Caol Ila 14 year old 2007 Gordon & MacPhail, cask 311973 for Nickolls & Perks

(Caol Ila cluster homepage)

One day I woke up and realized, oh crap, there are six more Caol Ilas in the cluster and only six days left in 2023. So it is time for a Caol Ila sprint to the finish!

Four out of the six Caol Ila G&Ms came to Diving for Pearls courtesy of a fellow blogger, the other two are from bottle splits. I'll go in order of vintage, rather than age, to see if the results get less...contemporary...as I go back in time.

First up, another one of these "refill" sherry butts that disgorged whisky almost coffee-colored. I didn't expect to see that from G&M, but I guess everyone plays that game now.

Distillery: Caol Ila
Region: Islay
Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Range: Connoisseurs Choice
Age: 14 years (2007 - 27 April 2022)
Maturation: Refill sherry butt
Cask #: 311973 - Batch 22/100
Outturn: 352 bottles
Exclusive to: Nickolls & Perks
Alcohol by Volume: 56.3%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Assorted roasted nuts and nut butters lead off the nose, followed by carob, leather, and molasses. Honey coats a gentle ocean-like peat early on, then a very grapey PX note slowly consumes it. Heavier, darker smoke hits the palate. Dried berries and dried blueberries roll around atop wasabi and woody bitterness. It reads hotter than the ABV. It finishes with cigarette ash, dried cherries, and a hint of the bitterness.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1⅓ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Raisins, dried blueberries, and angel food cake push the peat further into the nose's background. The bitterness plays louder than the peat now in the palate, with cinnamon, dried apricots, and golden raisins in the midground. It finishes with ash and tannins.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A direct relative of (and perhaps even oakier than) the previous Caol Ila, this whisky is another cask monster. The nose shows some promise, but even there the butt's previous contents (which smell a lot like Pedro Ximenez) gradually consume most of the CI character. Again, this is not my preferred style of Caol Ila (or most whiskies in general). How about the next one....?

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - was £115
Rating - 81

Caol Ila 11 year old 2010 Signatory, cask 316662 for The Whisky Exchange

(Caol Ila cluster homepage)

Oh hey look, another Caol Ila 2010 from Signatory! I promise this is the last one. In 2023.

All of four of these 2010 releases appear to have been part of a large parcel that Diageo distilled on the same day, September 22nd. Most spent their lives in refill sherry butts. Today's pour is the darkest Caol Ila I've ever had. My photo below is of no help, but check out the maroon hue here. Yep another "refill" cask. At least this one has an age statement in double digits, and the folks at TWE tend to pick well.

Distillery: Caol Ila
Region: Islay
Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Signatory
Range: Cask Strength Collection
Age: exactly 11 years (22 Sep 2010 - 22 Sep 2021)
Maturation: Refill sherry butt
Cask #: 316662
Outturn: 558 bottles
Exclusive to: The Whisky Exchange
Alcohol by Volume: 58.2%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A very different nose than the others, the whisky feels like it's going to be a savory one, with early notes of beef stock, seaweed, wet sand, and roasted almonds. The sugars arrive 30ish minutes later: dried currants, Heath Bar, and peated banana pudding. Ferociously smoky, peppery, and sweet, this palate reminds one of young Ardbeg rather than CI. It's a bit challenging to glean specific characteristics, but I do find grape juice, tart citrus, and cinnamon red hots. A little bit of savoriness appears in the finish, tucked behind the salt, ash, mint candy, and black pepper.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Drier peat smoke and hay greet the nose first, followed by lots of dried berries, seaweed, cinnamon, and milk chocolate. The palate has calmed, but is still very smoky for this distillery. Grape jelly rings and acidic sour lemons fill the background. It finishes with cigar smoke and mint candy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This cask's very contemporary take on Caol Ila isn't my favorite, but it can certainly provide the illusion of warming up your guts in the winter. As mentioned above, this whisky would certainly thrill Ardbeg fans with all its Bigness. My preferred sherried CI style would be closer to cask 316659's, or a refill cask that hasn't been re-soaked.

In my next review, I'll leave Pitlochry behind and greet an Elgin bottler.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 83

Caol Ila 9 year old 2010 Signatory, cask 316637

(Caol Ila cluster homepage)

Sorry for the blog silence this week. Between the dates, hangouts, and holiday parties this month, I'm feeling a bit boozed-out. It got to the point where I felt it, both physically and mentally, during the day. So I've had some alcohol-free nights, and they've been great! I've slept better too.

