Asta Morris has just released three new bottlings:
- Caol Ila 2011 – sherry butt
- Benrinnes 2010 – sherry cask
- Glen Moray 2007 – fresh bourbon cask
I had a sneak preview and I can tell you they are true bang-for-your-buck whiskies: all in the € 50-65 price range and simply great drinking whiskies. My favourite is probably this 7 years old Caol Ila 2011.
Caol Ila 2011 (56,1%, Asta Morris 2018, sherry butt ref. AM 055, 580 btl.)
Nose: starts on bread crust and a hint of vanilla, before it goes deeper and brings out lovely tobacco notes and old leather. Light ashes. Also sweet notes: toffee, hints of fresh figs, smoked almonds. Raspberries and praline. It’s quite complex and shares some similarities with sherried Port Ellen. That’s right.
Mouth: great balance between peat and sherry again, although it appears (and is) a bit younger now. Big spirit, with a peaty bite, lemony notes, herbs, buttery toffee, chocolate and cigar leaves. Lots of ashes. Hints of coffee and roasted nuts.
If you happen to like sherried Islay whisky, then this is a no-brainer. Very warm, with a lovely nose and almost no rough edges on the palate. Around € 65, available in specialized Belgian stores.
Score: 89/100