Caol Ila with a different touch of what I have tasted – and I love it.
Right after I opened this bottle of Caol Ila from Golden Drops who has it as an Independent bottler, I tasted some bitterness and my expectations lowered, actually I was a little disappointed -BUT! after some patience I was rewarded.
So my first advise is; Buy the bottle!
Next advice is; Open it, pour a dram and have patience with the first sip a least 20 min.
I do not recall ever having referred to a scent of tomato sauce in a whisky but that was one of these experiences I got. A lovely thick well spiced tomato sauce ready to be poured over a bowl of steaming hot spaghetti. Another scent that surprised me was what I will recall as Marmite – Yes the food spread made from yeast extract. Oh well it is a by-product of beer brewing and high i vitamins ๐
It is this meatiness that for me makes a difference and that it brings other aromas into the picture than other more streamlined whiskies.
It started in a ex-bourbon cask and finished in a first-fill oloroso sherry cask for 2 years. The sherry is not over powering and mingles perfect with the peat smoked barley from Caol Ila and the sweetness from the American oak wood.
So if you like Caol Ila and want a unik Caol Ila taste you need to visit Golden Drops to get your bottle. Only 287 bottle were sendt to the marked – and Golden Drops have them all.
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๐ฟ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ง๐ฎ: Caol Ila
๐ฝ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ง: Cask 88 for Golden Drops Exclusive Spirits
๐๐๐ข๐: Single Cask – 8 Years Old – Cask Strength
๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐: Single Malt
๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ: Scotland – Islay
๐ผ๐๐: 8 Years old
๐ผ๐ก๐ %: 57,2
๐พ๐๐จ๐ ๐จ: Ex-Bourbon hogshead (2012-2018) and Finished in 1st Fill Oloroso cask for 24 months (Nov 2018 – Nov 2020)
๐ฝ๐๐ฉ๐๐: Cask No.: 325872
๐พ๐๐๐ก๐ก-๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐: No
๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ก๐ค๐ช๐ง: Yes
๐ฟ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฃ: September 17th 2012
๐ฝ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฃ: November 2nd 2020
๐๐๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐: Only 287 bottles
๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐: โฌ 93,-
๐ ผ๐ ๐๐ ฐ๐๐๐ ธ๐ ฝ๐ ถ ๐ ฝ๐ พ๐๐ ด๐
๐: Thick Ashy peat, tomato sauce, sweet marmit, hints of green grass, tobacco leafs, slight coconut, grilled pineapples – maybe on the burnt side, butter
๐: Creamy and dry, smoke notes are meaty, some dry grass, vanilla, a little ripe banana peel, blooming apple flowers, a touch of sea salt.
๐: Medium to long. Actually some of the smoke notes keep hanging for quite a long time. The smoke notes are tar ashy, umami and peppery with a nice tinkle on the front of the tongue. Just a little wood feel after some time. A touch of sherry.
I added ยฝ teaspoon water – after all it is 57,2% and it calmes down a little, not that it needs it in my opinion. On the nose it becomes more medicinal but it keeps the lovely saucy meatyness in both nose and taste. The taste mellows in the smoke and open more of the grassy and wood notes.
๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฎ: ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (5/6)
I really enjoy Caol Ila and this one has given me a new angle on what Caol Ila can do. Nice sweetness from the years in the ex-bourbon cask and a spicy touch, dryness and fruitiness from the sherry cask. A really fine combination.
๐ ผ๐ ๐๐ ฐ๐๐ ธ๐ ฝ๐ ถ ๐๐๐๐๐ ด๐ ผ
๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ – ๐๐ญ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฎ – ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง
๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ – ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐๐ช๐ก ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฎ – ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐
๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ – ๐๐ค๐ค๐ – ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐๐ข
๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ – ๐๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐๐ – ๐’๐ก๐ก ๐๐ค ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฎ
๐ฅ๐ฅ – ๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐๐ช๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐, ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ค ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ
๐ฅ – ๐๐๐ฉ’๐จ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