Review – Elixir Distillers Caol Ila 16 Years Old Black Friday 2022 Edition for The Whisky Exchange

Drink Caol Ila whisky in Singapore

This dram of Elixir Distillers Caol Ila 16 Years Old Black Friday 2022 Edition for The Whisky Exchange was drunk at The Single Cask previously located at 30 Victoria Street Caldwell House, CHIJMES, #01-25, 187996. The new location for The Single Cask is 73 Amoy St, Second Floor, Singapore 069892. 

What does Caol Ila whisky taste like? This Elixir Distillers Caol Ila 16 Years Old Black Friday 2022 Edition for The Whisky Exchange bottling tastes like:

Nose: muskier, white pepper spice

Palate: juicy fruity mango with interspersed peat

What do we think of this bottle of Caol Ila whisky?

Interesting, not a bad modern take on Caol Ila for sure. The fact that a modern bottling steers in the direction of the old-style mango notes is comforting. It might be an influence of Sukhinder from Elixir Distillers.

Where can you get Caol Ila whisky by the glass in Singapore?

You can buy Caol Ila whisky by the dram from The Swan Song, such as the Caol Ila 15 Years Old Bulloch Lade & Co. Zenith Import or the above Scotch Malt Whisky Society 53.32 Caol Ila 24 Years Old 1974 58.9%.

Other Elixir Distillers Caol Ila 16 Years Old Black Friday 2022 Edition for The Whisky Exchange Reviews

Check out this Whiskybase listing of the Elixir Distillers Caol Ila 16 Years Old Black Friday 2022 Edition for The Whisky Exchange, where we rated the bottle 87 points!

WhiskyNotes dropped an 89 points score on this particular bottle!

Is Caol Ila a good whisky?

Caol Ila whisky is an Islay peated whisky that, in our opinion, is extremely hard to go wrong. We have had many Caol Ilas across a variety of casks, from different independent bottlers and original bottlings, and from old and newer vintages, and most have never failed to give a decent impression. Old vintage Caol Ilas are especially wonderful.

Is Caol Ila discontinued?

Certain bottlings have most certainly been discontinued. The Zenith Italia imports like the 12 and 15 Year Old bottlings that we have reviewed are discontinued. The Caol Ila distillery experienced a closure during World War II, from 1942 to 1945, due to the wartime restrictions on the supply of barley to distillers. In 1972, the original distillery buildings were demolished and completely rebuilt to increase production capacity. Two existing stills were replaced with six, and the entire distillery structure was updated, including the switch from coal-fired stills to steam-heated vessels. The renovation of the Caol Ila distillery took place between April 1972 and January 1974, with production resuming again in 1974. Thus, pre-1972 distillations by the old Caol Ila distillery can never be replicated and these bottles are discontinued. 

Is Caol Ila in Johnnie Walker?

Caol Ila is a key component in many Johnnie Walker blends, imparting its smoky peated characteristic. Specifically, it’s a major contributor to the Johnnie Walker core range, including Red and Blue Labels. Caol Ila is noted to be a major component of the travel retail-exclusive Johnnie Walker Island Green and the notorious Johnnie Walker Double Black.

Author Notes

Edward Say

Edward is the Founder and Director of Nakama Spirits Pte Ltd and the Head Coach of Domain Expansion Athletics Coaching. Edward strongly believes in the power of friendship and the last thing he would want to do is recommend a drink that does not suit a comrade’s palate. If you enjoy this review, do leave a comment and drop by The Swan Song for a dram or two!