Category Archives: Whisky Type

Duncan Taylor – The Octave: Glentauchers 17 year 54.3%

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The concept behind Duncan Taylor’s The Octave collection is simple. Take something that is already good, transfer it into smaller Octave casks, mature it for more time. The aim? Amp up the aromas and flavours through a higher whisky to wood contact, triggering a bolder, more intense version.

So what did we find with this Glentaucheers?

Glentauchers 17 Year Old (8 May 2008 / 25 Aug 2025) Sherry cask 8546097 54.3% (Duncan Taylor – The Octave) ~90 GBP

  • Nose – How delightful! Cake, salty caramel, lots of rich fruity base notes, heavy mocha, ripe dark cherries, chocolate, and cream like a black forest cake, more coffee, toffee – delicious!
  • Palate – Very full, loads going on. There is an intensity with dark fruits, chocolate, old wood, malty, luscious fruits, and over-ripe nectarines. The dusting of pepper just adds another element – like a rich chilli chocolate ice cream
  • Finish – A big finish, treacle sweet
  • Water – Wow! Intense exotic fruits, durian to peach, then warmed pineapple

What a delight! We absolutely adored this expression. The extra “oomph!” from the Octave cask finish added complexity in a big, bold, beautiful way. Whilst we have no idea what it was like before the re-casking, here is what the folks at Duncan Taylor have to say :

Before Octivation

Apple strudel, creamy, raisins, custard creams, gooseberries.

After Octivation

Sherry, chocolate cake, spiced red fruits, clotted cream, white pepper.

What a complete treat! Curious about other Glentauchers experiences? Check out:

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Thai Trio – Prakaan Select Cask, Double Cask + Peated

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Thailand holds a special place for my partner and I. It was where we took our first trip together, cementing a relationship that became a commitment. At the time, I certainly had a penchant for exploring whiskies, and we even spent a few days staying with friends who shared that curiosity. However, it was inconceivable that Thailand would be producing its own whisky?!

Fast forward many years to the June 2025 global launch of Prakaan with its trio “Tribuna Series” with

  1. Prakaan Select Cask 43% – ex bourbon cask
  2. Prakaan Double Cask 43% – ex bourbon and ex sherry cask
  3. Prakaan Peated Malt 43%

Prakaan shared that Tribura in Thai means the three layers of a fortified wall, built to defend the Kingdom of Thailand. These three make up their inaugural global releases.

So what did we think?

We began with the Select Cask, identified as matured in ex-Bourbon casks.

Prakaan Select Cask 43%

  • Nose – It began with a heavy, almost artificial caramel, some varnish or nail polish, then baby puke, some rough wood edges… then it began to shift from a chemist’s lab to a compost! Vegetal, increasingly sticky sweet, like a mixed fruit candy with no discernible specific fruit, think Tuti Fruiti ice cream, then some lime zest, dry balsa wood
  • Palate – Peppery and harsh initially – quite young and hard to glean much else
  • Finish – Nothing beyond a bit bitter
  • Water – Really needs it! Water helps tone down the harshness and boosts the resin

This expression needed both time in the glass and generous dollops of water. However, let’s face it – overall, it was young, a bit brash, and not terribly interesting.

Here is what they have to say :

PRAKAAN SELECT CASK single whisky is the epitome of our house style. It is rich and smooth with tropical fruits, honey, vanilla, and hints of lemon peel.

  • Nose – Soft tropical fruits and zesty citrus defined beautifully against lush honey sweetness, creamy vanilla, and comforting undertones of lemon cake.
  • Palate – Round sweetness of caramelised pineapple slices and chewy toffee, complemented with the rich perfume of freshly-ground spices and hints of candied lemon peel.
  • Finish – Mature and long-lasting with ripe fruitiness.

I’m afraid we wouldn’t agree with the marketing spin. Even with it mellowed somewhat with water and time in the glass, we didn’t find most of the elements described.

