Line Up #20 : Caol Ila Independent Bottlings III, Oldies and Goodies

13 September 2023. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Line Up Project.

Third and final stop on the road to discovering Caol Ila. This time, we're talking about the oldest Caol Ila, more than 20 years old, and even more than 30 years old. What happens to the Caol Ila distillate when it sleeps for more than 20 years in casks? How is it different? Does it have any special characteristics? Compared to young bottlings, old Caol Ila is rather rare. That's true of all distilleries, but it's particularly the case here, simply because young Caol Ila goes quickly, it sells well. And while young Caol Ila is not too expensive and easy to get hold of, that's not at all the case with old ones. Old Caol Ila is even more expensive than the old bottlings from many distilleries.

Here again, I aim for all possible maturities, in order to find the constants and identity of an old Caol Ila, but most of the old casks are Bourbon ones. There's little room for fantasy when it comes to such precious objects. And to obtain casks of venerable age, you have to go to the best houses. Cadenhead, The Vintage Malt Whisky Co, Elixir Distillers, Gordon & MacPhail and Van Wees are the most prestigious and among the oldest. They are the only ones to whom the distillery agrees to sell its aged casks. This is mainly for financial reasons, as not just any distillery can afford to buy such expensive casks and sell them profitably. But there are also relationship reasons. You don't entrust jewels like these to just anyone. 

The Tasting. 

Caol Ila 25 yo :An expression of the Core Range launched in 2009. Its price has doubled since then. It's a blend of several types of cask, but the Bourbon dominates, leaving room for exotic fruits.

A lovely impression of freshness, with iodine and white fruits fresh from the fridge. Sparkling mirabelles, light ashy smoke. Warm, sticky mountain honey. Banana. It becomes more like vanilla on the palate, woody, with light spices, mellow. Perfectly managed finish, explosive and very long, hazelnut, milk chocolate, an ounce of charcoal, chestnut. Score: 90

 

Port Askaig 1983 34 yo :It's not absolutely certain that this is Caol Ila, but I did recognise the profile. It was aged in a Hogshead Bourbon cask.

It's more ethereal, more evanescent. Still banana and yellow plum. Barely perceptible smoke. Solid wood, walnut. Very fruity, with a tiny hint of iodine. On the palate, the spices are full-bodied, the whole is woody, chocolatey and sparkling. Coal in the background, rosewater. Very long finish, not so explosive, cola, chestnut, oily earth. Coffee grounds. Score : 91

 

Caol Ila 1982 The Ultimate Rare Reserve 30 yo : The only non-British bottler to be entrusted with casks of Caol Ila over 30 years old, but it's for a special occasion, The Ultimate's 500th bottling. Aged in a Hogshead, certainly Bourbon.
The iodine is more important here. With white plums, chasselas grapes. Yes, a bit of banana here too. Nice balance. Discreet but bewitching smoke. Silky on the palate, then spicy, with wood and figs, chestnuts and hazelnuts. The finish is long and quite devastating, with cola, milk chocolate and coffee notes. The peat is a little more present. Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

Caol Ila 1982 The Cooper's Choice 30 yo : The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. is the one that markets Finlaggan, which is actually Caol Ila. That's why we let these people lay their hands on aged casks. Here an ageing in a Hogshead, probably Bourbon.
More smoke than its predecessors. But quite vaporous. Smoky wood. Mahogany, Armenian paper. On the palate, fruit paste, fig, dried banana, with rather strong spices. Very long finish, liquorice and fuel oil, honey. A hint of bitterness. Score : 90

 

Caol Ila 1981 Cadenhead's Whisky Shop 40 yo : This one is so old that we don't know how it was aged. I'm joking, but it's true that we don't know which cask it came from.
Very nice balance, but the wood is still prominent. Smoke, dried fruits, charcoal shade. Armenian paper, slight iodine freshness. Silk and vanilla on the palate, but the spices are powerful. Very long, full-bodied finish. Chocolate, nougat, rich earth, chestnuts, dates. Score : 91

 

Caol Ila 1996 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength 25 yo : Aging in a Sherry Butt for this young man aged 25, launched by Gordon & MacPhail.
Here again, the smoke is clearly present. It matches the varnished wood and yellowed paper. Some juicy fruits. On the palate, the plums and bananas are quite sweet, before the spices attack. Then it's fleshy and robust. The finish is very long, explosive and shakes things up. Stuffed figs, dry earth, orange peel. Cherry bananas. Score: 90

What I gain from it.

• Surprised to discover that aged Caol Ila has lost little or none of its character. The smoke is still present, though not as pervasive, but it permeates every sip. The iodine is also there, though more discreetly.
  

• What is new, however, is that the fruit is intense, with bananas in particular, but also figs and chestnuts. In this regard, the 5 bottlings tasted this evening are quite similar. It's a fruit salad, very juicy, rich and varied.
  

• Finally, wood is of course important, as it should be, given the age of the elixirs. This translates into notes of chocolate and coffee, as well as old parchment and tea-soaked paper. But it all blends together in a beautiful balance, and be careful, it's not soft, it's full of character, it's still Caol Ila, but everything is in its place, it's velvety, silky and without false notes. Very well done, of course.
  

 

 

 

Conclusion.

On the one hand, it's nothing like the young, slightly dirty Caol Ila, full of iodine and smoky mineral peat, with hints of salt and quartz, and on the other, it's very much in the distillery's style, even if it's all better brought out, and with extra elements of fruit and woodiness. To be honest, it's all very good, but I'm not sure I prefer the older ones, I was impressed, interested, but not amazed, and given the price of the samples, that's what I should have been. And yet I've had the best vintages, the 1982 and 1983 are very famous among connoisseurs. I'm not sure whether Caol Ila ages as well as some other distilleries, it seems to me that the very old bottlings from Bowmore, Bunnahabhain and Laphroaig are better, and Lagavulin is at the same level I'd say. On the other hand, I think Caol Ila does better than Ardbeg or Bruichladdich, again if you stick to very old bottlings. That's just my small experience anyway.

Still, it's very pleasant, retaining the Islay DNA, but much more nuanced, with added woody and chocolate notes. Bourbon cask ageing seems to me to suit these subtle nectars, which could suffer if the influence of the cask were too pervasive.

 

 

 

 

All pictures were taken on the distillery site.