Caol Ila 8yo Bourbon Cask

Caol Ila 8yo Bourbon Cask

Collector Series, Caskshare 
Single malt - Islay
Pale silver yellow
60.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, peat, yoghurt, lemon juice, tobacco leaf, soy sauce, hints of sour cream. With water, sea salt, sour cream, peat, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Peat, pears, lemon juice, soy sauce, ginseng, black pepper, hints of smoke, hints of grapefruit. With water, sour cream, lemon juice, peat, hints of yoghurt. 
Finish: Short. Farmyard, diesel exhaust, black pepper, ginseng, peat. 

Comments: 

Cask CA.16.01. A gentle, not very smoky Caol Ila, with plenty of peat, lactic notes and citrus notes. Not quite as salty as some others I’ve had, but a decent dram nonetheless.

Verdict:

I like this.

Caol Ila 4yo

Caol Ila 4yo

Soho Selection, Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Islay
Amber
61.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Driftwood smoke, malted grains, peat, leather, lemon sweets, fresh baked bread, soy sauce. With water, lemon sweets, peat, germolene. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Malted grains, peat, leather, fresh baked bread, soy sauce, ginseng, black tea, hints of black pepper. With water, lemon sweets, soy sauce, germolene. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, leather, soy sauce, cloves, raisins. 

Comments: 

Smoky and savoury, like most Caol Ila. The peat hasn’t been mellowed by age here, it’s in your face and bitter. There’s a lot of cereal in this, less of the lemony salty sweet flavour that is a key characteristic of Caol Ila for me.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 53.241 (Caol Ila 6yo 2011/2017)

SMWS 53.241 (Caol Ila 6yo 2011/2017)

2017, SMWS
Single malt - Islay
Very pale pink
60.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: New plastic, malt vinegar, autumn leaves, smoke, sea salt, vanilla, coconut cream. With water, lemon zest, lemon sweets, sultanas, hints of soy sauce. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, static, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Peat, malted grains, malt vinegar, leather, smoke, lemon zest, vanilla, coconut cream, hints of sultanas. With water, sultanas, autumn leaves, smoke, lemon zest. 
Finish: Medium. Smoke, diesel exhaust, lemon zest, peat, leather. 

Comments: 

Complex and chemical, lots of creamy sweetness abounds, with a citrusy bite. All this is wreathed in huge amounts of smoke and diesel exhaust. Very complicated whisky, unusual for such a young dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Caol Ila 7yo 2012/2020

Caol Ila 7yo 2012/2020

Strictly Limited, Carn Mor
Single malt - Islay
Amber pink
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, honey, leather, raisins, strawberry jam, germolene, hints of toast. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Autumn leaves, raisins, germolene, honey, yoghurt, hints of strawberry jam. 
Finish: Medium. Germolene, yoghurt, autumn leaves, honey, cocoa nibs. 

Comments: 

Young Caol Ila, a little lactic and with some sweet sherried notes. The harsher smoke notes have been tamed by the sherry cask, and so it’s more medicinal and antiseptic than usual.

Verdict:

I like this.

Caol Ila 38yo 1984/2023

Caol Ila 38yo 1984/2023

Connoisseur’s Choice Cask Strength, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Islay
Bright gold
53.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Photocopy paper, sandalwood, smoke, peat, green apples, raisins, cloves, nutmeg. With water, green apples, soy sauce, cloves, nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Sandalwood, photocopy paper, soy sauce, autumn leaves, smoke, cloves, raisins, hints of honey. With water, peat, smoke, soy sauce, raisins, cloves. 
Finish: Long. Raisins, smoke, soy sauce, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 3122. ‘The best whisky released in 2023’ it was said. I can believe it. It’s Caol Ila like I’ve never had (and it’s always a pretty decent dram). Intense and complex, waves of peat and smoke roll off a fruity, earthy, even floral base. The glass still smelled amazing the next morning

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

SMWS 53.318 (Caol Ila 11yo 2008/2020)

SMWS 53.318 (Caol Ila 11yo 2008/2020)

2020, SMWS
Single malt - Islay
Pale pink gold
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Roast pork, soy sauce, driftwood smoke, cedar, peat, lemon juice, heather, hints of honey. With water, honey, germolene, driftwood smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty bitter. Soy sauce, heather, malted grains, lemon juice, charcoal ash, driftwood smoke, peat, hints of fresh baked bread. With water, lemon juice, malted grains, driftwood smoke, peat. 
Finish: Medium. Charcoal ash, roast pork, lemon juice, driftwood smoke. 

Comments: 

Quite smoky, and sweet for a Caol Ila. There’s some lovely meaty notes too, together with floral heather. Quite tasty and complex, especially for a whisky just 11 years old.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Caol Ila 20yo 150th Anniversary

Caol Ila 20yo 150th Anniversary 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islay 
Chinese tea
57.86% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honeydew melons, lohan fruit, soy sauce, leather, five spice powder, mint, candied oranges. With water, smoke, honey, leather, hay. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, hot, syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Smoke, peat, five spice powder, honey, barley sugar, candied oranges, moss, hints of leather. With water, hay, fresh cut grass, moss, smoke, honey. 
Finish: Long. Oyster shells, leather, honeydew melons, lohan fruit, soy sauce. 

