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Dwelling
Hundreds 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 (nearly) every day tastings. Santé! |
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August 8, 2022
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The twentieth Anniversary Classes,
in the present day some relatively excessive older Caol Ila
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Caol Ila is #1 at little WF, as we have written notes for extra Caol Ilas than for every other manufacturers, together with Bowmore (#2) and Highland Park (#3), while former leaders Ardbeg and Macallan have now fallen far behind. At the moment we’ll have just a few extra Caol Ila, however solely particular previous ones. Thoughts you, we had stated this is able to be a celebratory session!
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Caol Ila 23 yo 1996/2020 (50.1%, OB, Casks of Distinction for Garreth Christopher, 1st fill European Oak, cask #19339, 576 bottles) 
Not too positive about what’s ‘1st fill European Oak’, however there. Do they cooper virgin European oak? Was it a barrique? Color: amber with reddish hues, which suggests new oak certainly. Nostril: it’s comparatively gentle, certainly fashionable, with maybe extra oak than distillate (pinewood, vanilla, eucalyptus, important oils) and a tar plus candied citrus combo that is working effectively. No crabs and no oysters, although, the Sound of Islay is way away. With water: tarmac, beef jerky, cabinetmaker’s workshop, menthol drops and pure rubber. Oh and eucalyptus. Mouth (neat): far more oomph on the palate, even when it stays concoctiony. Extra candied citrus, lemon liqueur, heavy honey (chestnut), molasses, liqueurs… As soon as once more the distillate’s been buried a wee bit, however water might assist. With water: not likely, it is shifting in the direction of goodies, skinny mints, etcetera. End: similar. It is completely glorious, it is simply that we’re removed from any form of smoky coastalness. Feedback: very heavy child, deeply oaked. We have tried some related makes that had been bottled like thirty 12 months earlier and that have been nonetheless displaying some Caol Ila knack (Intertrade, Sestante…) Effectively I imagine cellaring is the reply. Bury them and preserve them for the subsequent era.
SGP:565 – 86 factors. |
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Caol Ila 36 yo 1984/2020 (53.1%, Kingsbury’s for Auld Alliance and Membership Qing, butt, cask #2752) 
Do not forget that to us seasoned whisky lovers, 1984 is like ten years in the past. And we have got this unusual feeling… Color: brownish honey. Nostril: types usually are not that totally different, however in actual fact that is utterly totally different, with a distillate that is nonetheless having the higher hand, some freshness, some coastal notes, embrocations, massive miso, hoisin, smoked ham, umami, marmite, sundried fish, camphor… With water: completely umami-y, extraordinarily savoury, with dominant osmazôme (do not hassle, a French factor). Mouth (neat): you’d nearly imagine we’re having some previous Jamaican rum in our glasses, one which was aged within the tropics at that, as that is additionally fairly closely oaky, mentholated and piney. Paint and putty, salt, plasticine and wakame. Undecided little CI is having a lot say on this context. With water: water thickens it, however makes it additionally extra complicated, bitter for positive but in addition stuffed with tiny herbs and ointments. Unicum, Jägermeister and Underberg usually are not too far-off. End: extraordinarily lengthy, grassy, bitter, peppery, natural. A great deal of bitter chocolate within the aftertaste. Feedback: really a spectacular fighter, so not a dram that’ll go away you unhurt.
SGP:275 – 88 factors. |
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Caol Ila 35 yo 1982/2017 (53.6%, Cadenhead, Single Cask, bourbon hogshead, 156 bottles) 
Exactly, there had been one other 1982 by Cadenhead that had been bottled for The Auld Alliance in Singapore, and that is been simply completely beautiful (WF 93). Color: gentle gold. Nostril: we breathe! Freshness, seawater, oysters, sea breeze, contemporary almonds, lemongrass, clams, urchins, crabs, winkles, whelks, cockles (I feel they obtained the thought, S.). And lemons. With water: wool, new jumper, the vegetable part on the Spar in Bowmore, new magazines (why not The Ileach!) and brake fluid. Mouth (neat): beautiful Atlanticness, lemons, seafood, flints, coaltar and salty sorrel soup. Roughly that. With water: etcetera. Langoustines with mayonnaise and a glass of riesling (why a glass, S.?) End: lengthy and aerial. You’d by no means say it is 35, and but it is obtained the complexity of a 35 yo. Go determine. Feedback: freshness over stuffiness, nevertheless spectacular or complicated, anytime.
SGP:565 – 91 factors. |
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Not too positive about this session. We’ll do one other very giant CI session quickly, this time with many contemporary fighters, however why not give this each other probability…
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Caol Ila 31 yo 1990/2022 (45.6%, Whisky Concerto, Cask Le Sens, hogshead, cask #13132, 173 bottles)
Love these minimalist labels. Color: white wine. Nostril: proper, there are some beautiful, legendary exceptions certainly, however usually, I say steer clear of something that is each closely peated and sherried. Which is precisely not the case right here, as that is as contemporary as a child’s bum, barely acetic (muscadet) and only a good match in case your purpose is to wolf down round thirty-six oysters inside half an hour. Simply an instance, naturally. Mouth: we already knew these batches have been terrific, so no shock right here. Effectively it could be a notch candy (citron liqueur) however we’re splitting hairs as soon as extra, that is good. Refill hogsheads or barrels, or nothing! Some fantastic bitter almonds, which could be very ‘previous CI’. This smoked salmon too, by the best way, and cough syrup (with eucalyptus). End: medium and really contemporary. Deliver this down to fifteen°C and you will down a bottle very quickly. That was not a phrase of recommendation, relatively a warning. Saltier aftertaste, with a contact of rubber. Feedback: a basic, unquestionable fashion.
SGP:565 – 90 factors. |
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Caol Ila 1974/1989 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail for Meregalli Giuseppe)
Solely 40% vol. however a superb instantly post-extension classic (so one of many first ‘new’ Caol Ilas). Effectively, it was not fairly an extension, they rebuilt the Distillery utterly. There was additionally a Connoisseurs Selection that was actually glorious, could possibly be that this Meregalli was one in every of these, solely bearing a bespoke label. Color: straw. Nostril: totally different from the pre-1972 vintages within the sense that it will be much less on ‘an previous pile of coal and tar’ and relatively extra on ‘pristine oysters and camphor’. These bottles have been deemed just a little fragile however I imagine that now that they may breathe and develop for just a few many years, they’ve develop into superbly complicated. Carbon paper, magazines, clams, ink, seaweed, previous ropes, previous boat, all that with touches of citrus within the background. Very, very pretty and contemporary as effectively, let’s solely hope it didn’t get weakish on the palate… Mouth: in no way. It isn’t massive, nevertheless it’s stored its principal singing flavours, particularly tarry oysters and the make’s trademark salty ashes. End: astonishingly lengthy, manzanilla-y, ashy, tarry, salty, with only a dusty contact and a drop of kirsch within the aftertaste. Good mud, in actual fact, or relatively cigar ashes. Additionally smoked almonds. Feedback: I’ve tried this earlier than – by no means wrote any notes – and actually, I imagine it improved in glass. It is also good to see that they did not want lengthy to realize quasi-perfection after that they had constructed the brand new Distillery.
SGP:466 – 91 factors. |
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Cheers! As I stated, we’ll have many youthful CIs quickly, however little WF will first go on vacation for just a few days.
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