kind of peat you dream of wallowing in like a rare breed of Islay pig. Nothing much more than that, but by thunder! It’s beautiful. Definitely a citrus streak here and there. Melted caramel sauce. Islay tablet. Not staggeringly complex, but I’m quite happy to keep sniffing this all day.Overall: I mean, it’s definitely Caol Ila. The youth comes through in some slightly-too-ashy and slightly-too-vegetal notes here and there, but I’ve always thought that peated drams benefit from a little youth. Still, I drink this and can’t help but miss some of the more polished elements of the older 12 year. If this were substantially cheaper than the 12 year I could call it a good value… but it seems the prices are similar. The Caol Ila 12 is a great, classic single malt full of smoky, peaty flavours, while the Moch is a slightly sweeter, softer version that still retains some of the classic Caol Ila flavours. Both are excellent, and it really comes down to personal preference when deciding which to choose. The rest of the week has been equally exciting. My brother-in-law passed his driving test, which means I’ll be seeing a bit more of Violet, my lovely new niece; I got invited up to Speyside in April to visit some distilleries during the Spirit of Speyside festival, and fortuitously this year the festival is on the same weekend that a certain heir to the throne marries his consort – meaning I won’t have to watch it as I’ll be in Scotland where nobody cares! Comment: A hugely enjoyable romp through Islay’s middle ground. Moch is the whisky that Blasda should have been. Where Blanda fell down was in sacrificing both strength and peatiness – Moch, at 43%, is a sensible strength for a whisky of this comparative youth, and is certainly softer and more approachable than the 12yo, without ever becoming too beige and boring. That’s fine with me. More for the rest of us, and its prices might not get all that ridiculous either. Yet for some reason I keep trying to preach the Good Word of Caol Ila from my whisky pulpit (those two words paired together make it sound like some kind of an affliction rather than just a euphemism).