Caisteal Chamuis 12-year-old MDB

I bought this on a whim and it didn't cost much, less than £40 what swung it for me was the free merchandise I got, a couple of t shirts, a glass and some stones. It was ok for what I paid.

# 0431 CAISTEAL CHAMUIS 12 yo SHERRY BARRELLED BLENDED MALT HEAVILY PEATED SCOTCH WHISKEY (MOSSBURN) 46%. ... and I'm FOR it. I confirm the thesis, a well-constructed Blended Malt is better than a "bloated" Single Male from a super-gimmicky distillery. I may not be very objective for all drinkers, because I like smoke-peat climates. CAISTEAL CHAMUIS 12 yo is quite a decent position and I recommend it to those who have already had some contact with "peated" whiskies. This one is a notch above the basics, but it is not an Islay monster. It is good to smell, holds well in the mouth. The smoke is omnipresent, but not intrusive. For me, it is a pleasant solid position, it has character... And after all, it is about whisky having that "something"

probably the best whiskey for the money on my market

Mild smoky blend. Fortunately, the sherry finish is not too dominant. Good daily dram.

Quick hit review. Whisky calendar - Day 21. Caisteal Chamuis features malts from the Scottish Isles, and they put an Oloroso finish on top. Typical Islay nose, briny and mineral, with lots of wood smoke and lemons. A weird metallic off-note creeps in. The palate switches gears, moving towards dark fruits, brown sugar and chili pepper, while the peatiness is never far behind. Maple syrup, dates and nutmeg build up in the solid finish. Intense flavors despite some rough edges, but where are the other islands? RATING: 3.5/5.0 stars ≙ 83 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE

21.5+20+20+21

Well, whether the whiskey is heavily peated could be discussed, but it is undoubtedly a surprisingly good drink. I am convinced that the majority of the share is made up of Caol Ila because the unmistakable citrus aroma with the port smell and smoke is a clear proof. In the background, I also smell honey sheets like in HP... For the price, a fantastic drink, I highly recommend it.

Quick review. Advent calendar 21.12. Caisteal Chamuis? I thought they slipped a cognac in there. But it's apparently Gaelic for Castle Camus. This brand has it's own home page which I had to check out. The page repeats the slogan "heavily peated, yet heavily smooth" several times. Not sure what to make of that. They also boost that this 12YO have had the second maturation in casks that have held Frontera sherry for 5 years. I've bought a lot of Frontera, it's OK, but it's also close to the cheapest sherry you can find at £6-7 for a bottle. They describe it as a Hebridean blend which I guess excludes Orkney as well as Arran from the Islands. Reasonably priced for what it is.

22 20 20+ 20+ 83 A beautiful nose promised, but a very prickly taste, although he hid youth, but whiskey comes hard in the summer, he will obviously be cool in the subject.

The peated part is undoubtedly Caol Ila with some sherry addition and herbal, flower and honey notes (Highland park?). A little bit prickly, and neckpour is pretty sharp and young, but later on it becomes smother... Nice peated "everyday" whisky

The 12-year-old variant of the blended malt, named after a ruined castle on the Sleat Peninsula on the Isle of Skye near the Torabhaig Distillery, is first matured in refill American Oak hogsheads, then transferred to American Oak hogsheads that have held Oloroso sherry for at least 5 years and finished in European Oak Sherry Butts that have been seasoned with Oloroso. But he has not become a sherry monster in color, but pleasantly light golden. The blend was created using whiskeys from one distillery each on Islay and Orkney. Due to the age, Torabhaig is of course not included here. www.glen-efze.de

Caisteal Chamuis Island 12 years, 46% alc. Blended Malt. Nose: Pleasantly integrated peat smoke with citrus fruits. I find lemon drops, hints of orange marmalade and lemonade. The smoke is reminiscent of a BBQ, smokehouse and ham. After a little time in the glass, cranberries emerge. Palate: A very oily mouthfeel. Blackberries, cranberries, figs, sweet peat smoke, marinated grilled meat and just a hint of ash. All together the whisky seems well balanced. Finish: Rather short to medium length, oily sweet and smoky. Brings the taste to perfection. Conclusion: The smoke in this Caisteal Chamuis is harmoniously integrated through the years in the barrel. A really nice drinking whisky. 85/100 points (2024)

Tasted at the Hielander restaurant in Alkmaar, accompanied by lovely food on the 20th of July 2025 clearly the Islay is strong here, peat, smoke, vanilla, some citrus notes too.

Easy drinker, good value dram that will appeal to a broad base - not too medicinal or hardcore.

