An Abundance of Caol Ila Part Two


December 11, 2024

Caol Ila in Abundance, Part Two

Here we are again with a second and final batch of Caol Ila. We’re once more expecting very close scores, as Caol Ila is such a consistent and flawless malt. All of this, while keeping in mind the rather incredible and unexpected 2007 Caol Ila at only 42.4% from Cut Your Wolf Loose (WF 90).

Ad for some Rivesaltes, 1970s. Is the effect the same when you add it to a malt whisky?

Caol Ila 7 yo 2017/2024 (46%, Douglas Laing, Provenance, LMDW Foundations, Barbados rum finish, cask #DL18766)

One could gently mock this little creation, wondering why a young Caol Ila would need to be flavoured with rum in this way. But then, we remember often finding certain similarities between some ex-pot still rums and Islay’s peated malts. So perhaps it’s not such a forced marriage after all… Colour: white wine. Nose: this is a young CI with a fatter nose, slightly more rubbery, but also showing more diesel oil and olives, and consequently fewer purely coastal notes. Some lamp oil and a touch of tequila follow. Mouth: oysters with olives, lemon with mezcal, and a clearly tarry side. The salinity only grows stronger and begins to play around on your lips. Finish: I thought I might find the rounder, softer side of the rum, but no. Islay has more or less fully taken back control. Ultra-ripe pineapple notes linger in the aftertaste, though. Comments: a slightly tautological creation, as some might say, but undeniably very good. It seems as though the rum has toned down the immature edges of the baby CI a little.
SGP:566 - 85 points.

Caol Ila 17 yo 2007/2024 (54.2%, Maltbarn, sherry cask, 177 bottles)

Always those brilliant labels that remind us of our not-so-distant youth (oh yes). Colour: pale gold. Nose: this one is much more acetic at first, almost vinegary (cider vinegar), with also some impressive notes of bière de garde. Then come seawater, beach sand, oysters, apples, tar, and mercurochrome. It evolves, but not very quickly. With water: impeccable, on linseed oil and fresh paint. Mouth (neat): fruitier but also more mentholated, there’s more of an ultra-mojito vibe in this one than in the DL finished in rum. Very good, actually, with lovely bitterness too. With water: notes of bitter almonds and a hint of espresso coffee arrive. Very nicely dry. Finish: long, with plenty of ashes this time. The aftertaste remains very salty. Comments: a slight sharpness that I really like a lot.
SGP:457 - 87 points.

Caol Ila 11 yo 2013/2024 (55.4%, Lady of the Glen, Rivesaltes finish, 299 bottles)

Not particularly inspired by the Rivesaltes. The Rivesaltes appellation (1100ha) is located around Perpignan in French Catalonia, veeeery far from Islay. There are several types of Rivesaltes wines (amber, grenat, tawny, rosé…), but our Scottish friends never specify which casks they use—do they even know themselves? These are fortified sweet wines (VDN) where fermentation is stopped by adding neutral alcohol to retain some of the natural sugar. They also produce dry rancios through oxidative ageing. Colour: light gold. Nose: very fruity and sweet, reminding us of some Port Charlottes we’ve enjoyed. There’s not much room left for the distillate, let’s say. With water: a slight sulphury note, but not bothersome. Boiled Jerusalem artichokes. Mouth (neat): there’s no doubt it’s well-made, but it’s just very ‘trans’, giving the impression it could almost be a VDN fortified with an Islay peater. Now there’s an idea… With water: it navigates between the two worlds. Finish: long, trickier, ashy, sweet, and slightly sour all at once. Comments: I’m sure this slightly odd little dram has its aficionados. To each their own.
SGP:765 - 78 points.

Caol Ila 9 yo 2014/2024 (60.3%, The Whisky Exchange, The Seasons, Autumn, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #808)

Autumn? About time, as winter starts on December 21st. For once, we’re not too late… Colour: rich gold. Nose: oh, apples, ashes, fresh varnish, and equally fresh marzipan. Mozart Kugeln. And I swear I even detect hints of fresh mushrooms, just like on the label. But don’t worry, not a trace of mustiness. I really like this nose so far. With water: the varnish and almonds take centre stage, with a slightly American vibe. Of course, it’s bourbon… Mouth (neat): pow, a punch to the chin. Ultra-clean, wonderfully simple, candied lemon, ashes, smoke, an oyster, and a touch of glue. With water: the oak takes charge, but gracefully, and the candied lemon keeps it company. Finish: long, with a few spices, especially nutmeg, curry, and paprika. Smoky, of course. Comments: it’s amusing to see how a very active cask (or so it seems) can gently engage with a young peated malt. Quite a ‘creation’ (if you know what I mean). In the style of Dr. Bill.
SGP:567 - 87 points.