Prakaan Double Cask 43%

  • Nose – Much shyer compared with the Select Cask. Also had lots of fruits like peach and dark berries, there was a perfume-like quality, some vanilla, mixed fruit sherbert, then settled into tinned pineapple
  • Palate – Initially spicy, fruity, raisins, and caramel
  • Finish – Loads of spice, a touch bitter
  • Water – With water and time, it mellowed considerably, becoming more and more approachable and enjoyable

What a difference! The sherry cask took it from harsh to spice, baby puke to tinned pineapple… It was spirity and spirited initially, nicely opening up.

Here’s what they have to say:

  • Nose – Ripe tropical fruit smothered in layers of melting dessert chocolate and vanilla. Raisins and candied citrus peels follow, balancing this vibrant and decadent composition.
  • Palate – Rich and delicious. Pineapples in syrup and ripe mangoes underlined by elegant oaky vanilla and dark sweetness of warm toffee.
  • Finish – Full-bodied and smooth with oaky and leathery tones contrasted by a light touch of grated orange zest.

We didn’t get so much of the chocolate, however, the pineapple was spot on! Whilst I wouldn’t describe it as elegant, it was a more than decent early offering for a new distillery.

After two un-peated expressions, we were curious to see what Prakaan could do with some peat…

Prakaan Peated Malt 43%

  • Nose – Peat – the gentle, smoky, sweet kind. Though the whisky was a touch astringent, it was warming with a dark chocolate, vanilla sweetness, topped with a hint of salt
  • Palate – Roasted coffee, lots of tobacco, and an almost mocha element
  • Finish – Bitter and dry at first, then a nice smoky, slightly briney close
  • Water – Again, we would suggest adding it!

There was no mistaking the peat here. Using peated barley from Scotland, the different elements worked here. It continued to mellow in the glass – with the smoky finish particularly appealing over time.

Here is what they have to say about their peated expression:

  • Nose – Fresh tropical fruits complemented by a layer of soft wood smoke, evocative of a fire on the beach. Spices and rich vanilla sauce in the background bring elegance to this delicious bouquet.
  • Palate – Sweet and textured. Smoke comes to the fore but keeps its gentle, round quality. Caramel and runny honey follow with citrus and pineapple shining through.
  • Finish – Warming and long, the finish descends slowly from bright fruitiness to sweet smoke.
For the most part, we would agree. For several, this was the hit of the trio, though the Double Cask was interesting too. Alas, the Select Cask just didn’t measure up for us. And that is ok – the whole purpose of tasting groups like ours is to collectively explore more together than we would ever venture to try on our own!

Naturally, this trio was followed by a delightful homemade Thai curry! All in all, it was a good evening and well worth sampling!

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Battle of the Blends – 18 years Timourous Beastie vs Rock Oyster

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It was a quiet Sunday late afternoon before Mumbai’s Mahindra Blues Festival. My tasting companion and I were interested in just a light taste or two before we caught the evening’s entertainment.

I thought it would be fun to try side by side a couple of Douglas Laing blends – both 18 year years, both limited edition expressions.

My tasting companion was skeptical – he wasn’t so impressed with the NAS options. So what did we think of the 18 year olds?

Timorous Beastie 18 year Blended Malt 46.8%

  • Nose – Big! Lots of cereals with hay and barley. A sweet lemon curd, honey, settling into lemon pie with a hint of white pepper, vanilla, caramel biscuits
  • Palate – Spicy, yet balances out, red macintosh applies, which then shifts into strawberries and cream
  • Finish – A touch bitter
  • Water – Wonderful! brought out a Tutti Fruitti sweetness with a chocolaty close

The Timorous Beastie is a limited edition malt made with Highland whiskies with the youngest 18 years.

Next up, we shifted to the Islands….