I do have one Caol Ila for ya this week, the last of the three 9yo 2010s from Signatory. The first one, a small batch, disappointed, while the second CI, a single butt, delighted. Today's pour is another refill sherry butt, and part of the same big parcel of 2010 Caol Ilas from Signatory's warehouses.

pic source

Distillery: Caol Ila
Region: Islay
Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Signatory
Range: Cask Strength Collection
Age: 9 years (22 Sep 2010 - 27 Aug 2020)
Maturation: Refill sherry butt
Cask #: 316637
Outturn: 665 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 59.9%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose jumps out with barbecue pork, apples, honey, fruity cinnamon, and steel wool. Brazil nuts and anise populate the middle, while a few oysters stay in the background. The spirit defeats the cask in the palate. Big, bold (and kinda minty) beach bonfire peat leads the way. More chile oil than sugar here. Some tart raspberries arrive later on. It finishes with that beachy smoke, lots of salt, and a squeeze of lemon.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose turns more forest-like, leafier and earthier. Hints of cocoa powder and orange blossoms offer slight angles. The palate has become lighter, sweeter, and simpler. The chile oil remains, and a few flower blossoms join in. It finishes young and edgy, loaded with soot and salt, leaving one with a bit of cigar throat.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

While this whisky is more than a half-year older than cask 316659, it feels much younger. I appreciate the spirit leading the way, but it gets ashy and raw at times, getting a bit violent with the tastebuds. I'm also not crazy about the turn the palate takes once water is added. More complex and enjoyable when neat, the whisky also works better when aired out a bit, like 30+ minutes. Perhaps 316659 offered tough competition, but at their prices these 2010 casks had better deliver the goods at 316659's level.

Availability - Maybe a few bottles remain in Europe
Pricing - €125 - €140
Rating - 85

Caol Ila 9 year old 2010 Signatory, cask 316659

(Caol Ila cluster homepage)

This Caol Ila cluster started off weirdly with Wednesday's Signatory Small Batch, which was assembled from three refill hoggies and two refill butts. Today's CI comes from one of those butts' sibling butts, cask 316659, which isn't shocking because Signatory has already bottled more than seventy 2010 casks from the Port Askaig distiller. Like most of those casks, #316659 was a sherry butt. My experience with this parcel has been very positive so far. Will this cask continue up that route, or will it go weird like the Small Batch?

Most of these Siggy 2010 CIs
look just like this!
(pic source)

Distillery: Caol Ila
Region: Islay
Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Signatory
Range: Cask Strength Collection
Age: 9 years (22 Sep 2010 - 10 Feb 2020)
Maturation: Refill sherry butt

Cask #: 316659

Outturn: 673 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 60.1%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose is packed with dates and fresh apricots on top of heaps of almond butter and cashew butter. The toasted seaweed, moderate oceany peat, and hint of yeast have plenty of stamina too. Very nutty sherry merges seamlessly with a medium-peated spirit in the palate. Baking spices, figs, anise, blood oranges, and a hint of blossoms arrive with less heat than expected. The lean finish is all earth, salt, and a little bit of seaweedy peat.

Reducing it to the Small Batch's strength:

DILUTED to 47.1%abv, or 1⅔ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The farmy, meaty nose also offers almond cookies, grilled pears, and seaweed. The palate becomes creamier, peatier, and earthier, with subtle notes of molasses and almonds. It finishes brighter and sweeter, with a slight tartness in the back.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This is about as good as it can get at 9 years old. The finish reads a bit limited, but everything else is great. I'd even say the palate is better than the nose. There's no rawness, no prunes, and very little burn. And there are dates, figs, blood oranges, apricots, and cashews. Would another year or two have improved it, or would the oak start to take over? I don't know, but if you have a bottle of this stuff, give it a hug and a pour.

Availability - Maybe a few bottles remain in Europe
Pricing - €130 - €160
Rating - 88

Caol Ila 9 year old 2010 Signatory, Small Batch 7 for Germany

(Caol Ila cluster homepage)

This is the first of three 9 year old Caol Ilas, distilled in 2010 and bottled by Signatory, that I'll be reviewing. Not really sure how I lucked into a trio of such splits, in three difference circumstances, but there it is. Comparison time!

I'm fascinated by this "Small Batch" range. Signatory already has its famous Un-Chillfiltered series whose bottlings have expanded from single casks to triple casks. This small batch edition was assembled from five casks. One thing that does set it apart from the UCFs is that it's from more than one cask type. Here it's a pair of refill sherry butts and three refill hoggies.

Let's see how lucky the German CI fans were...

source

Distillery: Caol Ila
Region: Islay
Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Signatory
Range: Small Batch
Age: 9 years (2010 - 18 Mar 2020)
Maturation: 3 refill hogsheads + 2 refill sherry butts

Casks: 321718, 321722, and 321726 (hogs); 316635 and 316661 (butts)

Outturn: ????

Exclusive to: Alemania
Alcohol by Volume: 47.1%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Ah, super young in the nose. It starts off very grassy, with plenty of wet, sandy seaweed mixed in. After 20+ minutes of airing out, the nose starts to offer dried apricots, spearmint gum, and semisweet chocolate.

The palate is sooty and very ashy. Burnt grass, burnt anise, with some almond extract and sea salt. Floral notes take over and become almost perfumy.

