Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Caol Ila.
Bottler: Single Cask Nation.
Region: Islay.
ABV: 57.1%.
Age: 7 years. Distilled in 2015. Bottled in 2022.
Cask type: Refill ex-bourbon barrels.
Price: $75 USD.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 7 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point.
Nose: classic lemon with minerals and soot, vanilla cake, cotton candy, smoked meats, herbaceous, a bit vegetal.
Palate: full-bodied ~ the nose follows through almost exactly with lemon, minerals and soot, a pleasing effervescence, some faint banana candy, floral notes in the background, more herbs, banana candy comes forward a bit.
Finish: medium length ~ on minerals and banana muffins.
Conclusion: I picked this up having had quite good experiences with young Caol Ila from other independent bottlers. It’s tasty for its age, and well-rounded by the refill casks. The sweeter notes, banana especially, move it closer to young Lagavulin than what I come to expect from young Caol Ila, although the two distilleries read very similarly to me. I don’t think I’d seek this one out again specifically, but it falls right in the middle of the pack of Caol Ilas I’ve tried around this age, and that’s not a bad place to be whatsoever.
Final Score: 84.
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 