Perfect

When I tried the Caol Ila 30 Year Old earlier this year – which was released in Diageo’s Special Release in 2014 – I described it as ‘perfect’ and plundered my savings account to get me a bottle. Now that Port Ellen and Brora are not part of this coveted series, another top malt had to step in. It’s this Caol Ila, currently the oldest official bottling of this Ileach.

OMG! The scent of Port Askaig with its salty breeze, rusted tools on the quay, threatening clouds in the sky, a bonfire on the beach, lemon juice and oyster sap, dark fruit, farmer’s butter, menthol, pineapple, apricot, furniture polish, wood shavings… I could go on. This has everything the 30 Year Old already boasted, but with more finesse. More delicacy. More outspoken. Magical.

Grand! While the very aromatic nose pretended some delicacy, this malt is no holds barred on the palate. Powerful, smoky, spicy, bittersweet. Lots of citrus and salted butter, but also hints of tropical fruit (think pineapple, mango, banana) and even pistachio nuts. A bitterness emerges, but makes for a good balance.

Wonderfully long finish – starts smoky, then turns sweeter and silky soft before gently fading.

I realize 750 EUR is a lot of money. A whole lot. For just one bottle of whisky. And it’s not an Auchentoshan, is it? Nevertheless, Piggy bank helped me out and I never looked back.

Nose:
Immediately after pouring strong smoke flows from the glass - a fire on the beach, which is extinguished with sea water. Wet flotsam and coal were burnt. With some time in the glass, more flavors come to the fore: berries, a smoldering cigar and citrus fruits. Apple cider mixes with algae snacks as well.
If you give the malt a further ten minutes, you will see filigree aromas, various teas (Sencha, a very earthy pu-erh, chrysanthemum), vanilla, freshly crushed black sesame seeds, menthol and mint.

Mouth: very aggressive, biting, bitter as from cocoa. I definitely need water.

Water: he can handle a lot, and it's fun to experiment with drop by drop.

Nose: diluted to about 46%, it is quite sweet, vanilla is more visible, but also tropical fruits (over ripe mango). The sweetness holds a beautiful dark chocolate and sparkling sour apple the Libra.

Mouth: a cocoa-bitter onset, but it develops very quickly to feinherber chocolate with berry filling. And then come the beautiful, classic Caol Ila notes - citrus (lime) and fresh green apples. Walnut oil, dark honey over date, lemon balm, peppermint, a pinch of salt. The smoke makes itself mineral-ashy noticeable.

The finish is very long, sweet starting and developing fresh down the throat. After a few minutes, a taste of licorice remains in the mouth.

I like him a little better than the 30yo. He is a touch flatter in the taste, but convinces me through the more complex nose. Furthermore, the great balance of the flavors convinced me.

93/100

Colour:
maisgelb
Nose:
Yes, great! Fruit flavors of lime, grapefruit and gooseberry in wet ash and stale wood. In addition also slightly flowery, maritime-mineral with brook stones, as well as with smoky BBQ, roasted ham, charcoal and soft notes of curry and turmeric. Continue with agave syrup, yellow apple, cardboard and vanilla brittle balls and almonds. Class!
Taste:
Harmonious, spicy, slightly sweetish, but also a bit thin on the tongue. Sharp smoky accents of paprika, chili, white pepper, peat and a salty sea breeze. There are also notes of coal, seaweed, wet ash, a little tar and underlaid, green apple. Tasty, but not as complex as its 30-year-old predecessor!
Finish:
Long - peaty and sweetish-fruity. Also here again with a lot of wet coal, ashes, campfire, stale wood, dried grain and honey.
Comment:
Not the fattest Caol Ila, but good!
92 points
N: 93P / G: 92P / F: 91P

Nosing: Rich and complex peat and smokiness, some lemon.

Palate:Full body, lemon and complex fruitiness , complex peat, dirt and smokiness, some spiciness during my first sip.

Finish: long lingering dirt and smokiness

Conclusion: only surpassed by the 150th anniversary 20 yo when compared with Caol ila ob I have ever tasted, one hell of a dram, way to go, Diageo.
(reviewed neat)