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| MAO's bottle |
Independent Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Series: Cask Strength Collection
Series: Cask Strength Collection
Age: 12 years (August 17, 1999 - September 19, 2011)
Maturation: first fill sherry cask
Cask number: 305326
Cask number: 305326
Region: Islay
Alcohol by Volume: 61.6%
NEAT
The color is medium gold. In the nose, yep, definitely some sulphur up this sherry butt. While it's there, it's not a dealbreaker since it just provides one of many elements. There's a Fritos note, but I'm thinking that's connected to the sulphur as well. Then there's bacon, fresh plums, honey, and nutty sherry. Sounds like a party. That's followed by old sweat and urine. Sounds like a party. On the palate, the sulphur reads as struck matches, gunpowder, and rock salt. Then there's soil, ham, sneaker peat, chlorine, and cotton shirt. It goes sweet → salty. The finish has the sulphur and peat moss, chlorine and a light sweetness. After a while, a big sherry burst erupts.
WITH WATER (approx. 46% ABV)
The nose is actually very similar and keeps its vibrancy. Some more sherry, anise, dirt, and hay have crept in. The sulphur note is a lot like spent paper caps. Still has the Fritos note, which has combined with wood smoke. Also urine. The palate has changed a bit. Burnt grasses and herbs. More moss. Same gunpowder. Goes tart → peppery → sweet. Lots of hay and moss in the finish, followed by sugar and gunpowder.
With its sherry, sulphur, and peat moss this whisky reminded me of the infamous Blackadder baby Ledaig I'd opened up last August. This Caol Ila is twice as old as that one and, while still pretty zany, feels more pulled together. The sherry is much brighter, that's for sure. The palate feels flat underneath the sulphur, though water helps a little; and the finish was so-so. Overall, while the whisky's not exactly my poison, it's still very entertaining.
Availability - Might be sold out
Pricing - whiskybase says that it was 56GBP or 70euros
Rating - 82
NEAT
The color is medium gold. In the nose, yep, definitely some sulphur up this sherry butt. While it's there, it's not a dealbreaker since it just provides one of many elements. There's a Fritos note, but I'm thinking that's connected to the sulphur as well. Then there's bacon, fresh plums, honey, and nutty sherry. Sounds like a party. That's followed by old sweat and urine. Sounds like a party. On the palate, the sulphur reads as struck matches, gunpowder, and rock salt. Then there's soil, ham, sneaker peat, chlorine, and cotton shirt. It goes sweet → salty. The finish has the sulphur and peat moss, chlorine and a light sweetness. After a while, a big sherry burst erupts.
WITH WATER (approx. 46% ABV)
The nose is actually very similar and keeps its vibrancy. Some more sherry, anise, dirt, and hay have crept in. The sulphur note is a lot like spent paper caps. Still has the Fritos note, which has combined with wood smoke. Also urine. The palate has changed a bit. Burnt grasses and herbs. More moss. Same gunpowder. Goes tart → peppery → sweet. Lots of hay and moss in the finish, followed by sugar and gunpowder.
With its sherry, sulphur, and peat moss this whisky reminded me of the infamous Blackadder baby Ledaig I'd opened up last August. This Caol Ila is twice as old as that one and, while still pretty zany, feels more pulled together. The sherry is much brighter, that's for sure. The palate feels flat underneath the sulphur, though water helps a little; and the finish was so-so. Overall, while the whisky's not exactly my poison, it's still very entertaining.
Availability - Might be sold out
Pricing - whiskybase says that it was 56GBP or 70euros
Rating - 82
