Caol Ila by the bucketful Part Four


November 25, 2022

Caol Ila by the bucketful, part four and hopefully last

In truth we were having a secret goal, which was to try our 800th Caol Ila before the end of the year. I think we shall succeed… In the meantime, more wine (and Caol Ila, ha)…

Caol Ila 9 yo 2013/2022 (48%, Artist Collective, LMDW, recharred wine cask, 1388 bottles)

The label's been done by painter Yanis Khannoussi, but the wine, no ideas… Colour: light gold. Nose: not so much wine, but recharring probably did offset any obvious wineyness, while we're having a rather perfect young and fresh Caol Ila under our nose, with ashes in abundance and a good basket of fresh almonds. You may add the right amount of camphor and naturally, some seawater. Mouth: a tad sour in a good way, with lemon and apple juices, a curious touch of mustard, the expected saltiness, and the no-less expected oysters. These 48% vol. always work well as far as, well, strengths are concerned. Finish: medium, very briney. More oysters, ashes and zests. Comments: were those Champagne casks? I'm asking because Champagne with oysters always works well.
SGP:556 - 86 points.

Caol Ila 11 yo 2010/2022 (59.1%, Artist Collective, LMDW, refill sherry butt, 1191 bottles)

Two butts have been used here. Right, peat and sherry, let's see… Colour: gold. Nose: hottish and rather fermentary, doughy, with the expected old walnuts and miso hiding a part of the Caol-Ilaness here. This is an intriguing nose… With water: even more old walnuts, earth, dried porcinis, menthol tobacco (Mum's Kools), whiffs of verbena and wormwood… Mouth (neat): big peppery and leafy smoke, over some thick marmalade. Some cedarwood too (or remember when we were sucking our pencils at school or elsewhere). With water: touches of leather, salty cockles, more walnuts and more marmalade and bitter oranges. Finish: long, with more marmalade (lovely in this context) and seashells. Walnuts in the aftertaste, as almost always with unsweet sherried peaters. Comments: you would have thought it would have been one of those very leathery 'sherry' peaters, but the butts behaved. This one too is excellent.
SGP:556 - 86 points.

How consistent aren't they all indeed? Let's go one, but this won't be exactly wine…

Caol Ila 2013/2022 (47.2%, Dumangin & Fils, ratafia champenois finish)

Picture of another bottling by Dumangin. Actually, the label tells us that this young Caol Ila was 'double barreled' in ratafia champenois casks. You may remember, since we've already tried a few very good whiskies that had been treated like that by the Champagne House Dumangin, that ratafia is grape must fortified with eau-de-vie such as marc de Champagne. It's an old-school apéritif that's currently gaining traction again. Colour: pale gold. Nose: once again, this seems to work, the ratafia having seemingly cooled down everything, rounded the malt off, and generated notes of the moistest panettone (since we're entering high season). In short, liquid panettone, how great is that? Also raisin rolls, the ratafia has really tamed the peater. Mouth: perhaps a little wilder, with walnut skins and leaves fighting back, green pepper, juniper and cloves, acidic coffee… Still lovely, but I liked the smoother nose better. Finish: rather long, leafy. Some raisins back in the aftertaste. Comments: using Caol Ila has probably proven a little trickier than double-maturing Bushmills, for example (WF 87).
SGP:664 - 81 points.

Caol Ila 9 yo 2012/2021 (55.3%, Thompson Bros., for The Netherlands, refill hogshead, dechar/rechar hogshead, 257 bottles)

Does the colourful seal on the label refer to Dornoch or rather to The Netherlands? Colour: straw. Nose: almost no curry, ginger or allspice here, but indeed some soft wood smoke, beyond the peat, as well as banana foam, custard and marshmallows. Al that sweetness remains under control, this is well a proper Cola Ila, with a lovely coastal freshness too. With water: it reacts very bizarrely to water. Vinegar, gherkins, fermenting fruits, a little ammonia… I find this funny! Mouth (neat): a little ginger and turmeric this time, shrimps with green peppercorn (a lovely Thai dish), barbecued bananas, caraway… And a little salt, baked oysters, drop of triple-sec… With water: no bizarre behaviours this time, rather a rounded and medicinal smoke. Pretty awesome. Finish: medium, with some kind of smoked tropical cake, or something… A drier aftertaste, perhaps flour, or tapioca. Comments: feels a little 'lab' here and there, but the lab did a perfect job. New-world methods I suppose, well, that's what's going on now…
SGP:666 - 87 points (devilish drop).

Time to have a last one (cross my heart…)

Caol Ila 16 yo 2005/2021 (56.3%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, Selected by Or Sileis, refill sherry hogshead, cask #17600501, 400 bottles)

There's been a very wonderful 2005 G&M for TWE last year (WF 90). Colour: straw. Nose: there, more proof that Caol Ila takes aging extremely well, and that 15 years represent a milestone for any given cask. All these 8, 9, 10 or even 12 are well and good, but they can't beat a 15, let alone a 16. Old ointments, bandages, almond cream, sauvignon blanc, lime juice, pine ashes, passion fruits (hey hey), oysters… Good feelings this far. With water: wool and chalk chiming in, classic and class. Mouth (neat): ooh! Salty crème brûlée and crème de menthe, the obligatory limoncello, mango chutney, smoked salmon… Better cut this story short. With water: impeccable, on smoked oysters and lemon. Finish: rather long, extremely well balanced and ultra-classic. Comments: Caol Ila as in Caol Ila, an unbeatable dream of a middle-aged peated malt whisky.
SGP:466 - 90 points.

I believe that's 32 Caol Ila altogether. No duds and a wonderful consistency, but as always, au naturel works better. My take.

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