Caol Ila 18 Year (2017 Special Release)

This was an instant purchase. It's rare to find a limited release from 2017, no matter what the distillery. Unpeated Caol Ila also sounded interesting. I know this is the stuff they generally blend into Johnny Walker. 18 years old and cask strength for $100? Absolute no-brainer. Nose: Hot. Even for a 59.8% ABV malt. An absolute blaze of cinnamon red hots and sulfur, with some baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove.) This dissipates greatly with time in the glass and the other notes become detectable. Behind that there's some toffee, malt, honey, butterscotch, and vanilla. There's a sweet bready note like croissant or soda bread. Squeezed lime, orange peel, cucumber, and maybe even some agave. Floral and oaky. Initially, it was way too hot. But given some time, it's actually pretty damn pleasant. Palate: Floral and fruity in the way that Highland malts often are. Apple, pear, and apricot lead the way. Some plum and blackberry as well. Salted caramel, toffee, cola, and butterscotch. The citrus is all orange and clementine now. And heaps of sea salt. Typically, I only pick that up in peated malts. This joins the Old Pulteneys as the only other Scotches that feature that note. Fantastic palate. Finish: More fruit. Apple, pear, apricot, plum, blackberry. It's a nice continuation of the palate there. More of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove baking spice notes. Salted caramel and sea salt mixed in. Toss in a little sun-dried tomato. Long finish, as you'd expect of a gargantuan whisky like this. 59.8% hits like a truck, and in the best way possible. Fair warning, give this its due time to settle. It starts off a bit rough around the edges, but blossoms into one of the most delicious and unique whiskies I've ever had. It starts off hot as hell, but time transforms this into a whisky that has no comparison. I try not to throw 5-star ratings around frivolously. This one earns that by being completely unlike anything I've ever had, in the best way possible. This is a generational-whisky. It fully encompasses the full range of Scotch. It plays the role of a remarkably nuanced Islay and an unbelievably dense and enjoyable mainland malt. You really get the best of both worlds with this one. And for the low entry price of a C-note? I can barely get a mediocre 18-year old for this cheap. And this blows the competition out of the water. I think I've said enough. If you like whisky, buy this on sight. And if you've ever viewed Caol Ila as a mere blended Scotch contributor, forget that, This is the real deal.

OK finishing my stock of the unpeated Caol Ila's - until I find more. Nose - this one is complex. it's the salted caramels and vanilla's for sure. But there's something else going on. I get some fruity character which the box has me convinced now is strawberry. Oak is only on the very very back end and so subtle. Taste - Berries, soft sweetness, intense, man. Lets go in for another taste. It's strawberries, salt, and a sweet base that is like a toasted neutral bready note. Water brings forward some vanilla and cream but I'm still missing something on the sweet front. This drinks far under the 59.8% abv while still having so much intense flavor and such a creamy mouth feel. Caol Ila 18 is still a bold and over powering high abv dram like the 15, but it's such a nicer and softer and just better whisky. None of these Caol Ila's are overly complex but instead are over whelming in their intensity and down right great flavors. The 18 uses just american oak vs the 15 using american and european. Perhaps that's what keeps this one so much more enjoyable vs the overly harsh notes of the 15. I'd like more complexity here or just a better overall profile, but none the less great whisky. 3.75 due to how high quality this is. the price at 125 is ideal given 18 years and cask strength while being clearly not the highest quality casks and being a bit of an experiment. I will buy another if they're around for some time.

Bewildering to find yourself with a Caol Ila with such a gentle, herbaceous and fruity nose. Warm and inviting, with vanilla cream cake, fruit (mango, peach, kiwi), fresh flowers, cut grass. Slight hint of wet wood in the background. If you couldn't feel it on the nose, on the palate the alcoholic power is explosive, a cannonade of burning shortcrust pastry which you have to get used to, giving space just to the citrus notes with vanilla and cinnamon. Generally refractory to the addition of water, I find myself having to do it for the really important aggressiveness of alcohol, being rewarded by a broadening of the aromatic horizon, with the release of ripe fruit (peach and banana), malt, custard and licorice. There is an impression, really little more than an impression, of peat in the background. Long finish, with cream cake, licorice, wood and always that idea of ​​peat. If it weren't for the uncentered alcoholic content, I would have given it a few more points: if the bottler chooses a certain alcoholic strength for their own whisky, that's what I have to deal with to understand whether or not it meets my taste, having to add water for me is a malus. However, it remains an unusual and pleasant drink, a "fake highlander" who cannot completely hide its true identity.

Neat: Nose: Very shy on the initial nose. There is a hint of barley and vanilla but that's basically it. Palate: Big arrival with then toasted barley that takes you on a journey with some salt, big honey notes and certain sour notes. The finish is long, very pleasant and has an oaky butter quality to it. With water: Nose: The whisky opens up with a splash if water. Some floral and herbal notes appear together with a little caramel smell. Palate: The taste stays very much in tact but gains in volume and punch. There is just a little smokiness coming through the mid palate and a dryness usually associated with peated whiskys. If you add more water the whiskys loses some of its complexity, gets sweeter but also more alcoholic. In summary it gets younger the more water you add. In summary: Its a well matured bourbon CS whisky. It tolerates quite some water but probably has its sweet spot around 50% ABV where both nose and palate are interesting. I miss the bold honey notes from previous expressions but still nice to play with. (82/100) The price is a little bit too high. I prefer the Loch Lomond 17 much more.

Unpeated Caol Ila?! Is this possible? Well, let’s find out. Trying it neat first. Nose: the light smoke and briny smell hit the nose first and then it evolved into salted caramel with charred oak, the vanilla slowly but surely came through with dried fruits hanging at the back, hmmm fragrant and fantastic smell! Palate: surprisingly light and fruity to start out with, then bang the pepper and heat came with tender sweetness. Finish: long, citrus, vanilla, smoky and trace of bitter. Several drops of water later... More creamier and fruity, sweeter also on the nose. Noticeably sweeter, bitter honey and oakier on palate. 95 on the nose easily, such such wonderful nose! The not so complex palate seems a little bit lacking compared to the nose. Overall a fantastic dram. Did I mention the price?? $100 USD for a bottle, such a bargain! Highly impressive unpeated Caol Ila release!

Nose - (w/o water) Bit hot, sharp sweet apple juice, honey (w/ water) less heat, but otherwise the same Taste - (w/o water) Bit thin, drying mouthfeel, white pepper heat, dark fruity honey (w/ water) Less drying, more balanced dark honey, more apple notes Finish - (w/o water) Mouth drying, dark honey, white pepper heat (w/ water) Less drying, light heat, fruity honey Score - 75/100 Final Thoughts - As I expected, it's a slightly better version of their standard peated 12 year offering. This is more down my alley as it's unpeated, but it's still very much one-dimensional although the extra 6 years is apparent in that it has a lot better mouthfeel. It feels like the sweetness is more refined, a bit darker honey, but still very one-dimensional. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No