Caol Ila 10 connoisseur's choice (Gordon & macphail)

I came across this at my local bottle store while looking for something uncommon and inexpensive and couldn’t have been more delighted: at less than $60 for a named Islay IB this looked a steal. It’s bottled at a higher ABV that the official 12-year-old — my sweet spot of 46% versus the distillery’s 43% — and drawn from first-fill bourbon barrels. My recollection of the 12 is that it’s a three-star whisky — I’m happy to drink it but wouldn’t buy a bottle — so the bar for an independent bottling to outperform is relatively low in my books. And outperform it does, though not as much on the second tasting as it did on the first. My initial impression of the nose on first pour was a musty, seductive mix of mulch and dried figs. But the dominant note was much different on a subsequent night, when I was struck most by the aromas of green apples. More consistently, it’s light and creamy on first sip, with pears emerging mid-palette followed by a bite of freshly sanded wood. The long finish recalled fizzy cola bottles (see Proust’s Reference Book of Olde British Sweets) on the first tasting, though the woody note was more dominant on the return visit. I’d have rated this four stars on the strength of the initial tasting, but docked it a half mark for the slightly sour bite of the finish in the repeat tasting. My guess is that a combination of a slightly overactive first-fill barrel and a hint of youthfulness on the spirit have thrown the finish a little off balance, but overall it’s a fine whisky for the price and a good combination of fruit and peat for a summer Islay. It's a buy at $60, so rounding up the rating to four stars.

My third and final selection from my recent visit to the Flatiron Room in NYC. The Flatiron Room is well organized. Unike some whiskey bars I've visited, the requested bottle is always located, even when the staff have to climb ladders and crawl through the eves. But in this case, it took about 10 minutes and some consultation before our server found the bottle. "This one isn't frequently ordered," he said. For those who do order this whisky, an interesting and enjoyable dram awaits. Interesting, because I would not not have guessed it was Caol Ila had I been served it blind. While it's not radically different, the meaty, barbeque peat note that I find to be the signature of the 12 and 18 is not center stage. There's plenty of peat - more than the 12 or 18 - but it's a stronger smokier peat reminiscent of Lagavulin. Enjoyable, because a complex array of flavors accompany the peat, including prominent vanilla, some lemon custard, apple and earthiness. Notwithstanding the strength if the peat, I found it to be a significantly brighter version of Caol Ila. I haven't explored independent Scotch bottlers in depth, but this dram provides a compelling case for doing so. It is both a very nice whisky and a significant variation from it's well known siblings.

Disappointing. I expected more of EVERYTHING. Drab. Too expensive for what it is. Buy the Caol Ila 12. So much better UPDATE: let it sit for several months and tried again. Vast improvement. Sometimes you gotta let it sit. Add a star!

Medicines, peat, seaweed