Of course this brand-new Caol Ila is not just 1 day old. It says single malt whisky on the label so it’s rather 3 years old + 1 day. A tribute to the quality of Caol Ila’s spirit, even at such a young age.
It’s one of three new bottlings from The Whisky Jury, together with a Monymusk 1995 and Long Pond 2005 rum.
Caol Ila 3 yo 2018 ‘1 Day Old’ (52.1%, The Whisky Jury 2021, first-fill quarter cask, 152 btl.)
Nose: already well beyond new-make territories. There’s yellow apple sweetness, hints of creamy custard and charcoal smoke. Then the typical lemon / sweet grapefruit combo as well as some sea spray and beach sand. The quarter cask definitely accelerated the maturation, resulting in an uncomplicated but already nicely balanced nose.
Mouth: quite punchy and now the youth is a tad more obvious, showing a clean mezcal-like profile of lemons and ashes, sharp as a blade. It’s soon joined by vanilla, hints of olive brine, smoked fish and a hint of tar. More grapefruit, hints of iodine and pear eau-de-vie.
Finish: quite long, with salty notes, medicinal touches, ashes and a touch of ground coffee (not uncommon at a high ABV).
As a statement this is just perfect. The small cask brought this to a certain maturity in a very short timespan, without adding plain wood or losing the purity of the spirit. In fact it’s not just a good statement, it’s simply good whisky, even after one day. Great pricing as well, just under € 50. Available from today, check the list of retailers.