6 Caol Ilas

It's been awhile since I had a real peat-session, time to try some Caol Ila. 4 cask stregts, one un-peated, 3 OB's and 3 IB's. A well mixed bunch. I've been looking forward to this one. I must mention I had a wee drop of Ileach yesterday (rumours has it it's a Caol Ila), and I was pleasantly surprised.


Caol Ila 12yo 1998-2010 57.6% OB Unpeated

An unpeated version from first fill bourbon casks. Vanilla and banana? Fruit gums? What could be hidden behind this unusual Islay Expression? Smells sweet all on sweet licorice, vanilla and dark chocolate. I'd call it light even though the spirit does have a big say when smelling this one. The taste is heavy and peppery, lots of black pepper, oregano and vanilla, a bit dry too. Again, the spirit speaks up, and it calls for water. It becomes sweeter, thicker, marzipan, vanilla, lemon, more coastal now, salty, a wee hint of peat, could it come from the water? I do like this expression a lot, maybe even better than the 12yo standard CS, who knows, I guess I'll find out in a whisky or two.

Rich Caol Ila, it doesn't need peat with all these other things going on: 8


Caol Ila 18yo 43% OB

Why do you taste a whisky of only 43% right after a CS you might ask? I have no good answer other than that I think peat have a more lasting and overpowering impact on my palate than alcohol. If anyone knows any different, I'd like to hear, cause I think this is one of the things that's not discussed too often. Anyway, here's the 18yo. golden color, smells withdrawn in comparison with the unpeated one? The spirityness did some talking on the nose there. I can detect some wheat, salt and hay, not very exciting, and to me it seems even less peaty than the unpeated so far. The taste is light and peaty, now the peat does create some fuzz in this one, peppery, peaty, salty, herbal notes, sea salt, dried fish, fish stock, this one is good, yet a bit boring after the enormous unpeated one.

18 years, I wish they'd bottled it earlier to be honest: 3


Caol Ila 26yo 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask

A miniature, I don't often see Caol Ila's at this age, I'm not that rich...hahaha! But if it has developed the same way as the 18yo OB, I'm better off without them anyway. Let's not prejudge this one, for all I know it could be amazing. Ooops, I just came to realize, I've had this one before, but I can't remember my score, so why not try it again. Golden color, same as the 18yo, I hope the similarities end here. Smells massively peaty, buttery, gasoline, burnt matches, grass, black pepper and nylon. The taste is peppery and peaty, not far from the 18yo, just a little less off-notes. Maybe it needs some water. I'll give it another try bare first, after 10 more minutes, enough air now? It gets just a bit sweeter and more bitter, red onions and green unripe olives. Let's try adding water. Now it becomes lighter, but still a bit one-dimensional, and it's even thinner in taste (if u know what I mean). I'm a bit disappointed, I was hoping this one would stir up this session after the rather weak 18yo, but it shows to be like just another run of the mill light and sweet Islayer.

It surely hasn't reaped much from the cask for 26 years: 4


Caol Ila CS NAS 59.3% OB

This one should be a cracker, more peat and higher proof than the unpeated one, but again, could this be another one that is too thin in flavor and overpeated on the nose? I hope not. Pale white wine color, lightest one up until now. I'd like to compare this one to the 12yo Unpeated, as the strength aren't that much apart and they're both pretty young. It smells peaty, ashy, smoky, salted fish, dry hay, worchestershire sauce, gorgonzola picante, leather moccasins, paint. This is much more intereseting than the prior ones, but I can't compare it with the 12yo unpeated so far as they're both excellent in each of their own way. The taste is extremely peaty, ad peppery, alongside some herbs, agriculture, grassiness, leather, kindergarden erasers, it's extremely interesting, and the huge peatiness reminds me somewhat of a young Laphroaig, not perfect, by far, but this crazy unbridled style makes it too exciting to say no to.

A really wild one, first so far in this tasting: 8.5


Caol Ila 13yo 1978-1992 63.7% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask# 5347-5315 & 11553-11564

A vast array of casks have gotten into this cask strength bottling from G&M. I remember having liked most of them so far, I even threw an 8 to the youngster from Tamnavulin. I hope that the good people at Gordon & Macphail bottles only the best casks in this series, if not, we are missing out on a lot of good whisky. golden orange color, smells... well.. the peat takes all control here, peat and caramel, sweet peat? I have to taste this stuff before it becomes too excessive. The taste is so dry, so extremely dry, and peaty, the peat is kicking my tooth in, crazy stuff, but if you are a hardcore peat fan, I guess this is a close you get to God. This doesn't mean I hate it, it's rather the opposite, I love a good challenge. But that said, this one needs water, if not my palate's gonna be dried out for the evening. With a small dash of water, the dryness disappears and left is peaty licorice, sweet honey, coriander and sun-dried tomatoes. I have no idea haw they managed this cask series, but it shows that single casks can be overrated, because blending different casks while not diluting can be just as good.

Cask strength, I mean really strong: 9


Caol Ila 13yo 1980-1983 65.5% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask# 10521-10524

Second from the G&M Cask series, bottled at a crazy strength, I hope it'll be as good as the last one. Lighter color, golden without the orange hue. I have to say this although it's not tasting related, I WISH they'd start bottling the CS-series at Gordon & Macphail again. It smells too spirity, as I'm a bit afraid to taste this one. Given enough time it smells burnt, sodium, phenolic, it does need water, but I'll try without first. It's spirity beyond anything else, it needs water. After adding water, it turns into this peppery psychedelic fusion of cooked carrots, fennel and ashtray smoke. This one lacks the sweet sun-burned tomatoes thatt the 1978 had, it just aren't as deep... weird word... It just doesn't cover as much as the other one what taste is concerned.

Extreme, but not as fun as I'd thought: 4.5



Next tasting: Dufftown Distillery