Caol Ila 1982 The Ultimate Rare Reserve 30 yo

 

 

 

51,6°

Distillery : Caol Ila - Islay

Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Van Wees

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2013

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 35 ppm

 

 

 

In 2013, after 19 years in business, The Ultimate range reached its 500th bottling. What an achievement! That's more than 25 per year. To celebrate in style, they found a Caol Ila from 1982, the hallowed year of Caol Ila, reputed to be one of their best vintages. A release of 200 copies, quickly sold out, became a legend.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Yellow plum, ethereal iodine, banana. Salt lace and calcareous peat. Deep earth. Almond paste, crushed chestnuts. Sea breeze. Fig pulp. Evanescent mineral notes, slate and quartz. The palate, on the other hand, is very fruity, with a good amount of peat in the background, followed by tasty spices, paprika, cumin and turmeric. Really pleasant. Very long finish, quite vigorous but not really violent, vanilla juice, dates, hints of cranberries. Walnut crumbs. Fruit paste with raisins.

 

In Short, 

Some say it's not the best 1982 Caol Ila. But it's so good anyway! Chiselled with salt and very fine peat on the nose, lots of fruit on the palate, and a never-ending finish. Do you want to know where you can still find it? The answer is no.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Black Caedinal - I'm Ready

Ballechin 2005 The Ultimate Rare Reserve 14 yo

 

 

 

58,2°

Distillery : Edradour - Highlands 

Burgundy Wine Hogshead 

Independent Bottling 

By Van Wees 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 50 ppm

 

 

 

Edradour is said to be the smallest distillery in the Highlands, with less than 100,000 liters of alcohol per year. They still allow themselves to exploit two brands, the one that bears the name of the distillery, and Ballechin, which brings together peated bottlings, up to 50 ppm. This one spent 14 years in a Burgundy wine cask, before being released in 269 copies. Rare Reserve is a sub-range of The Ultimate collection, which brings out very old things, this one is by far the youngest. It celebrates the 1001st The Ultimate bottling.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The influence of wine is quite rich, plum compote, pears, raspberries, leather, dried fruits, nuts. Nice peat, a little oily, filthy as it should be. It's mellow, and not too sweet, so much the better. Watermelon, dragon fruit, damson. On the palate, it is very red fruits, strawberries, dry earth, rather vegetal. Pomegranate and blackcurrant. Intense spices, paprika, nutmeg, clove. Pleasant finish, charcoal and earth, engine oil and still some red fruits, blackberries and blueberries. Cashew nut. Heather.

 

In Short, 

Very cask-driven, which is often the case with this distillery. That said, it's still decent here. It's neither sour nor too sweet, the distillery markers remain. The peat is very strong, it makes you think of Laphroaig or Port Charlotte. All in all a good winey whisky, unfortunately the price has become too high.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Ride - Leave Them All Behind

Bunnahabhain Staoisha 2014 The Ultimate Cask Strength 5 yo

 

 

 

60,8°

Distillery : Bunnahabhain - Islay

Dechar/Rechar Bourbon Hogsheads

Independent Bottling 

By Van Wees

Limited Edition

Single Cask

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 40 ppm

 

 

 

Independent bottler Van Wees regularly offers young peated Bunnahabhain in cask strength. Staoisha, because this is the lake from which the distillery draws its water. The source of water is therefore not the same as for the Moine. 312 bottles went on sale for this edition.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :

Vanilla and sea breeze, very fresh iodine, limestone, quartz, it's quite mineral. The peat takes a while to build up, but once it's there you can't miss it. Thick smoke, charcoal, plastic. A bit of yellow plum behind, mirabelle I think. On the palate, it's suave at first, cola, white fruits, banana, liquid honey, but the spices are there and it's got a real kick. Nutmeg, pepper and benzoin. Big salt in the finish, which hits hard, the vanilla returns, wood, hay, dry earth. A zest of lemon.

 

In Short, 

Slightly more mineral on the nose than the Moine, and a pinch of coarse salt on the finish. These are the only distinctive features of this Staoisha. I was expecting something more original, but it doesn't matter, the quality is there, it's balanced, tasty and very pleasant on the palate. And at the price it's selling for, there's no hesitation - go for it. For enthusiasts only, of course.

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

   

                                                    Grinderman - Kitchenette

Bunnahabhain Moine 2011 The Ultimate Cask Strength 6 yo

60,1°

Distillery : Bunnahabhain - Islay

Bourbon Cask

Independent Bottling

By Van Wees

Limited Edition

Single Cask

Bottled in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated from 35 to 45 ppm

Independent bottler Van Wees regularly produces early vintage editions of peated Bunnahabhain as part of its The Ultimate collection. This one is available in a limited edition of 330 units.

Let's Taste It : 

Mineral peat, thick smoke, maritime freshness. Barrels of fish. Melting plastic. A medicinal touch. On a tuna boat, filled to the brim with wriggling scales. Just beside, a long-haired dog. A slight hint of ashy vanilla sweetens the soup. Coal, petrol, rock. On the palate, bricks of ash and chalk, fierce pepper, vanilla and white fruits, pears, plums, bananas. On the finish, slightly burnt caramel, iodine, vanilla ice cream, quite long. Cola and chestnuts. Tall herbs.

 

In Short, 

Very good, a very vanilla-flavoured, relatively well-balanced 6-year-old Peat Bomb, but it's a little rough anyway, best reserved for die-hard fans.

Score : 88

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                           Gary Moore - Parisienne Walkways