May 14th, 2011
Douglas of Drumlanrig (distilled at Caol Ila), Cask #6616, 1985 vintage, 25 year old, 53.9%, $150
Soft and gentle (for Caol Ila, that is), thanks to the 25 years of aging. Plenty of creamy vanilla and honey to go with the malty foundation, along with coal tar, licorice root, and olive, with a hint of brine, juniper, unsweetened dark chocolate, and tobacco (cigars in a humidor?). Very nice. (A Julio’s Liquors exclusive.)
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 89
August 16th, 2010
This is to be a permanent addition to the core Caol Ila range, but it will raise a few eyebrows, completely ignoring the current peat battle between Ardbeg and Bruichladdich and heading off into an altogether more refined and delicate direction. This is a dignified and complex malt, which doesn’t give everything up immediately. There’s soft pear and guava on the nose, and the trademark oiliness and distinctive peat are there, but there’s a buttery quality, too, as well as some brine and spice, apple pip, and traces of aniseed. You get a sense of its age late on, with some oaky tannins and sharper spice, but overall this is an unhurried, complex, and sweet whisky with just enough peat to keep it honest. Very impressive. (Limited general releases, excluding the U.S.) – Dominic Roskrow
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 88
June 23rd, 2010
You’ll never see me complaining about more Caol Ila whiskies. I personally like the existing 12 yr. old better than the 18 yr. old, so what does this mean for this new 25 yr old.? We’ll see.
I’m looking forward to trying it. That I know for sure.
Press Release:
CAOL ILA – NEW, BUT OLDER
A new member of the Caol Ila™ family of single malt Scotch whiskies has been announced by Diageo.
A 25 year old single malt Scotch Whisky is now joining this highly popular and award-winning collection. Caol Ilahas been distilled on the eastern shore of Islay since 1846.
Tasters have described the 25-year-old Caol Ila (bottled at 43% ABV) as majestic, sweet, smooth, slow-burning - and with an elegant, lightly smoky profile that brings to mind the faint yet resolute outline of the distillery itself, silhouetted in the soft moonlight of a still winter’s night. Yet it is welcome as an authentic example of that Caol Ila character first seen in the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. Here are all those spicy sea-air aromas and sweet smoky-dry flavours, but with the subtlety of expression that comes only with age.
It will be the most mature member of the dynasty, standing alongside a 12 year old, an 18 year old, a natural cask strength bottling, a Distillers Edition™, and some limited edition younger expressions.
The new bottling is presented in a strengthened version of the same striking black and grey cartons as the regular series, but with a pull-off front-facing lid. The distillery looks to the east: the evening darkness falls early here at Caol Ila. So the pack image for the 25 year old hints at the vestiges of daylight fading behind Cnoc Dubh, the Black Hill behind the distillery.
The Caol Ila 25 year old will initially be available in the UK, the Nordic markets, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Japan, Taiwan and in travel retail channels in Europe.
The UK Recommended Retail Price is £135.
May 18th, 2010
I’m back. If you’re heading to the Islay Whisky Festival next week (or know someone who is), you might want to pick up a bottle of these two whiskies while you can. They look delicious!
Following the tradition of recent years, Diageo has announced that two limited-edition single cask bottlings of its Islay single malt Scotch whiskies will be sold to personal visitors only at this year’s Islay Festival of Malt and Music (22-29 May: http://www.theislayfestival.co.uk).
Diageo’s single-cask Festival bottlings are highly prized, and often sell out within the week of the Festival to the hundreds of aficionados who flock each year to this famous celebration of West Coast single malt whisky.
The 2010 bottlings will be from a Lagavulin™ cask filled in August 1994 and from a Caol Ila™ cask filled in August 1999. Both malts have been bottled at natural cask strength, and will be priced at £74.99. The bottles will be rationed to one per visitor.
The Lagavulin special bottling will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis at the distillery, starting on the distillery’s open day, Saturday 22 May. The Caol Ila bottling will be sold with effect from Monday 24 May which is the Caol Ila open day.
Billy Stitchell, long-standing distillery manager, whose family connections with Caol Ila distillery go back many generations, personally chose the Caol Ila special bottling. The Lagavulin bottling was chosen once again by warehouseman Iain McArthur, renowned among enthusiasts for his sell-out warehouse tastings.
This year’s single cask bottling of Caol Ila is taken from a European oak ex-sherry cask, which has provided just 558 70cl bottles of Single Malt Scotch Whisky at 61.9% ABV.
The Lagavulin has been drawn from a European oak cask hand-picked from stocks stored at the famous Port Ellen warehouse. This edition, bottled at 52.7% ABV, consists of 528 bottles.
Nick Morgan, Diageo’s Scotch Knowledge and Heritage Director, said: “We are pleased to acknowledge the efforts that whisky lovers from all over the world make to visit Islay each year.
