Review by: The Muskox
…and we’re live!
There are so many young Caol Ilas out there. It makes sense – Caol Ila is the largest distillery on Islay, with the most and cheapest casks, so when a bottler wants to put out some peated whisky, that’s the easiest choice. Young Caol Ila also has a pretty consistent flavour profile from cask to cask, so there’s a low risk that a cask will randomly suck, but they all tend to taste more or less the same. Let’s see if the Thompson Bros. have found an interesting one.
Distillery: Caol Ila
Bottler: Thompson Bros.
Region: Islay
ABV: 57%. Cask Strength.
Age: 8 years. Distilled in 2013. Bottled in 2019.
Cask type: Oak cask (unknown).
Price: $49.99 at K&L Wines.
Color: 0.6, Old Gold. Natural Color. Non-Chill Filtered.
Nose: Smoky but surprisingly sweet and fruity. Ripe banana, baked apples, peaches, honeydew, and sappy nectar-filled tropical flowers. Hot asphalt. Tangy vegetal notes of whole-grain mustard, green olive brine, artichoke hearts, and fennel fronds.
Palate: Thick and oily texture. Arrives with sweet-tart citrus fruit, banana, flaming pineapple, clover honey, and salted butter. Carbolic smoke as billows as the whisky develops: soot, asphalt, and tar. Black pepper, brine, and spearmint on the back end.
Finish: Lingering carbolic smoke. Burnt ends, charred hardwood, buttered lobster. Green apples, green olives, green bananas, and grapefruit. Honey and Vap-O-Rub.
Possible SMWS bottling name: “Flaming pineapple pit”
Conclusion: That’s a tasty Caol Ila! It started out rather one note, with that intense sooty peat smoke really dominating. It took some time for the herbal and citrusy complexities to emerge. The interesting mix of flavours here lead to a slightly different experience than the usual young Caol Ila. I’d say this is worth checking out. Especially at the price.
Final Score: 83.
Other MaltRunners scores for this whisky:
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.
Malt Runners 
