A Caol Ila independent bottles tasting you say? All cask strength you say? On a Monday night? Actually I'd bought tickets before I got to 'independent' in that opening.
Sure I prefer a big sherry monster, but sometimes it's nice to go for a lovely coastal walk.
Caol Ila Signatory 14yo 2009 57.1% Bourbon hogshead
Nose: sweet, not much peat, iodine, oak, vanilla, ?bourbon, apples, ?young
Palate: apple, lemon, salty bacon, sweet
Finish: salt, long, hot (smoke dies off)
8/10 I liked this (well it was Signatory). Nicely balanced, interesting, strong oak barrel influence. More than happy to have a bottle in the collection, if I needed another Caol Ila.
It came last (7th) with 6.4. So obviously other people are stupid.
Caol Ila Murray McDavid 12yo 52.3% Stout Beer Finish
Nose: sweet, formaldehyde, light peat, rashuns, boubon, fruity
Palate: dry, iodine, salty, bacon
Finish: med-long, salt
7.5/10 for me. It was different, which is always appreciated. I don't know if it worked completely. For me, the aging of beer in whisky casks works better, but yeah, pleased I tried it. Overall 6th with 7.4
Caol Ila BBR 2010 b.2023 #318377 56.4% hogshead/oloroso finish
Nose: salt bacon, sweet, blue cheese, sherry, buttermilk, caramel, ash, rubber, methylated spirits
Palate: shortbread, stone fruit, blue cheese, ginger,
Finish: medium, spicy (pimento)
6/10. Quite one dimensional and didn't work for me. Came 5th 7.69
Caol Ila Single Malts of Scotland 2011 61.2% Butt
Nose: chocolate, liquorice, salt, sweet, kinda slight
Palate: peat, smoke, sweet, salty, young? cologne
Finish: huge, salty
8-8.5 /10 This, this I liked. It's not subtle, but it is very very good. I don't think I've had anything from the Single Malts of Scotland before, but if this is indicative, they maybe worth checking out. Came 3rd with 8.11.
Caol Ila G&M 2006 1st fill 17yo Sherry puncheon
Nose: salt, rich fruit cake, sherry, yummy, metallic, iodine, sawdust
Palate: odd, salt, egg, spiced orange
Finish: bitter, hot, med-long
6/10. Not good, nose promised a lot more than actually delivered by the flavouring. And yet, it came 4th 7.7
Caol Ila Adelphi 10yo DramFest 2025 2014 54% Ex-sherry hogshead
Nose: iodine, peaty, vinegar, bring, caramel, paint stripper, sherry, charred
Palate: salt, peat, bacon, salt
Finish: dry, medium, salty
7/10 Had all the Caol Ila bits in a nicely balanced wee dram. Came 1st, 8.31
Caol Ila Blackadder Raw Cask 58.1%
Nose: honey, caramel, sherry, brine, butterscotch, chardonnay, coffee
Palate: sweet, lemons, salt, complex, dry, sherry, meaty,
Finish: med-long, hot, spicy
8.5-9/10 I really liked this. Wonderfully balanced Caol Ila which just got more interesting. It was the mystery whisky, and John (to his credit) had filtered the cask floaters out, mainly as he's a twat like that.
Came 2nd, 8.1
Great tasting, sure variety in the bottlings, but very much a tasting for the fans. Weird stuff, showing off how casks can affect flavour and why we all need independent bottlers to treasure this weirdness.
