
September 22, 2020

A little bag of young Caol Ila

At a time when so many indie Islays are becoming ‘secret’, which just bores us all to death, it’s refreshing to have some that keep saying their names. Now I agree, maybe better ‘secret’ than ‘fakes sourced from other countries’ (boo Japan) or single malts distilled at non-distilling distilleries (boo USA, boo Ireland). I’m asking you, where is the whisky world heading? But let's lighten up our mood with Caol Ila, boys and girls!...

Caol Ila 12 yo 2007/2019 (56.1%, The Single Cask, for Whisky H.K. & HNWS Taiwan, 293 bottles)

Caol Ila 12 yo 2007/2019 (56.1%, The Single Cask, for Malt Whisky H.K. & HNWS Taiwan, 293 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: so much nicer when you know where it comes from! I mean, really, you could see the Paps of Jura, smell the seaweed from the Sound of Islay, the crabs that have just been caught, and even hear the sound of the Corryvreckan (I swear). Which is, by the way, much, much closer to Caol Ila than to Ardbeg. Other than that, we have some impeccable seaweed indeed, oysters, lemons, olive brine and cigar ashes. Hard to beat. With water: an immaculate coastal smokiness with some lemon juice. A plate of Korean smoked oysters. Mouth (neat): exactly what you would expect from a young, fierce Caol Ila. I’ll say it again, Caol Ila is gentle only in the laziest whisky literature. Wonderful saltiness, seashells, ashes, kippers, a lemony smoke (or smoky lemons) and a perfect purity. Pure and deep at the same time. With water: bad news for Caol Ila, no one will ever manage to further improve it, even with artificial intelligence. I mean, especially with A.I.. Finish: medium, clean, rather fruity, which makes even more, as we say in Alsatian, süffich (drinkable and moreish). Comments: it cannot be extra-complex at 12, but we’re extremely close to the 90-mark.
SGP:457 - 89 points.

Caol Ila 9 yo 2010/2020 (47.1%, Signatory Vintage, Small Batch Edition #7, refill hogsheads and refill sherry)

Caol Ila 9 yo 2010/2020 (47.1%, Signatory Vintage, Small Batch Edition #7, refill hogsheads and refill sherry)
A vatting of five casks done, I’d wager, for our good friends in Germany. I don’t think it’s to be seen on our side of the River Rhine. Colour: full gold. Nose: oh, a little ham, that must be the sherry! All the rest is classic Caol Ila, extremely well balanced, and probably a little closer to the official 12 or even CS than to the usual indie single casks. An indie OB, if you will. Nice medicinal and tarry touches. Mouth: it’s different this time, even unusual. I’m finding notes of rhum agricole, for example, ginger cookies, even figs, bananas flambéed… What’s really intriguing is that all that blends well with the distillate. After all, Ardbeg 1965 OB had been re-racked in rum too (and, S., what’s the point?) Don’t get me wrong, this baby hasn’t seen any rum, but I would say it’s got some rum notes. Oh well I know what I’m trying to say. Finish: rather long, with a little tarry ginger. The sherry again, I suppose. Comments: excellent and, after all, unusual, if a little ‘un-pure’ (oh come on). The price is very right too, apparently.
SGP:556 - 86 points.

Caol Ila 2008/2020 (53.1%, The Whisky Jury, bourbon hogshead, cask #twj-Ci02, 280 bottles)

If our friends ever need someone who would do cask numbers that do not sound like the names of Star Wars droids, I’m their man. Colour: straw. Nose: yay brake fluid and mown lawn upfront, then sunflower oil and green bananas. And then the expected oysters, lemons, seaweed and ashes. Yay. With water: more bread, smoky husk, green almonds, putty… That’s always very nice. Mouth (neat): a sweeter one indeed, with a few rooty notes too (gentian), more green bananas, limoncello, seawater, grass smoke. With water: herbs and saps coming in, that’s a treat too. Oils and waxes too. How old is this one? Wait, 2020 minus 2008, that’s well 25! Finish: long, firm, drier, and really very salty. This feeling of having swallowed seawater. Comments: the most complex and ‘mature’ this far. Doesn’t feel twelve or eleven, neither does it feel ‘botoxed with oak’. Well done jury.
SGP:557 - 90 points.

Let’s see if they could do the trick with even younger CI…

Caol Ila 6 yo 2013/2020 (61.8%, Signatory Vintage for Whic, The War of The Peat, charred wine hogshead, cask #325551, 275 bottles)

Caol Ila 6 yo 2013/2020 (61.8%, Signatory Vintage for Whic, The War of The Peat, charred wine hogshead, cask #325551, 275 bottles)
A charred wine hogshead? Is that STR? I’m totally ready to keep an open mind (I’ll keep an open mind, I’ll keep an open mind, I’ll keep an open mind…) but to me, that sounds like a Ford Fiesta Diesel Turbo-look with a few extra-decals and a 1000-watt Bang & Olufsen stereo spilling out some Jay-Z. Or something like that. But we’ll keep an open mind (I’ll keep an open mind, I’ll keep an open mind, I’ll keep an open mind…) … Colour: gold. Nose: now to get Jay-Z out of my head… I am finding some charred wood indeed, some green bananas, some fresh butter and mashed potatoes, touches of ginger and nutmeg… And not much Caol-Ilaness so far. But almost 62% vol., remember… With water: shall we call this elementary? Probably not a whisky to nose – not that it’s got any flaws mind you, it’s just, well, elementary. Mouth (neat): urgh! Hot and spicy, oaky. Quick, with water: potable stuff now, with a feeling of oak-aged limoncello. Goodish. Finish: medium, lemony and briny, in short more CI. Saltier aftertaste. Comments: it’s like if th distillate spent the while session trying to come back to light. It succeeded. Seriously, rather good stuff, just wondering if this kind of young doped whisky will ever save the world. I mean, the whisky world. Crazy Signatory.
SGP:546 - 82 points.

I don’t believe you can do many of these in a row, so see you tomorrow. Hopefully…

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