Rock Oyster 18 year Blended Malt 46.8%

  • Nose – It began with a lovely lemon sherbert, joined by a saline, mineral, heavier undertones – like a heavy rye sourdough, then sweet capsicum, candied lemon rind, vanilla ice cream
  • Palate – Vegitative peat, miineralic, lovely mouthfeel
  • Finish – A proper finish, long and strong – like a Highland Park 18 year – sweet peat with subtle saline
  • Revisit – After some time, we revisited the whisky and found it had shifted into cotton candy with a lovely minerality, having both depth and character

Douglas Laing’s Rock Oyster Island blended malt from the islands – Arran, Jura, Islay and Orkney.

These miniatures were shared by the fabulous Whisky Flu – his blog is a must-read for spirits – often going deep into the process of making malty (or other) magic!

Related blends from Douglas Laing previously sampled:

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The Heart Cut #18 – Thomson Manuka Smoke 50.8%

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A KIWI BONFIRE ON THE BEACH, IN A BOTTLE.

Sometimes a description draws you in… and this was clearly the case here. I’ll admit, I’m a bit partial to Thomson whisky. Rachael and Matthew Thomson have created a distinctly New Zealand set of expressions well worth exploring. To find out more, check out what the folks at The Heart Cut have to say about Thomson Distillery HERE.

What makes their “peat” so unique is their use of New Zealand manuka smoke – distinctly different from Scottish peat, yet satisfies a true peaty craving.

The Heart Cut #18 – Thomson 5 year (07 Aug 2019 – 25 Mar 2025) Ex-Bourbon 50.8% 270 50 cl Bottles

  • Nose – Mmmmmmm bacon, charred pineapple, a lovely peat-like sweet, a medicinal whiff, then a wonderful aromatic hickory smoke, followed by chocolate raisins, something a bit herbal with a hint of floral
  • Palate – A great interplay between sweet baked fruits and smoke – in perfect balance! Juicy, chewy, smooth, and well-balanced, resinous, with sweet spices of cinnamon and cloves, joined by some sauna salt
  • Finish – Long-lasting with that lovely hickory-like element

There was real substance here. A unique character that drew us back.

When I revisited it with another friend, it was even more of a hit. We really liked it – with a nice complexity, just a little bit different with each sip.

Alas, our pocket pour was gone too soon… we could have continued to sip and enjoy.

How did our experience compare with The Heart Cut couple? They shared it tastes like:

Thick, aromatic smoke rises first – charred wood, pine resin, and a balsamic note that drifts towards mesquite and sweet birch. Beneath, the fruit opens: pineapple chews, sherbet lemons, and a twist of citrus. On the palate, smoke rolls again, joined by barley sugar and a juicy hit of nectarine and overripe peach. The finish is long, layered, and balanced – sweetness entwined with lingering manuka wood smoke.

Key Takeouts: Charred Wood, Pineapple Chews, Sherbet Lemons, Barley Sugar, Nectarines

The folks at The Heart Cut shared that this whisky made the cut because

This is smoky whisky – but not as you know it. Instead of Scottish peat, Thomson uses native manuka wood (yes, the same tree better known for its honey) to smoke their malt, creating a flavour absolutely unique to New Zealand and a technique that Mat Thomson himself created! The result is oily, herbal, peppery, and deeply resinous, with layers of smoke that linger on. Just as smoke became one of Scotland’s hallmarks, manuka has become one of New Zealand’s – captured here in a single cask, giving us only 270 bottles. Ever.

We would agree on all counts! This is a special dram worth catching if you can!

Curious about the other Pocket Pours we sampled?

What about other explorations of Thomson whiskies?

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The Heart Cut #15 – Starward French Oak 54%

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Our exploration of The Heart Cut wee “pcket pours” continues! From their Barley British blend to a Pomegranate wine cask M&H, we turned our attentions to Australia with Starward.

No stranger to Starward, I had high hopes for a dynamic, red wine-influenced dram. We thoroughly enjoyed their Heart Cut #14, which featured American Oak: Starward (18 Jun 2019 / 29 Aug 2024) Fresh Red Wine Barrique – American Oak 55%

So, we had high expectations of their French Oak focused expression, described by The Heart Cut as:

OUR SECOND STARWARD CASK – THIS TIME SHOWCASING THE MAGIC OF FRENCH OAK.

