Advent 2022 #17 - Caol Ila 9 2009 The Whisky Exchange

I picked this up quite a while ago by now back when I still thought it was feasible and practical to try all but the most exclusive expressions from Islay distilleries. Now that I’ve long since realized that ambition is pretty pie in the sky, it got put into the Advent sample pool and turned up today. IB Caol Ilas right around 10 years old are typically excellent in my experience, so let’s see if this continues that.

Caol Ila 9, 2009 Vintage, The Whisky Exchange, Islay Single Malt, 58.7% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2009 and matured in a Gonzalezz & Byass Sherry cask numbered 316103 for 9 years and bottled in 2019 as part of the ‘Magic of the Cask’ series yielding 308 bottles. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Chestnut, Oloroso Sherry; 1.2.

Nose: Musty, smoke, ash. It’s got a sharpness that I almost want to call plasticy, but don’t want to suggest it actually smells of plastic.

Taste: Mustier, hints of tart fruit behind an earthy smoke.

Finish: Similar mustiness and smoke. Long.

Guess: A young Caol Ila, though Triple Wood wouldn’t surprise me, but I think I’m right.

Cool, I got this one pretty well. Unfortunately, the remaining drams in the pool are ones which I think I know are in there. Fortunately, if memory serves most of the rest of this calendar can be real bangers. This is a nice whisky. I wouldn’t call it ‘excellent’ but it does continue the trend of Caol Ilas around this old being enjoyable. Glad to see that from a Sherry cask, as bourbon casks have been the ones that really made that impression on me. The nose is the best, and the finish is greatly lengthened by the ABV, and other than being a little burny if you really sniff hard the ABV really only contributes that benefit without any other baggage that can sometimes accompany a higher ABV.

Score: 83