Wrapping up the April 2021 Watt Whisky releases is a 2010 10 year old Caol Ila. Matured in a hogshead which produced 326 bottles at 58.2% ABV – this one will set you back £67.95 from The Whisky Exchange.
Nose: Very medicinal right from the off. Surface disinfectant, tinctures, treated bandages and a spent log fire. Supporting is smoked Chantilly cream and selection of ready salted and pickled onion crisps. In the background, fruitiness peeks through with both apples and pears offering just the right amount of natural sweetness. Dilution offers curry leaf and cream tarts offset against coastal asides from rock pools.
Taste: Quaffable – and instantly ashy. Very ashy. A fire hearth packed full of ciders joins lemon juice, sea water and langoustines served with a rich, buttery bisque. Medicinalness still runs throughout with plenty of antiseptic and iodine whilst in the back-palate coal dust and creaminess converge and merge perfectly. The addition of water retains the vibrancy of the composition – focussing more on archetypal Caol Ila cues – lemon, salinity and peat. It brings with it further digressions into maritime with chalky cliffs and sandy beaches.
Finish: Long with menthol and medicine in equal measure and ending with a perfectly judged progressive dryness.
Caol Ila is rarely anything less than rock solid – and this Watt Whisky bottling is well on the correct side of that rather limited quality continuum – it’s very good indeed. Highly drinkable at its bottled strength and with a selection of interesting and worthwhile diversions – and then very representative of the distillate style once reduced. You can’t really go wrong.
Review sample provided by Watt Whisky