Caol Ila 2010 House of McCallum Vintage 11 yo

 

 

 

50,5°

Distillery : Caol Ila - Islay 

Ex-Bourbon Hogsheads

Independent Bottling 

By House of McCallum 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 35 ppm

Let's go back to Antony McCallum, the proud owner of a trading company bearing his name, to taste this Caol Ila aged entirely in two Bourbon casks, which produced 680 bottles. The range is subtitled The Auld Alliance, in tribute to the 700-year-old alliance between Scotland and France.

Let's Taste It : 

Pure Caol Ila, tide, soot, shellfish, kelp, sea spray, coarse salt that stings the lips, slight astringency, cartilage, fish with bones. The sea wind whips the face. White fruits very much in the background. Cottony, vaporous peat. Quite pleasant on the palate, slightly acidic, lemony. Like sucking candy. Softly creamy. Spices not too striking, grey pepper, cumin. Long finish, not too violent, sandy, seawater, oysters. Salt crust, sediment. Barley sugar.  

 

In Short, 

If there was such a thing as shellfish alcohol, this would probably look like it. It's very nice, and well worth a taste for any Caol Ila lover. Deeply maritime, and so much so that you don't really feel the peat too much any more. The finish could have been better, though. The price can almost double, so be sure to shop around.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Runrig - Loch Lomond