The Whisky Change has an countless stream of attention-grabbing exclusives. Not too long ago this Caol Ila 2014 landed on our desk. It’s a single hogshead, bottled after 7 years of maturation.
Caol Ila 7 yo 2014 (59,1%, The Whisky Change 2021, hogshead #311507, 251 btl.)
Nostril: somewhat full and meaty. Campfire smoke and steak on a smouldering barbecue. Some iodine and liquorice. Then traditional maritime notes, oak char, moist plaster and buttery notes. Pilsner too. Beneath there’s some inexperienced apple and pastry sweetness. A deviation from the crisp and crystal-clear profile we’ve come to anticipate from younger Caol Ila, however attention-grabbing nonetheless.
Mouth: above-average peat ranges and medicinal notes for Caol Ila. That is fairly intense and highly effective. However it reveals loads of depth too, with extra of those barbecue notes, deep wooden smoke and good hints of darkish chocolate. Then warming ginger and black peppercorns, burnt citrus peels, in addition to some vegetal hints. In the long run some oaky grip.
End: lengthy, spicy, with pepper, lemon and a chalky word.
A heavier model of Caol Ila. One for the true peatheads, I’d say. Whereas I wasn’t the most important fan of the cumbersome nostril, it undoubtedly impresses on the palate. Out there from The Whisky Change.
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