Review by: The Muskox

Indie-bottled Caol Ila is plentiful, inexpensive, and very rarely bad. Its only “flaw” is that many of the bottlings taste nearly the same, and standout whiskies that surpass “very good” are somewhat rare (I suppose this is a result of the distillery’s focus on whisky for blends). That’s why I jumped on the chance to try one of these James Eadie bottlings. I’ve heard consistently great things about the casks of Caol Ila they’re picking, especially ones finished in choice-quality sherry casks.

---

Distillery: Caol Ila.

Bottler: James Eadie.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 56.5%. Cask strength.

Age: 11 years. Distilled October 28th 2009. Bottled in 2021.

Cask type: Finished in cask #358024, a refill Palo Cortado sherry hogshead.

Color: Light amber. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

---

Nose: Sweet, rich, and noticeably yeasty. That funk is joined by complementary funks of aged cheddar, cider vinegar, and maybe a little barnyard. Sweet-tart fruit notes of pink lemonade, crabapple cider, grapefruit, papaya, and banana. Rich sweetness of malt and brown sugar. The smoke is somewhat muted compared to the usual Caol Ila of a similar age, but there’s considerable hammy meatiness, grilled sweet corn, and a little candlestick ash.

Palate: Medium-thick texture, a little hot. Arrives very salty, with lime, papaya, caramel, and black pepper. Strongly yeasty and cheesy on the development, joined by some strong oak, charcoal, and sticky braised beef. Baking chocolate, New York cheesecake, and warm notes of, uh, pumpkin spice latte (creamy coffee + baking spices).

Finish: Medium-length, with the flavour thinning out a little. Mixed citrus peels and peach gummies. Pretzels with beer-cheese dip. Some fireplace ash and more charcoal.

---

Possible SMWS bottling name: “County fair ham sammich griddle-off”

Conclusion: This is a good one. Definitely different from the usual Caol Ila, even the usual sherry-cask Caol Ila. Those yeasty and cheesy notes are strange and delicious. It’s a little rough around the edges, and the finish comes through as a little younger than I’d like, but a cool cask nonetheless.

Final Score: 85.

---

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.