Oh. My. God. On our whisky journey, there eventually comes a moment where we instantly realize: this is it. The one Single Malt we have always been looking for. Caol Ila 30 is the crown of the distillery's OB (bottle no. 0181, 55.1% ABV). Smoldering bonfire smoke, distant citrus fruits and notes of an old, earthy salt cellar enchant the nose. On the palate, the sweet and sour arrival migrates towards vegetal peatiness with well-balanced, mildly bitter wood spices. And the finish? Excellent. Intense, aromatic and slowly abating. Dare I say perfect? Slàinte!

RATING: 5.0/5.0 stars ≙ 95 pts → PERFECT

[May, 2017] I had this dram during the First Annual Caol Ila Feis Ile Dinner (yes, this was the official name of it!) at the Ballygrant's Inn. And I did it head-to-head versus the 30-years old (WB id 58218).

Colour: Both have the same colour of old gold (yes, Diageo uses caramel to fix it that way). The texture of the 25y shows some fast fat legs and late sticky tears. The 30y shows early but very small tears and some late slow legs and fat tears.

Nose: The 25y offers this adorable sweet and strong phenolic profile with maritime aromas that I adore, one to sniff for hours. The nose of the 30y is more subtle but on the same profile. Hard to say which one is better - the 30y is more complex and delicate while the 25y is more powerful and impressive. Finally I opt for the 30y.

Mouthfeel: The 30y instantly coats the whole of the mouth with a slightly peppery feeling but without any distracting (bitter or drying) moments. That is really good! Surprisingly the 25y is smoother than the 30y on the mouthfeel but at least as much coating.

Taste: A very mellow and complex sweet-peaty-phenolic-maritime profile on the 25y that is multi-layered, really excellent. The 30y counters this with more punchiness (surprisingly) and a greater complexity of flavours adding more spicy and malty aromas to it than the 25y. But again I like the 25y a little better (on a very high level).

Finish: Both are very long with the 30y vanishing in several waves without any distracting notes. Close to perfection it is (remember Yota)! The 25y finishes a little shorter (just long, not very long...), but again without any flaws or off-notes. This round wins the 30y year old.

Water is not needed on both (it does not really harm and smoothen the drams even further, but it takes away some power, too). I am really blown away by the high quality of both drams, the only flaw is the drinker-unfriendly price tag choosen by Diageo for the 30 year old. I am willing to pay as much as 250 Euro for the 30 year old - but not a single Cent more!

I get a bit homesick, tasting this. I wanna go bck to Islay. Wouldn’t you? This Caol Ila is simply perfect. Thanks for the huge sample, Jan!

A great old Caol Ila, who does not punch one's age with tart wood notes on the tongue. Fantastic balance.

A wonderful sample from Slàinte Mhath.
Spent almost 30 minutes just nosing.
The finish is exceptionally lipsmacking.

For me, the spearhead on Caol Ila bottlings. As much as Diageo is suspended from the UBs in the Core Range, so much do they show that they are capable of satisfying the Malthead. And how! The malt is complex and versatile, but not too restless in the mouth and nose. The nose is absolutely great and invites you to spend hours smelling. For me, Caol Ila in the age group often build in the mouth - but this bottling holds the level. For me this best bottling after the renovation I was allowed to taste so far. I would like it more often if there was no price tag with "500" on it.

Balance (23) Madly delicious Kuila ... tender and affectionate ... I'm in love (92)

This is a very good example of a successful Bourbon Maturation, although I honestly have to admit that I've just used the rest in my glass as a supporter of a 1988 Sherry Butt in the warehouse. He was just two classes better and would have made with this release the optimal Nosing Kit.

a very complex and complex Caol Ila, pure very strong, sharp and wild for old age, with very little water but quickly tamed and even more complex. Really great. However, I have to admit that I already had some single cask UA Caol Ilas who offered a similarly high level for far less money. Nevertheless, a great stuff!