Elegant and expressive, this whisky is a study in harmony between wood, wine, and whisky making. A red wine cask that delivers depth, spice, and florals in equal measure – it’s juicy, structured, and just plain delicious.

We’ve always been fascinated by the influence of oak – and this cask is a perfect example of what French oak can bring to the table. Where American oak gives lift and sweetness, French oak adds grip, spice, and structure. Paired with a fresh red wine fill, this cask delivers a beautifully layered whisky: floral and elegant up front, rich and indulgent through the middle, with a finish full of warmth and finesse. It’s Starward doing what they do best – taking what’s local, and turning it into something world-class.

On to our experience!

The Heart Cut #15 – Starward (27/08/2018 – 15/10/2024) Fresh Red Wine Barrique – French Oak 54% 312 bottles 50cl

  • Nose – Surprisingly shy at first, then a sweet spice – more specifically, Sri Lankan cinnamon stick, or for others Big Red cinnamon chewing gum, also some red licorice, cherry. It needed some time to open before revealing a sweet almond paste
  • Palate – Lovely. All the flavours come through – fruity, chocolate ginger, creme brule, almond cake
  • Finish – Big flavourful finish with cloves, though not as long as the M&H

Did we enjoy it? Certainly. Then came the temptation to add a bit of water… transformative!

  • Nose – Yes the cinnamon remained yet was joined by a delightful, gentle floral sweetness – think of fragrant cherry blossoms
  • Palate – Richer, deeper with more of the burnt toffee pudding, more candied ginger, then it became a vanilla custard cream, joined by bursts of red berries… with a light dusting of chocolate
  • Finish -Long-lasting finish – juicy and berry fruity!

Marvelous! It was like two related drams in one. We thoroughly enjoyed this expression. Even after it was set aside for some time, it retained its juicy, rewarding character. Delicious!

What more do we know? Georgie and Fabrizio shared more about the casks and its aging:

FRESH RED WINE CASKS

Starward works with casks sourced just hours away from the distillery in the Barossa Valley. Unlike most red wine casks used in whisky (which are dried before transport), these are used fresh, preserving all that juicy, rich character from the wine.

FRENCH OAK

This cask is made from French oak (where #14 was American oak), bringing spicy, grippy tannins and a deeper, more structured complexity. French oak has a tighter grain, and is used for lighter styles of wine by the previous winemakers, so the whisky takes a little longer to mature – but when it hits its stride – like this cask – it’s phenomenal.

We were clearly on a roll with The Heart Cut’s Pocket Pours:

Curious about our other experiences with Starward whiskies? Just check out a few here:

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The Heart Cut #4 – M+H Pomegranate 57%

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I’m no stranger to Milk & Honey distillery from Israel. Most notable was a masterclass at Nürnberg’s The Village in 2024. So when we spotted that The Heart Cut had a pomegranate wine cask Milk & Honey expression? It was pretty easy to hit the order button!

Here’s what they have to say about this whisky:

Israel’s first whisky distillery, M&H encapsulates the flavours and terroirs of its homeland within a bottle, and this whisky does just that. Not only is it fully matured in a pomegranate wine cask, but it’s also spent some of its time maturing in their warehouse by the Dead Sea —the lowest point on earth. A single sip of this whisky instantly transports us back to the Tel Aviv sunshine and its laid-back vibe.

What did we think?

The Heart Cut #4 M&H (26/02/2019 – 26/03/2023) Pomegranate Wine Cask 57%

  • Colour – A deep ruby red
  • Nose – Really interesting. It was strongly sherry-adjacent, sweet, syrupy, treacly, with a compelling intensity. Every once in a while, it was a bit sharp and peppery, then it would settle back into a delicious, textured tart, salty sweetness. We certainly could discern pomegranate influence, a bit of marzipan, cherries, vanilla cola
  • Palate – Burnt caramel, dry wood, then a luscious cherry pie. It was remarkably rounded, heavy, fruity, and even a bit creamy
  • Finish – It had a big, flaming finish – spicy and dry at first, a hit of bitter… a few sips later, we found it settled in, though it remained warming, also had some nice tannins, star anise

What a treat! This was distinct and delicious. The more time in the glass, the more we enjoyed it. This is the kind of whisky that intrigues and delights. A pity they are now sold out.

