This is another of those I picked up mostly just because it was available when placing an order. And it turned up to start the final third of this year’s calendar.
Caol Ila 7, 2009 Vintage, Signatory Vintage, Islay Single Malt, 57.2% ABV
Minutia: Distilled on October 13, 2009 and matured in a hogshead for 7 years and bottled on August 31, 2007 yielding 335 bottles. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.
Color: White wine; 0.1.
Nose: Smoky, funky, tarry. Smoked seafood.
Taste: Creamy, smoky vanilla, bit of spice, smoked shellfish. A sweetness tries to peek in.
Finish: Leathery smoke, white grape. Medium. After the more present part of the finish is gone, there’s a very long smoky note left over.
Guess: Octomore, X.1 or X.3 since I don’t really detect any wine influence.
Wow, this hit some notes I really associate with Octomore. Though, a young, cask strength Islay isn’t all that far off. I enjoyed this a lot, and after my last Caol Ila with a disappointing nose, it’s a relief. This reminds me of another Caol Ila from Signatory which I enjoyed so much I ended up getting two bottles. This, however, is sadly not as available as that was. It felt nice to be reminded of that Caol Ila. I’ll keep it short so as not to overshare, but lately I’ve not been terribly motivated to keep this up, but this reminded me of what I love about whisky, and I’m hoping it brings back that enthusiasm.
Score: 92
Musical Evocation: Heart – “Alone”
Here are links to the other posts from this calendar:
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