
March 1, 2017

Caol Ila, young ones

As far as older Coal Ilas are concerned, it seems that the source has dried up, but there are many young ones in the market. We shan’t and maybe even shouldn’t complain… Let’s have a few if you don’t mind. At random!

Caol Ila 2002/2014 ‘Distillers Edition’ (43%, OB, C-si; 1-474)

Moscatel, baby. There are some total disasters and there are some fairly good ones. Ask our grandmas… Colour: gold. Nose: that’s what’s nice with these CIs DE, the moscatel doesn’t feel much, and in this particular case, it feels even less than in the earlier versions. Couldn’t they just drop the finishing and still call it ‘moscatel’? I’m sure no one would complain. In short, a nice fresh and clean Caol Ila, properly coastal and smoky, with whiffs of oysters and kippers. Mouth: okay, it is a little rounder than the average CI, and there is a very little winey sourness in the back, but other than that, it’s good Caol Ila, with grapefruits and salty smoky fish and seashells. It’s just a little less ashy than usual. Finish: same. Medium length. Some brine, some iodine, a touch of butterscotch. Comments: this one’s getting better IMHO, going from ‘why?’ to ‘ah!’ over the years. SGP:444 - 83 points.

Caol Ila 8 yo 2007/2016 (46%, Signatory Vintage, Un-Chillfiltered Collection, bourbon barrels, casks #315329-315330)

Colour: white wine. Nose: light mezcal from Islay. Elementary smoked malt, with golden delicious apples, some burning charcoal, some tincture of iodine, and some seawater. Totally uncomplicated but perfectly classy and even distinguished. Mouth: that’s the problem with these wee whiskies, you could down litres and litres of them. Smoked salmon, lemon, perhaps a little plasticine (not that nice here), artichokes, and a briny smokiness. Burnt gherkins, perhaps? Finish: medium, saltier. Always this faint ‘burnt’ note in the background. Some lemon as usual. Comments: goodly good young CI. SGP:355 - 84 points.

Caol Ila 8 yo 2007/2016 (53.4%, The Whisky Agency and The Speakeasy, refill hogshead, cask #1, 292 bottles)

A wee bottling for Switzerland, where indeed, many things are happening behind the curtains. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: this is getting newmake-y if you ask me. Tincture of iodine, apple eau-de-vie, smoked fish, and basta cosi. With water: smoked seawater. Mouth (neat): lemons, pears, grapefruits, almond oil, and smoked salmon. Have I already used the word elementary? With water: tequila? I’m not joking. Finish: medium, ashy. Comments: we’re going towards unaged spirits. Its good spirit, good Caol Ila, good Islay whisky, it’s just lacking soul and complexity. Some blaséed tasters may consider it’s a little too young. Some others will shamelessly call it a near-infanticide. SGP:445 - 80 points.

Caol Ila 5 yo 2008/2016 (61.5%, La Maison du Whisky, Artist #6, bourbon, cask #311913)

Once again, the age is just a number here. As long as it’s younger than the actual age, that’s legal, isn’t it! Crazy French… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: another one that feels extremely young, but what saves it is the fact that it’s very olive-y and gherkiny, if I may. Almond oil, brine, sour apple juice, whelks (why whelks, S.?) With water: a large cardboard box full of unused bicycle inner tubes. Mouth (neat): hot and limy. Sounds like a disco song circa 1976, doesn’t it? Burns your throat, actually. With water: we tamed it, congrats! Ashy lemons and smoked shellfish. Finish: long and smoky/rubbery. Comments: a very dry smoky youngster. It’s good and even spectacular as an example of a strongly smoked whisky, so a quasi-Octomore if you will, but I feel we’re almost off-limits as far as maturity is concerned. SGP:266 - 81 points.

Good, we’ve got quite a few more young CIs to taste, but to tell you the truth, I’m exhausted. See you tomorrow if Agematterz, God of Whisky, lets me live…

(Thanks Greg, Paul)

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