Caol Ila 2008, The Whisky Jury

If our friends ever need someone who would do cask numbers that do not sound like the names of Star Wars droids, I’m their man. Colour: straw. Nose: yay brake fluid and mown lawn upfront, then sunflower oil and green bananas. And then the expected oysters, lemons, seaweed and ashes. Yay. With water: more bread, smoky husk, green almonds, putty… That’s always very nice.

 

Mouth (neat): a sweeter one indeed, with a few rooty notes too (gentian), more green bananas, limoncello, seawater, grass smoke. With water: herbs and saps coming in, that’s a treat too. Oils and waxes too. How old is this one? Wait, 2020 minus 2008, that’s well 25! Finish: long, firm, drier, and really very salty. This feeling of having swallowed seawater.

 

Comments: the most complex and ‘mature’ this far. Doesn’t feel twelve or eleven, neither does it feel ‘botoxed with oak’. Well done jury.

SGP:557 - 90 points.

Nose: a combination of fresh linen, lots of cold ashes, apple peelings, sea spray and oysters. Fresh lemons, hints of sweet pear in the background. A light minty and antiseptic note. Such precision really.

 

Mouth: starts with the kind of sharpness that you get in young Port Ellen (brine, lemons, tense earthy notes) mixed with rounder fruitiness (sweeter lemon, mandarin). Touches of salted almonds. Soft honey. Then back to kippers, diesel and kelp. Always with this slightly green, ashy style of peat. A vivid, youthful spirit but certainly not underage.

 

Finish: long, with clean peat, a hint of lime, pepper and brine. As pure as they get: simply a great distillate and a good selection. Originally around € 95 but as I said, we’re too late for this one. You might want to keep an eye out on upcoming releases. Check The Whisky Jury for retailers.