October 14, 2015

Caol Ila as they come, part two (grouped fire)

Because we weren’t done with Caol Ila yet. Oh and I’ve noticed that we’ll probably taste our 500th Caol Ila next year, if all goes well, and that it’s going to be WF’s first ‘500’. Unless Bowmore or Highland Park manage to overtake it…

Caol Ila 2003/2015 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, 1st fill bourbon barrels)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: instant leafy/coastal smoky goodness. How could anyone resist this style? As often in young CI, there’s also a little fresh butter, some fresh almonds, and a feeling of smoky cider. It’s a rather soft one, very easy, and most appealing. Who wouldn’t like this? Mouth: so fresh, fruity, and ‘finely’ smoky. Many CIs aren’t as lightly smoked as some would claim, but this one is. It is, indeed, the lighter side of Islay – as far as peaters are concerned. Nice notes of cider apples and even pears. Finish: medium, sweet and fruity. Light smoke and bonbons. Comments: this baby goes down well and fast. In a way, it’s dangerous. SGP:645 - 84 points.

Caol Ila 2006/2015 (58.2%, Gordon & MacPhail, Exclusive for La Maison du Whisky, refill sherry hogshead, cask #306217, 251 bottles)

Younger, stronger, and probably heavier. Colour: straw. Nose: it’s a pure, steely, whistle-clean Caol Ila. A little fennel, some sea water, fresh almonds, crab meat (yeah) and a mild smoke. Cigarette smoke. Feels much lighter than 58%, let alone 58.2% vol. (yeah right…) With water: hessian, a tiny wet dog (I’m sorry, Chihuahuas and Yorkshires), wet cardboard… Mouth (neat): all is perfect, really perfect, ultra-clean, with just the right amount of peat, fruits, and peat (very funny, S.) The sherry is for the record, hardly noticeable. Perhaps one sultana. With water: meadows and farmyard after the rain, plus lots of ripe apples, as almost always in CI. Finish: medium, clean, with a touch of honey. Comments: the gentlest smoky beast ever. SGP:446 - 84 points.

Caol Ila 2000/2013 (56.8%, Malts of Scotland for Edition Feinschmecker, bourbon hogshead)

This little baby was done for a famous German magazine. Feinschmecker means gourmet! No, really! Colour: straw. Nose: rather rawer and punchier, quite mineral, woolly in a way, and perhaps a notch cardboardy. Almost ‘kilny’, but that wouldn’t be a working kiln. With water: remember carbon paper, the more reliable ancestor of Time Machine? Mouth (neat): there. Implacably good, easy, sweet and salty, angular (as they say in wine) but not too angular… You just cannot be against this. With water: typical young Caol Ila. A wee sourness, perhaps – overripe apples against and against. Finish: medium, rather salty, with a little more citrus. Sweetened lemon juice. Comments: this one too goes down well. I hope German Feinschmeckers enjoyed it. SGP:545 - 84 points.

Caol Ila 20 yo 1995/2015 (57.3%, Signatory Vintage, Straight From The Cask, hogshead, cask #714, 385 bottles)

I’m glad to see more whiskies in this lovely little series. We’ll always remember the Broras from a few years back… Colour: gold. Nose: it’s got this slightly plasticky nose that’s to be found in some CIs, as well as some mercurochrome and other sharpish notes. Certainly rough, almost violent for Caol Ila. Mud, wet textile, raw wool… With water: fifty percent mercurochrome and fifty percent seawater. And ‘ideas’ of a working launderette, perhaps. Mouth (neat): wham! It’s one of these CIs that can be both soft and easy and pungent and sharp. Certainly earthier and more medicinal than the ‘average’ Caol Ila. Ans saltier too, but maybe that’s just the high strength. With water: no actual changes, we’re remaining close to ‘the elements’. Barley, bandages, and crabs. Bandaged crabs (ha-ha). Finish: medium to long, clean, zesty, salty. In short, Caol Ila. Comments: lovely oomph and rawness in this one. SGP:456 - 86 points.

Perhaps a last one? Let’s find an older bottling of a young Caol Ila…

Caol Ila 1995/2008 (58.9%, Berry Brothers & Rudd, cask #10018+10019)

Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re so very close to the Signatory! As if seven more years hadn’t change much. Perhaps a little more minerality and earthiness in this younger version? And perhaps a little more seaweed? With water: damp woollen sweater after a long walk from the tip of the Oa to Port Ellen. Mouth (neat): once again, we’re so very close. This one has just a little more lemon, even limoncello. No, mum’s lemon pie. Lemon curd. With water: very ‘woolly’ indeed. T’s nature. Finish: long, zesty and barleyish, with kippers and oysters. Saltier aftertaste. Comments: very good. Not much to add. SGP:456 - 85 points.

We’ll have more Caol Ila soon…

Check the index of all Caol Ila I've tasted so far