This one is sporting the portrait of our dear old friend Geert Bero. Presto, 25 more points! Drawing done by another good friend, Hans Dillesse. Presto, 25 + 25 more points! Colour: white wine. Nose: this is the afficionados' way, 'as pure as possible!' Mercurochrome, seawater, paint thinner, fresh apple juice, crabs and oysters, plus of course, ashes. With water: always loved fresh bark, white asparagus, raw salsify, new wool and 'Islay mud'. Mouth (neat): totally, embarrassingly perfect. As we sometimes say, this is a blade that cuts you into two halves of exactly the same sizes, with millimetre precision. With water: gentler, rooty, earthy, yet clean and salty. Finish: very salty. Comments: some good folks say Caol Ila is a malt that's made solely by computers (like, Commodore, Radio Shack or Amstrad, I would suppose). And?
Words of Whisky (90)
:
Nose: Warming wood smoke with gentle farmy notes, quinces, vanilla biscuits and lemons, but also a touch of olive brine. Then there’s a gentle sea breeze, some licorice root and nutmeg, with a whiff of oysters as well.
Taste: Damp oak, pralines and cinnamon with a smoky bonfire. An oily mouthfeel to boot. Somewhat ashy, but also brine and iodine, and sweet barley husks. Not unlike like sugared breakfast cereals. Oh, and lemons of course!
Finish: Long. Some oak spices with kippers and minerals. Lingering wood smoke.
CONCLUSION
A slightly more mature, well-rounded Caol Ila with great balance. Whereas many younger Caol Ila (sometimes only a few years) seem a bit more rugged, this is very polished.
BOW (88)
serie 3.5 Geert Bero - artwork and design by Hans Dillesse
review by maltfascination.com:
Sniff:
An interesting combination of lighter lemony notes, combined with a rather heavy engine grease nose. A heavy smokiness that’s really machine like. Like heavy diesel machinery, There’s coastal scents behind that. Marram grass and sandy beaches.
Sip:
The palate is not too intense. There’s a bit of bite from the alcohol, but it’s not hot. Some sawdust and oak shavings, there are bonfires on the beach and old engines too. Smoke, but with a slightly creamy note behind it. Not as much as with some other Caol Ilas though, it’s rather timid on that front.
Swallow:
The finish is a very smoky one. There’s a sooty quality to it, so slightly greasy and sticky as well. Which could be the creamy, engine grease thing that Caol Ila has going for it anyway.
This is a big whisky. Very modern, but with some age to it. As in, there’s a lot of younger Caol Ila out there that has a similar smokiness, but these lack the depth this one has. Good stuff indeed!
