Caol Ila 22 & 24-year-old

Caol Ila 22 and 24-year-old

In the east of Scotland’s famous peated whisky-producing region’s lies a distillery that has long been revered for its commitment to crafting exceptional Scotch whisky – Caol Ila. Nestled on the rugged shores of the Isle of Islay near Port Askaig, one of the two ferry terminals bringing thousands of visitors to Islay every year, this iconic distillery has been a beacon of peaty excellence for close to two centuries. Close, but not quite two full centuries have passed since our exploration, as we try a 24-year-old whisky released in 2021 in commemoration of their 175th Anniversary. We’ll compare it to the 22-year-old released for Fèis Ìle Festival in 2019.

Caol Ila 24-year-old 175th Anniversary Review

We start with the 24-year-old released in 2021 to celebrate Caol Ila’s 175th anniversary. The distillery did not disclose much about its conception, as we don’t know what types of casks were used nor if it is a single vintage from the end of the previous millennia. We do know, however, that just 3,000 bottles were released, filled at 52.1% ABV, without colouring nor chill filtration. Its original recommended price was £295, but it was sold out in minutes, and buying a bottle know on the secondary market or shops having kept a few bottles will definitely require fronting £450 or more (€500 or more).

Caol Ila 24-year-old 175th Anniversary

Colour:

Old gold.

Nose:

Neat: It starts with a gentle yet robust peat aroma, accompanied by pronounced maritime elements such as iodine, sea breeze, and sea-shell notes. Hints of vanilla extract, cough syrup, a fresh but unlit cigar, and citrus notes reminiscent of freshly squeezed lemon juice are also present.

With water: Adding water to the whisky softens and rounds out the nose. The wood and smoke notes become less dominant, while a saltier element becomes more prominent.

Palate:

Neat: The palate offers pronounced smokiness and woody notes, with a distinct presence of black pepper and wood. There’s a unique astringency that falls somewhere between woodiness and grapefruit, though it’s a bit challenging to pinpoint precisely. Other flavours include walnut, tobacco, dry peat, salt, and dried algae. Amidst these, tropical fruit notes emerge, primarily dominated by passion fruit with a hint of papaya.

With water: Diluting the whisky reveals flavours of smoked dark chocolate, the creamy essence reminiscent of an espresso, and a touch of olive brine.

Finish:

The finish is of medium length, characterised by smokiness and a salty undertone, with the lingering presence of that wood-induced astringency.

Comments:

While undeniably excellent, it falls slightly short of my preference for a fruitier profile. Nevertheless, the peat strikes a harmonious balance between being round and gentle whilst retaining a robust presence without overwhelming the palate. I really liked its saltiness, which gives it an additional appeal.

Rating: 87/100


Caol Ila 22-Year-Old Fèis Ìle 2019 Review

Now, let’s turn our attention to a slightly younger (in age) release, the Caol Ila 22-year-old, which made its debut at Islay’s Fèis Ìle Festival in 2019. This 22-year-old expression packs more punch compared to the 24-year-old, boasting a robust 58.7% ABV. It was matured in Sherry-treated American Oak casks and yielded a limited outturn of 3,000 bottles. As for the 24-year-old, this single malt is not chill-filtered and retains its natural colour. Initially, it was priced at a mere £130, a far cry from the current secondary market prices.

Caol Ila 22-year-old Feis Ile 2019

Colour:

Chestnut.

Nose:

Neat: Surprisingly, the nose presents itself softly, without any perceptible alcohol heat, which might lead one to assume a lower ABV. It features notes of sherry-red fruits and a gentle, warm smokiness from the peat. There are hints of embrocations and a pleasant sweetness akin to vanilla, accompanied by faint herbal nuances, perhaps reminiscent of eucalyptus, with a subtle hint of camphor.

With water: The addition of water brings out the influence of American oak, accentuating the sweetness of vanilla and honey.

Palate:

Neat: The smokiness takes centre stage here, blending seamlessly with the sherry-induced flavours of red fruits, tobacco, and a touch of wood. The mouthfeel is pleasingly thick and oily. The palate is imbued with coastal elements such as seaweed, sea salt, brine, and iodine, which complement the sherry notes exceptionally well. Additional nuances include soot, leather, smoked bacon, and a subtle herbal undertone.

With water: The introduction of water introduces citrus notes, along with a surprising chili pepperiness that imparts a welcome kick and a new dimension to the whisky’s character, catching us off guard in the most delightful way.

