59,5°
Distillery : Caol Ila - Islay
Refill Sherry Butt
Independent Bottling
By Signatory Vintage
Limited Edition
Single Cask
Bottled in 2020
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Peated around 35 ppm
This is the 3rd cask that I have tasted among the 11 that were distilled
in Caol Ila on September 22, 2010 and immediately sold to Signatory
Vintage. For the first two, the profile was very similar, and that's for a good
reason, the aging was the same, in Refill
Sherry casks. This is the oldest, bottled on October 21, 2020, the
juice is exactly 10 years and 29 days old. 599 bottles were produced.
Let's Taste It :
Soft toffee and cold ash. The breadth of the Oloroso, thick peat, typical Caol Ila profile, it's instantly recognisable. Some fruits stand out, pineapple, grapefruit, mountain honey. Enticing smoke. Vegetal fragrances. With the addition of water, apple crumble, cinnamon, fudge, candied fig, warm chestnuts. Then the smoke returns. A zest of lemon. Burning hay. The palate is a little dry, woody, and almost immediately spicy: cumin, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg. I can feel the grooves in the wood, the burn of the torch, it's toasted wood, the caramel is coal-like. Tall herbs, dusty earth. The finish is long and powerful, never-ending, perfect. Quite sweet, genoise and marzipan, an ounce of vanilla, but also woody, nervous, liquorish. Cola, slightly bitter. Starch.
In Short,
Similar profile to the previous two casks, deep Sherry with ash and soot. No iodine, but lovely fruity and slightly herbaceous fragrances. In my humble opinion, it is the best of the three casks, because there are very enjoyable nuances of exotic fruits. It can still be found on a few European sites, it's expensive for what it is, but you'll have a great time.
Score : 89
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Big Big Train - The Fiorentine
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