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Dwelling
1000’s of tastings,
all of the music,
all of the rambligs
and all of the enjoyable
(hopefully!)
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| Hello, that is one in every of our (virtually) every day tastings. Santé! |
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August 11, 2021
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I’ve simply seen that we have tried 698 Caol Ila to this very day. Why do not we push this to 700 and maybe somewhat greater than that? What do you say? There are such a lot of wonderful younger ones round…
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Caol Ila 9 yo 2011/2021 (46%, James Eadie, Small Batch, UK unique, recharred and refill hogsheads, 1128 bottles) 
What UK unique? Do not they have already got Boris Johnson? Joking apart, I consider I may write the word for this and provide you with a rating with out even making an attempt a single drop. No I am not bragging, they’re simply being extraordinarily per their bottlings. Color: pale white wine. Nostril: naturally, barley, grist, smoke, kelp, ashes, lemons, granny smith, gherkin brine, oysters… You simply cannot query this nostril, all you are able to do is to nod in settlement. Excellent use of rechar. Mouth: hoppla. This wee sweetness that one can discover in any Islayer by Diageo, an ideal smoke, kippers, smoked salmon, lemon liqueur, extra oysters, salt, all that at an ideal power. Oh and razorfish with somewhat garlic. No, actually. End: medium, pristine, excellent. Feedback: do we actually want any? Elegant drop.
SGP:466 – 87 factors. |
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Good, that was our #699 and let’s make our #700 a French Coal Ila. I imply, a bottling of Caol Ila for France…
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Caol Ila 9 yo 2010/2020 (46%, The Whisky Lodge, Orcines, cask #2174)
Color: very pale white wine. Nostril: effectively there are apparent similarities, however this one hasn’t acquired that ‘rechar’ roundness, which implies that it is acquired slightly extra Islay mud and uncooked lambswool, smoky porridge, apple and lemon juice, oysters, crabs, ashes, and doubtless a wee pine-iness, round crushed pine needles. Vicks VapoRub too, sandalwood… I discover it fairly complicated for its younger age, Mouth: this time it’s a notch rounder, somewhat extra on pear eau-de-vie, then again there are extra seashells, whelks and clams, oysters… And guess what else? A drop of Tabasco which can make all of it much more gastronomical. Critically, nice drop, Caol Ila being a positive wager since… across the yr 1732. Yeah proper. End: lengthy, a tad much less excellent than the James Eadie, however that may additionally add some charms. Feedback: completely wonderful, to assume that that is whisky made by computer systems. Hope Bezos won’t ever personal any distilleries (would not the faux kiln seem like a penis? Err… )
SGP:466 – 87 factors. |
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Good, we may cease right here, provided that 46% vol. is an ideal power for Caol Ila (whereas it is not for, say Auchentoshan…) However we have somewhat extra…
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Caol Ila 9 yo 2011/2021 (46%, Signatory Classic, Un-chillfiltered Assortment, hogsheads, casks #317187+317214)
One of many best mysteries of Scotch whisky is why no bottlers write ‘unchill-filtered’ in the identical method. Now this stems from some trendy dechar/rechar hogsheads, so cautious… By the best way, at all times cherished this collection. The Broras had been one thing… Color: white wine. Nostril: slightly rounder than the Orcines, whereas that may be the rechar a part of the method. Having mentioned that, no Caolilaness was misplaced, quite the opposite, there’s extra brine and ashes than in a mix of brine and ashes. Whiffs of Ikea wooden too, plywood, paint thinner, one thing oh-so barely bacterial… Did they dechar/rechar some Hampden casks? … Mouth: my how good is that this? It’s a extra resinous Caol Ila, with notes of pencil eraser, certainly bacon, gum Arabic, smoked salmon… Wonderful. It simply goes down too effectively at 46%. I am positive individuals would drink much less when all the pieces could be bottled at 60% vol. or extra! End: etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Feedback: whichever the wooden witchcraft, Caol Ila stays Caol Ila. By no means caught.