Excellent release, good mix of smoky, marine, pepper and sherry tones. Apparently Caol Ila, Talisker and Highland Park.

Sample Edeka

Golden. Nose: Smoke, sherry cask, fruit, vanilla, cask. Taste: Bonfire, slightly sharp smoke, licorice, spicy, dry finish, acid.

it's a bit like ledaig or islay smoke in it

Golden color. Oily structure.

11.01.2022, blind

Mssburn/ Torabhaig tasting Blend of apparently Islay (Koala) and HP. Easy drinking and tasty. Bang for buck V – light old gold, thin beady ring, falls as a layer – 8 N – light peat, dried fruit – 12 M – light, damp ashy light drying tickle, smooth - 13 P – light peat, pencil lead, dates, sweet black tea, peat, damp ash, dung/ farmyard – 24 F – dung, peat, sweet black tea, dates, pencil lead, light peat – 24 = 81

German Youtube Review: https://youtu.be/o2DJhXtflag

Good PLV. A dram for every day.

The blend includes Islay and Highland Park whiskeys. That's how it smells and tastes too. Nice to have, but nothing special either.

Aroma Smoke, citrus, maritime the taste Smoke, maritime, salt, citrus finish Medium length, long smoke, maritime, citrusy

The flavor isn't really my thing. Here he gets the strongest deduction from me. But it has a great taste! Really velvety and soft. Very exciting whisky. There's a lot to discover here.

A very good, smoky, measured whisky. It has age and sherry notes, with a smoky base. This combination is always a win-win.

A real surprise with this one. Mossburn hit the mark. I just wish it stayed in the sherry casks a bit longer. Otherwise a solid peated sherry whisky!

Surprisingly good, mild, fresh peated dram. Try it at a blind tasting H2H with a Caol Ila. - Indeed value for money !

nose: oily peat, fruit on citrus peppery spices, cooked fruits, blocked: there we feel that we are mainly on Caol Ila, very fatty, with sweet fruits from the back, peat is medicinal, a little tar, soot, the fruits on the cooked fruit basket, also dried fruits, grapes, dates final: average on the same markers, monolithic.

I will not put a mark since I'm not experienced enough. Having said that, this is the first peated whisky that I really enjoyed. It says "heavily peated" but is actually gentle. Oily. I can feel the taste of sherry which I find pleasant. It doesn't burn even at 46% and there is none of that unpleasant alcohol heat you get from some cheap NAS whiskys that often cost the same as this. Overall, this will appeal to many, including beginners like myself, and the value is very good under 40 Euro. I'm very satisfied with the purchase.

S 8.5 Blind sample. Thin, medium legs. Colour: Dark amber. Clearly young, a good balance between distillate and the bourbon cask influences. Lagg? Moine? Caol Ila? Post-reveal: very good value young & peated malt. Peat is most powerful & detectable when the whisky is young, and this one delivers, I’d rate it on par or even better than most entry-level peated malt OB. Would serve well as an introduction to peated malt. The Sherry influence is very light touched. Earlier comments mentioned HP x Caol Ila, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true.

n: peat, herbal, light, cherrys, bandages, vanilla, balanced t: peat, creamy, herbal a: peat, oak, nuts, herbal, creamy, enjoying to discover new notes

Was a great day today. I sold an Ardbeg Uigeadail & Talisker Port Ruighe & Glen Scotia Double Cask because I got so bored of them and the Uigeadail just declined in quality to what I was used to. So I went to the shop looking for something peated and new. I came across this bottle and after reading reviews and stuff I decided to go for it. 12 years old Highland Park, Talisker & anything from Islay blend is just so worth it for 35 EUR. After opening the bottle I knew I was not disappointed and that I found a hidden gem that I most likely will stock up on. N: Medicinal smoke rises, iodine and maritime notes. Once you get over the pleasant smoke the fun begins. Very fruity, apricots and apples. I am picking up a distant grape note which I find very nice. Red berries and some dark fruits following with menthol. How complex. (91) P: As they say, this is extremely smooth and velvety. Iodine and sea salt & brine. Some herbal elements showing through and then the fruitiness arrives. A cavalcade of fresh and dark fruits with a hint of dark chocolate. Some bitter orange and menthol to balance the sweetness. Very pleasant and full, complex. (93) F: Long, the smoke and peaty notes remain with a growing dryness and fruitiness. (90) 91 / 93 / 90 = 91,33 -> 91pts/100 A very surprisingly good and complex Blended Malt Scotch Whisky.