Comments: 

Amazing distillery-only bottling. Lots of the classic Caol Ila soy sauce, but also heavy sweet notes of oranges and honeydew. It’s unctuous and thick, luxurious on the tongue. Utterly delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Caol Ila 31yo 1988/2020

Caol Ila 31yo 1988/2020

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Islay
Golden, hints of silver
51.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sandalwood, fresh baked bread, leather, white pepper, dunnage, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Smoke, sour cream, honey, white pepper, orange peel, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, orange peel, lemon juice, cinnamon, dunnage. 

Comments: 

An atypical Caol Ila, and not just for its age. It’s a little bit lactic, alongside the obligatory smoke and peat, but the lemon sweet and soy sauce notes are not there (or if they are, they’re quite faint). It’s quite salty though, and it made me realise that Caol Ila normally tastes of umami rather than just salt. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Caol Ila 12yo 2007/2019

Caol Ila 12yo 2007/2019

Single Cask Nation, Jewish Whisky Company 
Single malt - Islay 
Pale gold, hints of green 
59.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, tobacco leaf, lemon zest, vanilla, raisins, pears, grilled meat. With water, lime juice, peat, tobacco leaf, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, cool, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Peat, smoke, leather, seaweed, raisins, vanilla, preserved lemons, lemon zest, hints of soy sauce. With water, peat, tobacco leaf, smoke, leather, lime juice, pear drops. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, lime juice, pears, vanilla, smoke, leather. 

Comments: 

Cask 510. I’ve had a fair bit of Caol Ila over the years. It’s a favourite of indie bottlers, and some of them have been very good indeed. This is one of them, not quite tip top, but it’s pretty decent. Not much of the usual Caol Ila soy sauce, instead it’s preserved lemons and salty seaweed, allied to the usual smoke and peat. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Caol Ila 10yo 2010/2021 for the London Whisky Club

Caol Ila 10yo 2010/2021 for the London Whisky Club

Thompson Brothers
Single malt - Islay 
Straw
54.2% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Peat, leather, lemon sweets, apples, soy sauce, tar, oakum, wet stones. With water, tar, green apples, leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, thickens slightly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Lemon sweets, apples, peat, fresh baked bread, smoke, soy sauce, tar, oakum, brass polish, hints of grapefruit. With water, sweeter, sea salt, coffee, green apples. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, smoke, peat, leather, grapefruit. 

Comments: 

Normally I’m not that bothered about young Caol Ila, it’s not so interesting and can be quite samey. This one however is exceptional - impressive complexity, more tarry than you’d expect given its age, and has an underlying sweet sourness that is delicious. Very pleased with my club bottle.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Caol Ila 10yo Galil Mountain Finish

Caol Ila 10yo Galil Mountain Finish

DS Tayman
Single malt - Islay 
Very pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Frying bacon, vanilla ice cream, white grapes, sultanas, smoke, hints of tobacco leaf.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loose, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Vanilla ice cream, sea salt, tobacco leaf, sultanas, smoke, leather.  
Finish: Short. Soy sauce, smoke, peat, sea salt, peaches, hints of menthol.  

Comments: 

Interesting whisky from new indie bottler DS Tayman. It’s an atypical Caol Ila, at least in my experience. It’s got lots of sweet notes, including a very unusual one of vanilla ice cream, and the characteristic soy sauce note I find in Caol Ila only makes an appearance in the finish. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Caol Ila 14yo 2005/2020

Caol Ila 14yo 2005/2020

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Islay
Straw
48.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, buttered toast, peanuts, marmalade, tinned peaches, hints of peat. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Buttered toast, peaches, golden syrup, peanuts, hints of leather, hints of pears. 
Finish: Long. Tinned peaches, leather, peanuts, hints of peat, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Cask DL13823. I was a little sad - this is probably the last dram I'm going to drink in a bar for a while. But it was a worthy one - practically unpeated, lots of fruit notes, even buttered toast. The peat is very gentle and mild, almost unnoticeable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Caol Ila 13yo Discovery

Caol Ila 13yo Discovery

Discovery, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Islay
Golden
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Soy sauce, peat, smoke, kiwifruit, cocoa powder, hints of raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, leather, chocolate, soy sauce, apples, kiwifruit, hints of golden syrup. 
Finish: Long. Peat, smoke, leather, golden syrup, candied apples. 

Comments: 

A rather delicate Caol Ila, the smoke is very gentle, although the peat notes are heavier. There's something of the characteristic savouriness of soy sauce, but it's buried underneath layers of sweet stuff, fruit and even golden syrup.

Verdict:

I like this.