How did our experience compare with the folks at The Heart Cut? They describe it as SHERRY CASK LOVERS, MEET YOUR NEW FAVOURITE!

Fully matured in a Pomegranate Wine cask. Rich, viscous, and bursting with fruity intensity, a sherry-like whisky with a vibrant twist.

Tastes like:

You know the rich, fruity character you get from a Sherry cask whisky. Turn that up to 11 and layer on fresh pomegranate, baked plums, medjool dates, salted caramel, cherry pie and a thick, unctuous mouthfeel. Then you’re halfway there with this whisky.

Would we agree? Largely yes! And we were happy to have a chance to try it.

What more do we know? Georgie and Fabrizio shared more about the cask and its aging:

POMEGRANATE WINE CASK

Derived from pomegranates, pomegranate wine is an alcoholic beverage often laid to rest and mellow in oak casks. Those ripe pomegranate, roasted coffee + dried fig notes you may detect in this whisky? Yep – that’s what the cask brings to the party.

AGED BY THE DEAD SEA

From February 2021 to July 2022 this cask was relocated from M&H’s Tel Aviv warehouse to their one situated near the Dead Sea. As earth’s lowest point, the Dead Sea presents an exceptionally hot and arid environment, where temperatures frequently soar to 50°C. Within this setting, more water than alcohol evaporates from the cask due to the intense heat and dry humidity. This unique ageing process intensifies the flavour congeners within the cask, and enables it to narrate a compelling story of the diverse terroirs found across Israel.

Curious to explore more? Check out The Heart Cut’s Pocket Pours:

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The Heart Cut X – Barley English Blended Malt 46%

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My tasting companion and I have been on a bit of an English whisky journey – from Cotswolds to The English Whisky Company, Fielden to Lakes Distillery and Wire Works…, However, a blend of five English distilleries? Nope!

Yet this is exactly what The Heart Cut did for their Barley blend, described as:

Five distilleries, one small-batch English Blended Malt. Bursting with the flavours you told us you love in whisky – summer fruits, vanilla cream, and a touch of spice.

What did we think?

The Heart Cut x BARLEY English Blended Malt Whisky 46%

  • Nose – Lots of fresh grains initially, then strawberries, light with a hint of spice, shifts between jammy fruits and agricole hay, finally settling on red berries and cherries
  • Palate – Spicy cinnamon buns! There is a kick at first.. then the spice is joined by delicious berries and cream – yum!
  • Finish – Initially, we thought it was light and short. However, with a revisit, it stayed with a tingly peppermint spice
  • Water – Softens the spice, enhances the cinnamon buns – now buttery slathered in creamy icing, joined by strawberries and raspberries
  • Revisit – Oh, give this one time, and you will be rewarded! Say hello to an enticing strawberry shortcake. Now we get the full gamut of summer fruits, and indeed vanilla cream, with the spice balanced with the sweet

Really rather interesting. There were many elements at play here, yet they all came together in the end! Particularly if one is patient and sets it aside for a bit.

Here is what The Heart Cut team had to say for flavour highlights: Strawberry jam, Thick vanilla cream, Cinnamon buns, Fresh raspberries, Orange blossom

FLAVOUR DEEPDIVE
Barley opens with bright, juicy red berries – strawberry jam and fresh raspberries – followed by a generous wave of thick vanilla cream. Gentle baking spice brings warmth through the mid-palate, before orange blossom lifts the finish with a soft, floral freshness. Rich, vibrant and beautifully balanced, this is English whisky designed to be delicious first and foremost.

