51°
Distillery : Caol Ila - Islay
Bourbon Hogshead
Independent Bottling
By Les Grands Alambics
Limited Edition
Single Cask
Bottled in 2021
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Peated around 35 ppm
Les Grands Alambics is a highly reputed spirit merchant based in Chambéry, France. They also make their own bottlings, like this one, produced in 2021 in an edition of 126. It's part of the Birds series, and therefore features a beautiful bird on the label.
Let's Taste It :
Fresh, light and iodised nose. You can smell the tide and seaweed, kelp and sea air. The peat is barely perceptible, very well integrated into a rather well-crafted ensemble of honey, icing sugar and creamy vanilla. Juicy white grapes, light hints of pineapple and papaya. The palate is again light and delicate, with white fruits, vanilla and a slight peatiness, followed by measured spices that add just the right amount of funk. Exotic fruits again, a few drops of grapefruit. The finish is long and beautiful, developing slowly without exploding. Lemony sea spray, fresh iodine, yellow plum.
In Short,
I can see that this bottler's reputation has not been usurped. I'm a fan of Caol Ila and I recognise that this bottling is above average for its age and Bourbon cask ageing. What's more, the distillery's character is clearly recognisable, as strong as ever despite the age, which adds a nice complexity. However, 126 bottles is a very small number, and it sold out very quickly. I'd love to recommend buying it, but it still has to be possible.
Score : 89
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Crowheart - Apotheosis
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