Caol Ila is always a welcome subject, especially for a head-to-head comparison. It’s easy to find similar expressions from different bottlers. Today we’re looking at Caol Ila 2007, 2010 and 2011 single casks from Maltbarn, Whisky AGE and Elixir Distillers.
Caol Ila 17 yo 2007 (54,2%, Maltbarn 2024, sherry cask, 171 btl.)
Nose: very nice, showing a lot of ashy bonfire character, along with a sour sherry note, walnuts and hints of sharp apple. Then coastal notes like seashells, wet sand and sea air. Hints of leather and linseed oil too.
Mouth: quite a robust smokiness again, slightly warmer (South coast Islay) than you’d expect from Caol Ila. Tarry notes, boat rope and burnt herbs. Then mid-palate it shows a great citrusy freshness, along with orange sweetness, hints of tobacco leaves, medicinal bitters and mild honey. Hints of liquorice and espresso as well.
Finish: long, tarry and ashy, along with salted liquorice, burnt bacon and tarry ropes.
A nice style, the sherry cask made this less crystalline than I expected. Very good though, with some additional richness and a warming layer of peat smoke. Still available from the Whiskybase shop for instance.
Caol Ila 13 yo 2010 (55,4%, Whisky AGE 2023, refill barrel #319312, 220 btl.)
Nose: the brighter and fruitier style. Rubbed lemon skins and limes, along with candied ginger, dried apple and clean smoke. Some wool, linseed oil and a hint of vanilla. Then brine, ashes and sea spray.
Mouth: very clean and fresh again. Citrus fruits with bonfire smoke and hints of sweet bacon. Candied ginger and vanilla again, along with a hint of cashew nuts and cardamom.
Finish: quite long, with warmer hints of peat smoke. Still quite rounded though, mostly on citrus fruits and vanilla.
A rather easy style of Caol Ila, with the second-fill bourbon cask adding roundness. Cleaner and less complex than the sherry cask before, but roughly on the same level. Score: 87/100
Caol Ila 12 yo 2011 (61,2%, Elixir Distillers ‘Single Malts of Scotland’ 2023, sherry butt #301634, 600 btl.)
Nose: slightly more sherried again, although it’s still cleaner than the Maltbarn version. Hints of roasted vegetables with a slightly rubbery edge, along with beach pebbles and salty smoke. Then some burnt heather and bacon, charcoal, hay and sweet hints of glazed donuts.
Mouth: sharp peat, with plenty of saline notes and smouldering Mediterranean herbs. Hints of Maggi, ashes, kippers, damp hay and a little chilli. Some alcohol burn, but it takes water well. Scorched lemon peels and grilled shellfish.
Finish: long, more umami than the others, with herbal smoke and a saline finale.
An ashy Coal Ila with plenty of intensity. There’s also an umami edge that seems to stain the pristine character a little. Score: 86/100