Caol Ila 9 yo 2015/2024 (54.9%, James Eadie, first fill amontillado European oak hogshead, cask #378487, 341 bottles)

We have fond memories of yesterday’s ex-palo cortado. I’ve always found good amontillados and the rarer palo cortados to be similar, though I haven’t drunk millions of them. Clearly, I should have tasted this one right after yesterday’s palo cortado—how embarrassing. Colour: light gold. Nose: this is much less marked by the sherry than yesterday’s, veering more towards manzanilla territory, with green apples, equally green walnuts, a hint of mustard seed, and then some salty touches that pair perfectly with this CI. It makes you wonder what comes from the whisky and what from the cask. Perfect continuum. With water: seawater, smoked fish, vin jaune. Mouth (neat): sweet Suzy, how good is this! Super salty, with the right acidity, nervy like a young colt, and packed with candied citrus. The fusion of cask and distillate is incredible, with an impressive proximity of flavours. With water: spiced and salted candied fruits. Finish: long, developing simply splendid bitterness. Comments: powerful but lighter than the palo cortado, less oxidative, just as brilliant, perhaps even a bit better. Do they produce magnums?
SGP:467 - 89 points.

Caol Ila 14 yo 2010/2024 (57%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, LMDW, oloroso sherry finish, cask #311752, 265 bottles)

Colour: amber. Nose: here we find the dry side of oloroso, somewhere between miso soup and walnut wine, carbon dust, sautéed porcini mushrooms, and then, little by little, coastal elements emerge, with shellfish and seaweed coming in waves (naturally, ha). With water: a platter of oysters with Tabasco and heavily toasted rye bread. Mouth (neat): a bit brutal, medicinal, and bitter like some old-school cough remedy, though the ethanol seems to be the main culprit. With water: indeed, our citrusy friends come to lift everything up, adding freshness and joy (don’t they?). Still, there’s a lingering sense of eucalyptus and honey cough lozenges. Finish: long and lemony. Pickled lemons and walnuts. Comments: a lot of adventure in this CI—it must have had a good fight early on during the finishing period, but the result is excellent, as expected.
SGP:466 - 87 points.

Caol Ila 12 yo 2011/2023 (50%, Hunter Laing, Old Malt Cask 25th Anniversary, manzanilla butt, 750 bottles)

These replica bottlings of the seminal Old Malt Cask series are really quite charming. Sony brought out their Walkman again too, didn’t they? As for the manzanilla cask, you can imagine how ex-ci-ted we are. Colour: pale gold. Nose: lovely, suave, with green walnuts, old apples, citron, seawater, a touch of rubber bands, and… manzanilla. Think La Gitana. With water: a beach campfire, with someone grilling sausages. Mouth (neat): some hints of spent matches at first, then a kind of walnut mustard mixed with seawater and ashes. Better than it might seem. With water: that light sulphury touch is still there, but it leads to chalk and peaty smoke. Finish: long, fairly sharp, with plenty of ashes and… personality. The sulphury note remains. Comments: quite a different beast in the end. A little odder than I would have thought but I still really like it.
SGP:356 - 83 points.

Caol Ila 11 yo 2013/2024 (48.5%, Decadent Drinks, Equinox & Solstice, second fill sherry hogshead, autumn edition)

Once again, a release for autumn, so we’re on schedule—even if it’s already -7°C outside here at WF Alsace HQ. Colour: gold. Nose: classic, rather gentle, close to the OBs, with wafts of aniseed and mint, amaretti, ripe apples, and even hints of sour cherries in alcohol. The sherry is subtle but not entirely absent. Mouth: it feels stronger than just 48.5%, quite bitter and rough, to the point where you might want to add two and a half drops of water. With water: it works perfectly. A drop of pastis in seawater and lemon juice. Excellent tension. Finish: herbal cordials, with more vegetal tension than in typical CIs. Sour cherries return as well. Comments: don’t think a reasonable bottling strength should stop you from adding water.
SGP:467 - 87 points.