Finish:

The taste of burnt toast, ash, sea salt, and charred seaweed lingers on the palate for a long finish.

Comments:

I can’t recall trying a Caol Ila of this age that boasts such remarkable complexity, and it makes me really regret not being able to buy a bottle at the time. Despite being two-years younger than the 175th Anniversary release, it feels more complex, fruitier, with wonderfully integrated smoke and alcohol. A must-have I … unfortunately have not.

Rating: 91/100


Thank you Eraldo! Bottle pictures courtesy of Whiskybase.

SMWS May 2023 Virtual Festival pack

SMWS May 2023 Virtual Festival

The month of May brings with it a vibrant whisky festival season, and the SMWS (Scotch Malt Whisky Society) takes advantage of this occasion by releasing special small batches specifically crafted for these festivals. These unique releases feature larger quantities compared to their usual single casks. To ensure that a multitude of whisky enthusiasts can savour these expressions, the SMWS organises a virtual whisky tasting event. They offer a festival pack containing five samples, which participants can enjoy alongside SMWS ambassadors during an online session. Now, let’s explore the selection of five drams that the SMWS has chosen for their May 2023 Virtual Festival.

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SMWS 2022 Festivals

SMWS Whisky Festival 2022

A few weeks months ago (I’m late again to publish an article, what a surprise!), the Scotch Malt Whisky Society released a few single malts not as single casks, for once, but as small batches, small vattings of a few casks, for the different whisky festivals of the first half of 2022. For each region of Scotland, in a whisky sense, they released one or several bottlings, all of course with a higher outturn than usual. I ordered a tasting pack containing five out of the six releases, and I also bought a bottle of the sixth one, a Bowmore, so now, let’s review them all. And whilst previously it was Ainulindale reviewing SMWS bottlings, this time it’s my turn!

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Caol Ila 2010 Signatory Vintage in front of the distillery.

Caol Ila 2010 Signatory Vintage

Caol Ila, located on the world’s home of peated whisky, the Scottish island of Islay, is this island’s number one distillery in terms of capacity. Though its peated malt is one of the components of Johnnie Walker, the distillery features a full core range of single malts. But that wasn’t always the case, as until 2002, Caol Ila’s single malt would appear only in the Flora & Fauna and the Rare Malts range. But from 2002, the regular 12-and-18-year-old as well as a Cask Strength version (about 10yo) appeared, joined the next year by the 25-years-old. Since then, Moch – without an age statement – and the Distiller’s Edition, with a moscatel finish, joined the core range. But Caol Ila’s single malt is not just available on the distillery’s official bottlings, it’s also highly available to independent bottlers. Gordon & Macphail, Elixir Distillers, or like today, Signatory Vintage, have bottled dozens and dozens of casks from the distillery located in Port Askaig. And that’s what we’re going to try today, with a Caol Ila 2010 Signatory Vintage.

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The Whisky Cellar Tweet Tasting

The Whisky Cellar Tweet Tasting

A few weeks months ago, The Whisky Cellar, a quite new independent bottler, announced its second outturn, with brand new single casks for whisky amateurs to enjoy. As for the first one, back in September 2020, Keith Bonnington and Steve Rush organized a Tweet Tasting to allow a handful of lucky people to taste a selection of drams taken from this second outturn. I absolutely love the first Whisky Cellar Tweet Tasting with some stunning drams, so boy was I excited for this one…

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SMWS – August outturn tasting event at Mersea, Paris

SMWS – August outturn tasting event at Mersea, Paris

When I really got into Whisky, I had the opportunity to go on a trip to Scotland for the Spirit of Speyside festival.

We were celebrating Coldorak’s birthday and at the same time planning to enjoy Scotland and its distilleries. And boy we did.

One of the event we attended was Glen Moray’s May 4th 2019. May the fourth anyone? It was cohosted by Glen Moray and the SMWS that I didn’t know before then.

Have a look at the happy attendance

The SMWS is an independent bottler somehow atypical: it’s a club and you need to be a member if you want to partake in the goodies. It releases almost only single casks, cask strength, non chill-filtered whiskies at a very affordable price.

I was intrigued with the SMWS and it didn’t take long for me to commit myself to become a member. Fast forward to August 2019 and I finally did my first tasting session with the Parisian members at Mersea.

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