Caol Ila : 13 Year Old Smoky Discovery Gordon & MacPhail

Tasting Notes and Advice for the Caol Ila 13 Years Old Smoky Discovery Gordon & MacPhail

Tasting

Nose

The nose reveals a remarkable balance between sweetness and salinity. Aromas of apricot jam, soft vanilla and juicy apples mingle with notes of dry cured meats and oven-baked ham glazed with honey. The whole is rounded out by a peaty smoke that brings character and depth. There is also smoky malted barley, along with maritime, vegetal and oily touches typical of Islay.

Palate

The palate bursts with juicy tropical fruits—pineapple, kiwi and banana—alongside notes of sponge cake and light malty touches. Lemon zest delivers striking vibrancy, while spices, pepper and licorice intertwine with an increasingly expressive peat. The balance between the sweetness of candied fruits and smoky peat creates a complex, refined tasting experience.

Pairings and tasting moments

This beautifully balanced fruity, peated whisky is best enjoyed neat to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity.

Mixology

As this Caol Ila 13 Years Old is a single malt of fine complexity, we recommend enjoying it without embellishment to fully appreciate its nuances.

A refined, peated Islay single malt by Gordon & MacPhail

Caol Ila: Islay’s peated elegance

Founded in 1846 on Islay’s northeast coast, facing the strait that separates the island from Jura, the Caol Ila distillery (pronounced “Coul-Ilah”) has become one of the great names in peated Scotch single malts. Renowned for the consistency and precision of its style, it produces a whisky with fine, saline smoke—often more “airy” and lemony than some of its Islay neighbors—while retaining beautiful maritime depth.

Long acclaimed as well for its major role in blends, Caol Ila has won over single malt enthusiasts thanks to a clean, balanced and highly expressive profile. Between sea spray, cold ash, citrus and iodine notes, the distillery embodies a refined peat character—ideal both for discovering Islay and for happily returning to it.

Caol Ila 13 Years Old Smoky Discovery: the expertise of a renowned independent bottler

This Caol Ila 13 Years Old Smoky Discovery is a bottling by Gordon & MacPhail, drawing on 120 years of experience in cask selection as a leading player in Scotland’s industry. This 13-year-old expression offers a more complex style than a classic traditional peated Islay, combining fruity finesse with smoky character. The light, refined character of this single malt comes from the distillery’s large onion-shaped stills at Caol Ila, located on the island of Islay in Scotland. This batch offers excellent value for money and perfectly showcases Gordon & MacPhail’s expertise in selecting and maturing exceptional Scotch whiskies from the greatest distilleries.