Caol Ila 17 yo 2007/2024 (56%, Halcyon Spirits, cask #306807, 273 bottles)

Colour: deep gold. Nose: the cask seems to have been very active, as plenty of cake and vanilla cream come to the fore at first, followed by wet stones, cooked peas, new tyres, a few whiffs of lilies (from at least fifteen metres away), and finally more classic Caol Ila notes: seawater, shellfish, a touch of tar… With water: ashes extinguished with seawater dominate. No complaints here. Mouth (neat): excellent, powerful, compact, with pepper, candied lemon, ashes, and seaweed. With water: pepper, salt, miso soup, ashes, and tar set the tone here. Very classic, very ‘Islay’; it feels a bit like being on the island’s southern coast. Finish: long, heavily ashy, with a hint of coal tar, and lemon bringing some zestiness to the aftertaste. A very, very faint, well the faintest touch of sulphur right at the end. Comments: a truly lovely beast.
SGP:567 - 87 points.

Caol Ila 1994/2005 (43%, Jean Boyer, recoopered hogshead, 400 bottles)

A small CI we had in stock, which I wanted to bring out as a tribute to our friend Jean Marie, former head of Jean Boyer, who left us far too soon. We had never formally tasted it before. As the back label explains, these ‘recoopered’ hogsheads can display notes close to new wood, particularly coconut for American oak or vanilla for European oak. Colour: white wine. Nose: a lot of freshness after twenty years in the bottle, with whelks, almonds, candle wax, sunflower oil, soft brine, and above all, very moderate peat. It’s particularly elegant, with great gentleness – as Jean Marie was. Mouth: much livelier on the palate, starting directly on green olives, then evolving towards boat fuel and white pepper. And those old-fashioned kippers. The 43% ABV never feels ‘too low’. Finish: surprisingly long and saline, also peppery. A touch of varnish, perhaps from that ‘recoopered’ oak, then a return of those green olives we adore so much. Comments: cheerio Jean Marie, what a magnificent little Caol Ila.
SGP:566 - 87 points.

One last one, and this time we won’t pick it at random, especially after this avalanche of young Caol Ilas since yesterday. After all, we’re entering the festive season…

Caol Ila 31 yo 1983/2014 (48.7%, Signatory Vintage, hogshead, cask #5300, 248 bottles)

Colour: light gold. Nose: an ode to time, both the time spent in the cask and the time in the bottle, even if it’s just ten years. We’re treated to a rather sublime medley of syrups and herbal teas, flowers and small berries, all led by almonds and wild little black cherries. It’s an unfathomable subtlety, shaped by the interplay of molecules over the years. I’m almost certain that none of these aromas were present when this Caol Ila was, say, ten or twelve years old. In contrast, the smoke has vanished, swallowed by the whole or perhaps transmuted. You often find that in older Islay whiskies. Mouth: Oh, that’s it, game over—this is another dimension entirely. It’s brimming with minerals and herbs, oils and fats, and flavours for which we don’t even have analogies (which gives you a bit of a break, lucky you) ... Superb flavours that evoke nothing familiar, unknown substances, molecules never before tasted—possibly even a touch extra-terrestrial. In fact, some elements might remind one of the finest mezcals, and speaking of which, we really ought to do a full mezcal session on WF again—it’s been far too long. Finish: Superb vegetal and vinous freshness (think great white wines). Comments: what’s the point of resisting?
SGP:464 - 93 points.

What a beautiful illustration of the work of time on a single malt whisky! These Caol Ilas age like fine wines, except that none ever really veer off course. In fact, I think I’ve never tasted one that was truly ‘out of line,’ and that’s saying something as we edge dangerously close to 900 Caol Ilas sampled here on little Whiskyfun.
It also reminds me of that miserable little joke worth about two pennies:
“Hey Alfred, it’s been ages since I last saw you!
- I know, I told my wife I was like fine whisky, getting better with age…
- And?
- She locked me in the cellar…”
I did warn you, didn’t I?
That’s enough Caol Ila for now, but at the start of the year, we’ll surely be tasting our 900th CI.

(Thank you, Jean Marie and KC!)

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