Caol Ila 9yo 2010/2019

Caol Ila 9yo 2010/2019

Selection, Adelphi
Single malt - Islay
Pale gold
55.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla fudge, peat, leather, lemon curd, condensed milk, toffee, hints of sour cream. With water, honey, toffee, hints of butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, airy, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Vanilla fudge, lemon curd, leather, white grapes, peanuts, hints of toffee. With water, saltier, butterscotch, peanuts, honey. 
Finish: Short. Smoke, peat, lemon curd, peanuts, condensed milk. 

Comments: 

I believe at this point that I've had more Caol Ila than any other whisky. This one has some citrus and dairy under the obligatory smoke and peat, it's quite pleasant and refreshing. I have a soft spot for whiskies that bury delicate flavours under peat parts per million, as it's challenging to discover all their secrets.

Verdict:

I like this.

Caol Ila 14yo 2005/2019

Caol Ila 14yo 2005/2019

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon and Macphail
Single malt - Islay
Amber rose
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red wine, red grapes, honey, peat, leather, smoke, blackcurrant, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Red grapes, liquorice, honey, smoke, peat, leather, quince jelly, ginseng. 
Finish: Medium. Ginseng, red grapes, blackcurrant, raisins. 

Comments: 

Batch 19/013. Sherried Caol Ila, bottled at higher than expected strength as part of the Connoisseur's Choice range. I like the newer expressions, they appear to have been selected for complexity and robust flavour. This one has a lot of sherry influence, but this is subservient to the peaty, smokey, savoury Caol Ila. Lots of bitter and liquorice notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

Big Strand Single Malt Whisky

Big Strand Single Malt Whisky

Big Strand, Morrison and Mackay
Single malt - Islay
Bright gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, peat, smoke, leather, peanuts, balsamic vinegar, hints of soy sauce. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, cool, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemon juice, vanilla sponge, balsamic vinegar, ginseng, peat, smoke. 
Finish: Medium. Smoke, peat, lemon zest, leather, black tea. 

Comments: 

This is apparently Caol Ila. There's something of the official Caol Ilas in it, some hints of soya sauce, but it's more the savouriness you get in balsamic vinegar. There's enough lemon in here to make me think that it might be something else.

Verdict:

I like this.

Bealach Ruadh 7yo

Bealach Ruadh 7yo

Chorlton Whisky
Single malt - Islay
Silver
58.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peat, smoke, olive oil, marmalade, hints of soy sauce. With water, peanuts, marmalade, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, loosens, watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peanuts, iron filings, olive oil, black pepper, butterscotch, hints of orange peel. With water, slightly bitter, iron filings, marmalade, peanuts. 
Finish: Long. Sea salt, fish sauce, orange peel, butterscotch. 

Comments: 

This is Caol Ila. There's the usual smoke and peat, but it's cut through with a pepperiness that reminds me of good extra virgin olive oil. There's fruit too, and a caramelly sweetness that underpins the dram. Good stuff, despite its young age.

Verdict:

I like this.

Caol Ila 27yo 1983/2010

Caol Ila 27yo 1983/2010

Frisky Whisky, John Milroy
Single malt - Islay
Orange gold
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, leather, tangerines, tobacco leaf, orange peel, hints of lemon juice. With water, sweeter, orange juice, rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, loose, watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Peat, smoke, tangerines, orange peel, soy sauce, hints of honey. With water, sweeter, honey, orange juice, hints of pomelo. 
Finish: Medium. Tangerines, orange peel, honey, orange juice. 

Comments: 

Cask 1119/1112. This is very unusual whisky, it's unlike any Caol Ila that I've ever had. The savoury, salty notes are very faint, the peat and smoke are gentle instead of harsh, and there's a lingering tangerine sweetness throughout. Very good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Port Askaig 19 yo Cask Strength

Port Askaig 19 yo Cask Strength

Port Askaig, Specialty Drinks Ltd
Single malt - Islay
Pale straw
50.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, smoke, roast pork, mint, hints of soy sauce. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, mouth coating, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemon zest, mint, roast pork, smoke, green tea, hints of leather. 
Finish: Long. Green tea, leather, roast pork, lemon zest, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Oooh, mystery malt! Except that most people think it's Caol Ila, so not really a mystery after all. This one is sourish, with beautiful smoky roast pork notes. Not too peaty. There's something which many describe as 'flinty' but I prefer to think of as the bitterness inherent in green tea. This is wonderful stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Caol Ila 14 yo Cask Strength

Caol Ila 14 yo Cask Strength

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Yellow gold
59.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, lemon zest, chillies, peaches, lillies, hints of fish sauce. With water, cream cheese, yoghurt, hints of thyme. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, airy, loose. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Chillies, lemon zest, lillies, soy sauce, mangoes, hints of white grapes. With water, saltier, cream, yoghurt, hints of sea salt. 
Finish: Long. Chillies, white grapes, mangoes, hints of leather. 

Comments: 

Unpeated Caol Ila, quite a rare beast. It's floral and fruity neat, quite unlike the distillery's usual output. But add water and it loses its delicate floral notes and becomes something more like the Caol Ila we all know and love - saltier, creamier, with a bit of funky seaside. Good for the novelty value, and a decent whisky in its own right.

Verdict:

I like this.