Caol Ila 2001 (Maltbarn)

No shortage of 2000s Caol Ila from independent bottlers these days. Maltbarn released a Caol 2001 a couple of weeks ago.

Caol Ila 14 yo 2001 (58,8%, Maltbarn 2015, sherry cask, 194 btl.)

Nose: slightly prickly, but nice. Clean and maritime. Grassy notes and limestone, alongside Matcha tea. Tar. A little fennel and just a hint of sweet apples.

Mouth: very powerful an to-the-point. Lemon juice (with more lemony aromatics if you add water) and heavy peat, sweet barley and raw wool. Gets more medicinal after a while, with iodine. Linseed oil. A bit of mocha as well, but that may be due to the strength.

Finish: long, peaty, briny and peppery.

Very good, clean, relatively peaty and rather straightforward Caol Ila. Alright! Around € 115.

Score: 87/100