Review by: The Muskox

Caol Ila is, in my opinion, an extremely versatile and somewhat underrated distillery. I love young Caol Ila for its freshness and brightness compared to other peated Islay whiskies, and I love old Caol Ila because… well, firstly, it’s the only old Islay whisky that’s actually affordable, but more than that, it really does age well. I had a great experience with a very similar bottling of https://maltrunners.com/2019/05/15/2250/ a couple years ago, so I was thrilled to obtain a sample of something even older.

This was the last whisky I drank before leaving for my 3-week work trip into the woods, and also the first one I drank when I got back. This review combines my notes from both tasting sessions.

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Distillery: Caol Ila.

Bottler: Cadenhead’s.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 60.1%. Cask strength.

Age: 34 years. Distilled in 1982. Bottled in 2016.

Cask type: Two ex-bourbon hogsheads.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: Dark gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Complex peat, softened by time. Not so much smoky anymore, but herbal and richly savoury. Croque Monsieur (ham/buttery/toast/gruyere), seaweed, and rock salt. Soft herbs and grass, a little medicinal, menthol and green tea. Some floral sweetness – lime sherbet, boiled sweets, and some green tropical fruits. Old books and warm wool socks. Is that… wax? Italian hard candies. Complex wood notes, a mix of exotic spices, bitter walnut, and ancient sweet caramel. The tiniest hint of lapsang.

Palate: Oily texture. Soft dried flowers and herbs on the arrival, joined by savoury old peat. Unexpectedly juicy fruit: gooseberry tangerine, nectarine, pear, and something tropical. Pleasantly acidic and seafood-salty. Dark earth, strong old oak, and dark chocolate in the middle, with strong fragrant Earl Grey tea, fragrant wood oils, and singed tobacco. Old rocks and walnuts.

Finish: Long. Old books, leather, black coffee, extra-dark chocolate. Black pepper, linseed oil, and mint. Tea and cookies. Lingering bright acidic fruit – more lime sherbet, gooseberry, orange peel, and kiwi.

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Alternate SMWS bottling name: “Teatime in the puzzle room”

Conclusion: A gorgeous dram. Elegant to the extreme, balanced but robust. The nose is one of the most complex I’ve ever encountered. There’s so much depth to the wood notes especially, which are in turn lifted up by that delightful acidity. This seems like one of those whiskies that’s technically flawless, but maybe doesn’t quite push my buttons the same way as some of the other legendary old peated drams I’ve tried. That’s maybe a bit unfair to this whisky, but at this level of tastiness there aren’t any losers.

Final Score: 91.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.