Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Caol Ila.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Islay.
ABV: 59.8%. Cask strength.
Age: 18 years. Bottled in 2017.
Cask type: Refill American oak casks.
Price: $120 USD.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 16 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, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: bright citrus, roses, a bit of chocolate in the background, orange zest, hay, barley sugar, sea salt, lemon, faintly chlorinated swimming pool.
Palate: big and oily, and quite hot ~ malt, iron, ozone, roses and oranges follow through from the nose, chocolate Necco wafers, more sea salt, water brings out rich cereal notes and wet rocks.
Finish: long ~ roses and oranges following through, more iron, salt, pepper, clove Necco wafers.
Conclusion: I started taking notes on this only after about six months of rest below the shoulder, because it was simply too hot to approach at the start. Once it mellowed out though, it was far more approachable and enjoyable. This is the oldest unpeated release from Caol Ila, and I find it has the same core austerity as the 2015 Special Release, which was a year younger— it trades the 17yr’s smoked cookie dough notes for roses and citrus, which echo beautifully all the way through the tasting experience. Water helps to tame down the heat, as well. It seems to be common for me with these unpeated Caol Ilas that they require a lot of time and effort to bring out their best qualities, but the potential waiting there to be unlocked is very high, and I get enough of that greatness throughout to keep me fiddling with it. It’s great whisky, and if it was easier to access that delicious focal point I might score a few points higher, but as it is I’ll keep this at par with the 17yr.
Final Score: 88.
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 