Tasting: Gems of Scotland Caol Ila 7 yo 2008 – 2016 cask 311050

Tasting: Gems of Scotland Caol Ila 7 yo 2008 - 2016 cask 311050

Tasting: Gems of Scotland Caol Ila 7 yo 2008 - 2016 cask 311050Dram data:
Distillery: Caol Ila
Bottler: Morrison & Mackay
Distilled: 05.06.2008
Bottled: 15.01.2016
Age: 7 years
Limitation: 414 bottles
Casks: Hogshead 311050
Alcohol: 46%
unchillfiltered and uncoloured

Tasting notes:
Colour:
new make with a slight copper sheen
The nose is dominated by slightly mellowed-down heavily peated new make. In a good way! A pinch of alcohol with dried orange peel and fresh ginger, raw fire, still warm peaty ash, brown sugar and a spent old vanilla pod rubbed on a slate platter. The cask managed to take away the roughness of the new make and add just a smidgen of flavours – at least third-fill wood in my opinion. Continue reading “Tasting: Gems of Scotland Caol Ila 7 yo 2008 – 2016 cask 311050”

Share this post

Tasting: Octomore 2008 Virgin Oak cask sample

Octomore 2008 Virgin Oak cask sample

 Octomore 2008 Virgin Oak cask sampleDram data:
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Bottler: official
Distilled: 2008
Bottled: sample drawn 2015
Age: 7-ish
Limitation: unavailable
Casks: virgin oak cask 1202
Alcohol: 64,4%%
unchillfiltered and natural colour

Tasting notes:
Colour:
dark amber
So Bruichladdich has done it again! The latest Octomore 7.4 “virgin oak” release is out. Well, all virgin oak? Nopedy nope! Only 25% of the liquid is actual full-time virgin oak matured. I haven’t got a sample of that one and a full bottle might exceed my budget, so let’s rummage through my sample cabinet – I think there might be something similar. Hey! What’s that? A 2008 virgin oak Octomore cask sample, drawn from the cask for the 2015 Feis Ile warehouse tasting with Jim McEwan. That’s the ticket! Uncut, unblended, let’s see what it’s like! On the nose there’s not that much peat. Well, that’s not surprising if you look at Bruichladdich’s stills, they produce a much lighter distillate than, say Laphroaig or Ardbeg. Still quite a lot of peat, but not overwhelming and that’s good! A slight alcoholic tingling, but you’d never guess this was 64% ABV! Very well-integrated! Fresh vanilla, vanilla pods, toasted cask, caramelised oak sap, Lapsang Souchong (unboilt), burning oak staves and a coal-fired steam engine squirting oil around, burnt toffee, heather, ginger, slightly toasted orange peel and a squirt of citrus providing a hint of distillery character. Continue reading “Tasting: Octomore 2008 Virgin Oak cask sample”

Share this post

Tasting: Kilchoman Feis Ile 2015 bottling

Kilchoman Feis Ile 2015 bottling

Kilchoman Feis Ile 2015 bottlingDram data:
Distillery: Kilchoman
Bottler: original bottling
Distilled: 22.05.2008
Bottled: 22.05.2015
Age: 7
Limitation: 742 bottles
Cask: 3 bourbon barrels 245, 449, 450
Alcohol: 58,2%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour:
light gold
The nose (neat) opens with the typical, phenolic, slightly medicinal Islay peat smoke paired with brine. Despite the strong alcohol and the still relatively young age (but quite old for a Kilchoman) there are already some mellow vanilla notes paired with sweet cookies and citrus peeking through – growing stronger as the nose adjust itself to the smoke. Continue reading “Tasting: Kilchoman Feis Ile 2015 bottling”

Share this post
Cookie Consent with Real Cookie Banner