“These two hand-picked single cask bottlings are both fantastic examples of Islay whiskies. And I would like to think of them being savoured and enjoyed by our guests once they have made their long journey home.
“Islay is a very special place and I think it’s wonderful to be able to take a very unique part of it home with you.”
During the Festival, a series of special events will be held at both Lagavulin and Caol Ila distilleries, including tastings with the distillery manager and warehouse demonstrations. There will be also be tours of the Port Ellen Maltings.
January 15th, 2010
One more review of the new limited edition 2009 releases (coming to the U.S.). I like this whisky very much, but not enough to put it in the 90s. (Perhaps some of you may differ with me?)
Caol Ila “unpeated”, 10 year old, 65.8%, $60
Caol Ila makes unpeated whisky for blenders, but it rarely gets bottled as a single malt. Here’s a chance to find out what Caol Ila tastes like without the smoke. Very revealing. Good viscosity and rather sweet, showing thick honeyed vanilla, gobs of fruit (lemon drops, lime tart, ripe Bartlett pear, kiwi), mint jelly and cut grass. Its sea influence finally emerges towards the finish with emerging brine and just a hint of seaweed. Interesting: Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain are now bottling peated whiskies, and Caol Ila does just the opposite. This is an interesting diversion, but I am missing the added dimension of peat smoke in this Caol Ila.
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 88
August 7th, 2009
There are some very good “Jewels of Scotland” bottlings that were bottled years ago getting into circulation here in the U.S. I reviewed a lovely brora bottling here back in April. Here are two more. This first one is an excellent Springbank. The next one is a very nice Caol Ila.
Jewels of Scotland (distilled at Springbank), 1965 vintage, 46%, $400
Bottled in 2001, but still in circulation and (fortunately) just finding its way to me. These Springers from the ‘60s are getting rarer and quite expensive. This is a great example of why they are so coveted—clean, well matured, with no signs of excessive oak. Elegant sherried fruit dovetails nicely with the polished oak and a steady stream of dried spices. Look for citrus, nectarine, red licorice, coconut oil, ripe banana, and vanilla custard with warming cinnamon and brine. Warm, spicy finish. Very polished!
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 95
Jewels of Scotland (distilled at Caol Ila), 1984 vintage, 50%, $170
Bottled in 2004 and still in circulation. Very traditional Caol Ila. Not a heavy-bodied whisky, but it throws a strong punch. Notes of tarry rope infused with seaweed and brine, all on an oily, malty, vanilla foundation. Throw in some orchard fruit, Manzanilla olive, black licorice stick and soot, with brine and Tellicherry pepper on the finish. Clean, fun and dynamic.
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 88
May 5th, 2009
Okay, I’m going for the Trifecta. Third post today. This just came in. If you’re going to the festival this year, you might want to set aside some money for these two beauties.
Here’s the press release:
To celebrate this year’s Islay Festival of Malt & Music on 23-30 May, Diageo has announced that it is issuing two special Festival editions of its Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskies. These very limited editions will be available only to personal shoppers, with a limit of one bottle per person. The natural cask-strength bottlings are: the first-ever single cask bottling of Caol Ila™ by the Distillers, in an edition of just 654 bottles; and a 14 year old expression of Lagavulin™ in a release of 660 bottles.
Full details online at: http://preview.tinyurl.com/d6on49
May 4th, 2009
Here’s a new line of Islay single malts from Specialty Drinks, an extension of The Whisky Exchange. (The bottle doesn’t tell you which distillery this whisky came from, but if you look at a map of Islay you can probably figure it out.) There’s also a cask strength expression, with no age statement. For some reason, they didn’t send me a sample of that one (fearing I wouldn’t like it?). I assume it’s a younger version.
Port Askaig, 17 year old, 45.8%, £50
I like this expression better than the more expensive 25 year old. There’s impeccable balance and more vibrancy in this 17 year old, with seaweed, smoked Spanish olive, coal soot, pencil shavings, citrus and anise, along with subtle kipper and picked ginger. All this is layered on a bed of oily, honeyed malt. Salty, peppery, sooty, tarry finish. Nicely done!
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 91
Port Askaig, 25 year old, 45.8%, £75
Still in the same vein as its 17 year old sibling reviewed above. But it’s softer, mellower, with more wood impact (especially on the nose and back end of the palate) and tea leaves. Perhaps even some mild tobacco. Darker sugars too in this one (molasses?) rather than honey. And more berried fruit along with the citrus, which struggles more to reveal itself. Dry, resinous finish. An enjoyable dram, even if the wood outstays its welcome. But if you have to pick between the two expressions, go for the 17 year old and pocket the change with a smile on your face.
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 85
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