Would we agree? On this one, not entirely, yet it was a great start to our evening of The Heart Cut’s Pocket Pours:

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The Heart Cut’s Pocket Pours – Barley, M+H, Starward, Thomson

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Valentine’s seems a fitting time to explore drams from the fabulous indie bottling team –  The Heart Cut. The 2025 Whisky Show is responsible for introducing us to them – and it was love at first pour!

We were so impressed that we walked out with 3 bottles, picked up a 4th just after the show, then decided to add another 3 bottles for our 2027 Bombay Malt & Cigar / Whisky Ladies‘joint tasting.

You would think that would be enough, right? Nope! We simply couldn’t resist adding a quartet of “pocket pours”!

My tasting companion and I sampled these on a lazy evening in Kalote – rural Maharashtra. With the sound of crickets and frogs croaking, punctuated by the occasional bark fest from our dogs and our neighbours, we thoroughly enjoyed our exploration.

A few drops remained, so I brought them back to Mumbai to taste this week with another Whisky Lady.

The links above provide an amalgam of impressions about these Pocket Pours…

And if this isn’t enough… check out the notes for our explorations at the 2025 Whisky Show! It was a bit of an around-the-world tour! From single malts to rye and spirited experiments! The casks reflected a wonderfully eclectic range – from wet red wines to ex-Islay, 250+ year old European oak to new American oak. And the biggest surprise? A Californian Ale Cask! Here are the expressions we experienced:

** Identifies the bottles purchased for a Bombay Malt & Cigar / Whisky Ladies‘ future flight.

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Chorlton – Faemussach 21 year 56%

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One of the true joys of whisky tasting groups is the thrill of unveiling a bottle that’s anything but ordinary—something bold, maybe even a little controversial, guaranteed to ignite lively debate! This Faemussach, bottled by Chorlton, did exactly that. Whilst the distillery is likely BenRiach, the specifics of the cask (or casks) and its 21-year maturation remained a mystery.
With only 313 bottles in existence, unless you already bought this bottle or can track it down via an online auction, you’ll simply have to settle for experiencing vicariously through our impressions!

Faemussach 21 year (2020 / 2022) 56% 313 bottles

  • Nose – It began quite “fresh” – fresh mint, a hint of solventy-sweet glue-like aromas, a bit of rubber, then lemon dishwashing soap. As it opened, it became even sweeter – think juicy raisins, shifting into sweet jasmine flowers, Chinese white tea, more flowers like rajnighanda (tuberose), chrysanthemum, khus, vanilla pod… Every once and a while, out popped smoke, fish oil, and even socks!
  • Palate – What a contrast from the nose! Whilst at first there was a teasing gulkand (sweet rose petal preserve), we also found it quite umami with shitake mushrooms, bitter leaves – more accurately betel leaf – with its fresh, peppery and bitter taste. We also discovered malt extract, hints of smoky peat, resin, and milan supari, cloves and cardamom
  • Finish – Quite pronounced – strong, bitter then sweet paan
  • Water – Whilst it initially brought out even more of the wood character, it also highlighted sweet maple bacon, aniseed, mint, sultana raisins, and oranges
  • Revisit – We set it aside and returned to find it quite smoky, much more so than when initially poured!

This was the most divisive dram of the night! It was bold with diverse elements co-existing – from fresh to umami, sweet to peat, floral perfumes to fish oil. It was very dynamic, and many of our flavour references were specifically Indian, often having no easily translatable equivalent. For example, the best description of the aroma was khus – with its distinctive green, earthy smell.

I expect this will be a whisky that needs time… perhaps some deliberate oxidation. It was simply too active with the first opening and could do with a revisit in a few weeks or more!

What did David (the man behind Chorlton!) have to say? The following is an extract from his email…

So, first up we have Faemussach 21-year-old. This is peated single malt from an undisclosed distillery, which I’m told (although I can’t prove anything!) was Benriach. The slight air of mystery also extends to the cask. The colour suggests sherry, but it could be an unusually active bourbon cask. A few people have tried this now and opinions have been divided.