SGP:566 – 87 factors. |
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Since we’re at Signatory’s (I would like-to-fly-then-drive to Pitlochry earlier than the top of this decade!)…
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Caol Ila 9 yo 2010/2020 (59.9%, Signatory Classic, refill sherry butt, cask #316637, 665 bottles)
These ones are usually not at all times easy-easy lounge-y drams that you’d quaff whereas listening to Stan Getz… (cherished Stan Getz by the best way)… Color: darkish amber. Nostril: somewhat numbing, earthy and filled with tobacco and oyster sauce. Some leather-based some cigars, some acetone, some wooden polish… Water’s compulsory right here, I’d say. With water: proper. Teak oil, varnish, acetone once more, curry, Worcester sauce, tabasco… I suppose you get the image. Mouth (neat): most likely excellent, probably very spicy, actually oriental in a method… However sizzling. In any Indian restaurant, they might have put 3 chillies subsequent to this one within the drinks’ menu. With water: richer, honeyed, spicy, caramelly… That is virtually some form of ready-made satay sauce. End: lengthy and really spicy. Sriracha *** sauce, one thing Mexican… Available with fajitas? Feedback: a slightly mad one which’s clearly ‘worldly’. I feel I preferred the pristine U-C-F higher, however adventurous whisky of us will love this heavy concoction too. Conservatory ranking.
SGP:576 – 85 factors. |
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Let’s test some ex-ASB from G&M’s…
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Caol Ila 16 yo 2002/2019 (53.6%, Gordon & MacPhail for Whisky Warehouse, Connoisseurs Alternative, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 174 bottles)
We will at all times keep in mind the flabbergasting pre-extension CIs by G&M. Smoky whiskies not like another. Color: gold. Nostril: pure, crystalline, oily, barley-y, virtually somewhat paraffiny Caol Ila. Minimize flowers in a vase, hay, clams, somewhat white chocolate, previous flyers, magazines… Wasn’t this one a tad fragile, in actual fact? Just one solution to discover out… With water: these notes of marzipan, ink and bitter almonds which might be often slightly to be present in older CIs. Intriguing. Mouth (neat): unusual stuff on the palate. Fanta, cardboard, bubblegum, Parma violets, notes of cologne… Was it an ex-Bowmore cask? 1985? With water: how humorous certainly! I am discovering strawberry liqueur, wild raspberry eau-de-vie (king of spirits), pomegranates… It is as if fairly a number of molecules had determined to interrupt free. Ver humorous and excellent, however Caol Ila, actually? End: extra fruity voodooing. Feedback: what-the-fudge was this? How do you rating such a deviant dram? I imply, actually, raspberry spirit!
SGP:755 – 85 factors. |
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A final one earlier than we take go away of our senses…
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Caol Ila 13 yo 2007/2021 (57.7%, Cask 88, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, cask # 317318, 270 bottles) 
A Refill Bourbon Hogshead, that sounds about proper. Color: gold. Nostril: that is slightly a unadorned, acetic one, with some muscadet and a few inexperienced gooseberries, some white currants, some whiffs of tomato and even geranium leaves (nothing extreme, no worries), then the anticipated antiseptic, chalk and wool. With water: plasticine and paraffin in every single place. Rapeseed oil. Mouth (neat): further! Powerful, smoky after all, inexperienced, slightly on inexperienced vegetables and fruit than on coastal issues, and slightly somewhat fatter/oilier. With water: certainly it’s a slightly fatter Caol Ila, this time I am discovering damaged branches, tree bark, teas… It isn’t a ‘loud and clear’ Caol Ila nevertheless it positive does its job. End: I’m reminded of the primary official Caol Ila C/S. Notes of fish oil. Feedback: excellent, even when it is possibly not fairly a pristine, chiselled, high-definition Caol Ila.
SGP:455 – 84 factors. |
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(Muchas Danke Schoens to Oliver und Steffen in Germany, in addition to to Tim!)
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