It finishes simply with flowers, ash, and prosciutto.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Two surprises here. One, that I spelled "prosciutto" correctly on the first try. Two, this Caol Ila is a weird jumble. The nose is fine, though limited, while the palate reads like no actual blending was done, rather that a quintet of (troublesome?) casks were dumped together and diluted. I'm sure that's not the case, but it's what the result tastes like. It makes me yearn for one of the UCF Caol Ilas. Next up, a very different 9yo 2010...

Availability - Possibly still around in Germany
Pricing - around €65 - €75
Rating - 78

The 2023 Caol Ila mini-cluster!

Ah, Caol Ila, the faceless corporate factory that consistently cranks out high quality whisky with nary a human touch, like the MGP of Scotland, but different.

Constructed above the Sound of Islay, its namesake, the original Caol Ila distillery passed through several owners between 1846 and 1927 before being consumed by DCL to help fill the whisky giant's blends. The two-still distillery was flattened and then replaced by a six-still facility in 1972. Forty years later, additional washbacks were added to increase production capacity to meet the Johnnie Walker beast's needs.

A side result of being a popular blend ingredient, Caol Ila's single malt has found its way into the warehouses of all the major independent bottlers. In fact, by the end of this month Whiskybase's Caol Ila list will cross 5000 different whiskies.

While I do not possess 5000 Caol Ila samples, 🙁, I do have quite a few. This blog is a little short on CI posts (there are more Kilchoman reviews!) so let's fix that. As December offers perfect Caol Ila weather, I'm going to dish out a mini-cluster of Port Askaig's smoky stuff for the rest of 2023, specifically bottlings from Signatory and Gordon & MacPhail. A larger cluster will follow in 2024.

CAOL ILA 2023 CLUSTER ROLL CALL:

1. Caol Ila 9 year old 2010 Signatory, Small Batch 7 for Germany - "...a weird jumble."

2. Caol Ila 9 year old 2010 Signatory, cask 316659 - "...dates, figs, blood oranges, apricots, and cashews."

3. Caol Ila 9 year old 2010 Signatory, cask 316637 - "...ashy and raw at times [...] a bit violent with the tastebuds."

4. Caol Ila 11 year old 2010 Signatory, cask 316662 for The Whisky Exchange - "...would certainly thrill Ardbeg fans with all its Bigness."

5. Caol Ila 14 year old 2007 Gordon & MacPhail, cask 311973 for Nickolls & Perks - "...the butt's previous contents (which smell a lot like Pedro Ximenez) gradually consume most of the CI character."

6. Caol Ila 10 year old 2006 Gordon & MacPhail, casks 306183+4 and 306186+7 - "This tilts much more towards my preferred take on Caol Ila."

7. Caol Ila 14 year old 2005 Gordon & MacPhail, cask 17600504 - "The spirit is older now, holding onto its pleasures while beginning to soften and take on subtle notes from the cask."

8. Caol Ila 14 year old 2003 Gordon & MacPhail, batch 18/005 - "...more of a dessert CI than anything else."

9. ??? G&M ???

10. ??? G&M ???

Bourbon and Rye Day Friday: Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 23 year old bourbon

After posting a combined total of zero BARD Fridays from December 2017 to February 2023, I've been true to my word bringing Bourbon and Rye Day back with 11 of these posts in the past nine months. Though none are scheduled for the rest of this year, I do have a slew of American whiskies open, so the BARDs will return in 2024.

I've tried several Orphan Barrel bourbons, and wouldn't particularly recommend any of them, but I found Rhetoric 22yo pretty drinkable. So how about a sip or seven of Rhetoric 23? I had a good week, so I'm feeling naively optimistic.

Owner: Diageo

Brand: Orphan Barrel

Orphan: Rhetoric
Distillery: Old Bernheim
Type: Bourbon Whiskey

Mashbill: 86% corn, 8% barley, 6% rye
Age: minimum 23 years (1990-1993 to 2017)

Alcohol by Volume: 45.3%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The smells come in bundles. First there's pine, saline, and yuzu(!). Then cherry candy and furniture polish. Strawberry frosted cupcakes gradually turn into vanilla frosted cupcakes, with some limeade in the background. After 45 minutes, almond extract starts to take over.

There's less bitterness and sugar on the palate than I expected. It's slightly earthy. More honey than vanilla. Sweet oranges slide into tart limes. The background flavors in early sips are ginger and flowers. Later on, they're replaced by mint and root beer.

The finish gets wobbly with standard barrel char, overripe bananas, mint extract, and tannin-a-plenty.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Don't stop me if you've heard this before: The nose is the best part, by far. But the bourbon is......probably my favorite Orphan Barrel so far. Had the finish not deflated so abruptly, I'd offer some heavily-qualified raves for this Orphan. Tannin takeover is expected for a bourbon this old, in fact it often happens with bourbons half its age. That Rhetoric is still approachable at 23 years makes me wonder what these Old Bernheim barrels were like at age 15 (or 12 or 8). Possibly something like this?

Cheers! Welcome to December.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 82