On the nose I find smouldering charcoal in a cast-iron stove, autumn leaves, mango chutney and orange jelly. Little Gem biscuits (do they still exist?), vanilla pods, leather, green walnuts and banana skins. It really is this shifting mixture of earthy/smoky and sweet/fruity, with “dark” notes of black cardamom, Pontefract cake and lapsang souchong in the background.

The palate is pretty massive, with a wave of fruit (orange, mango, sultanas) and earthy peat (much more resinous and phenolic than outright smoky), then wine cellars and a stroll down the spice aisle (liquorice root, anise, cloves, cassia) and some thick vanilla cream. The finish is really incredibly long, with scorched honey, malt extract and smouldering oily peat.

Adding water makes everything cleaner, a touch more citrussy, and adds some menthol and tar in the finish. It’s also noticeable how much fruitier this gets with time and air. Drams from my now-mostly-empty sample bottle are really different from the first few. Fascinating stuff!

This hogshead (I can say that much safely!) produced 313 bottles at a cask strength of 56.0% and they are available for £105 each.

I would agree with David – there is a real interplay between different elements and our Whisky Ladies with Bombay Malt & Cigar gents were equally divided on this one!

I purchased the Faemussach directly from Chorlton in May 2022, then another via a European distributor.

It closed our special Bold and Beautiful Chorlton quartet with:

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Chorlton – Caol Ila 11 year 60.4%

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These days, I rarely buy peaty whiskies, so when I do, it is a carefully considered decision! Caol Ila is just one of those Islay distilleries that reliably delivers. Known for its balanced approach to peat and sweet, often with light salty sea spray, I knew when Chorlton released this expression in 2022, we just had to try it!

It patiently waited more than 2 1/2 years to join a special evening in Mumbai with the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents!

Here is what we found…

Caol Ila 11 year (7/10/2010 – Mar 2022) 60.4% (281 bottles)

  • Nose – Oh yes! That wonderful, sweet bacon! Meaty with smoky sweet maple notes. Fresh sea breeze… then it shifted from the ocean to the orchard with candy apple – specifically a Macintosh red apple! Then hickory and pine nuts, from sweet grass to walnut. Delicious!
  • Palate – Fresh cut grass, mint, then chives…. Hay and a bit of havaan kund. The 2nd sip began with ashy sandalwood, cedar sauna, steam from water on hot stone! There was a lovely buttery mouthfeel, more delicious bacon, salty and sweet with a chasing of smoke!
  • Finish – Green garlic or leek, long and strong, slowly fading into cinnamon and ginger!
  • Water – Brought out walnut oil, peanut brittle, salty olives
  • Revisit – After setting aside for some time, we went back to the glass – that fabulous maple drizzled bacon was back – yeah!

A classic Caol Ila at its very best! At the same time, it was also such fun! For many, this was the preferred dram of the evening!

What did the man behind Chorlton (David) have to say? The following is an extract from his email..

And lastly we have an 11-year-old Caol Ila. This is another surprisingly active hogshead like last year’s 12yo release, but goes off in a much different direction.

So, on the nose: camphor, wood smoke, green apple sweets, oysters and smoked mussels, plus a light waft of something medicinal. The longer it breathes the sweeter and fruitier it gets, with smoky cherries and red fruits, plus a bit of cough syrup.

The palate has a combo of ashy smoke and sweet fruitiness that’s quite lipsmacking (if this was a SMWS release I’d call it “Tutti-frutti Bonfire”). The development is long, with tarry smoke, coastal salt and olives alongside the fruit. Adding water makes everything feel a bit more “classical” Caol Ila: clean, coastal (crab and seaweed), slightly herbal, lemony.

I purchased this in June 2022 from Whisky.base for EUR 89 plus shipping.

This Caol Ila was part of a special Bold and Beautiful Chorlton quartet – bringing the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents together with:

Curious to explore more? We’ve had some delightful experiences with Caol Ila over the years!

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