How did summer turn into fall so quickly? Only three months ago there were six of us hurtling our way through the Scottish coastal towns and islands. While on Islay we visited all the distilleries even if only for a few minutes to run through the gift shop and sample some fine whiskies. Todd's excellent planning allowed for a whisky and food pairing at Caol Ila. We took a brief tour of the place and sat down in one of the old buildings surrounded by cooper's tools and barrels.
*Caol Ila 12yr 43%ABV 12ppm phenol - Blue Cheese
-smelled lightly peaty with leather and grass
-with cheese the smokiness increased
-less peppery
-with water - peat and smoke with an earthly smell
-tasted sweet bread/pastry and peat sour
The cheese really smoothed this whisky out.
*Caol Ila 25yr Bourbon Cask -Shropshire Blue Cheese
-smelled a tinge of peat with soft candy like taffy
-still a grassy scent
-tasted butter cookie and peat
-with cheese - sweet cookie that trailed to pepper
-with water - smelled light grass
-tasted a tinge rubbery with very little peat
-went quickly to peppery oak
*Caol Ila MOCH (Dawn in Gaelic) NAS Bourbon Cask - Chocolate w/Lemongrass
-smelled oaky with peat and band aid
-tasted sweet on the tongue, tasted bread
-citrusy with slight floral tones
-with chocolate tasted lemony with pepper
-with water - less citrus and more grass
*Caol Ila Cask Strength 2013 15yr - Chocolate, Salted Caramel
(Bourbon 12yrs/Muscatel wine 6 mnths/Bourbon 2.5yrs)
-smelled cherry syrup with a tinge of peat
-tasted dry wine fruity
-trailed to pepper oak quickly!
-with chocolate - creamy vanilla and cherry
-ended peaty
-with water - smelled peat and grass
-tasted cherry filled chocolate
-trailed to peat and oak
The chocolate and the water sweetened this one up quite a bit.
*Caol Ila 15yr Unpeated Cask Strength 2014
-smelled vanilla sweet with some oak
-tasted peppery oak with sweet vanilla in the middle
-trailed oak
-with water smelled citrusy, lemon bar
-tasted peppery citrus
-had a dryness like wine
-trailed very quickly to oak
-smelled lightly peaty with leather and grass
-with cheese the smokiness increased
-less peppery
-with water - peat and smoke with an earthly smell
-tasted sweet bread/pastry and peat sour
The cheese really smoothed this whisky out.
*Caol Ila 25yr Bourbon Cask -Shropshire Blue Cheese
-smelled a tinge of peat with soft candy like taffy
-still a grassy scent
-tasted butter cookie and peat
-with cheese - sweet cookie that trailed to pepper
-with water - smelled light grass
-tasted a tinge rubbery with very little peat
-went quickly to peppery oak
*Caol Ila MOCH (Dawn in Gaelic) NAS Bourbon Cask - Chocolate w/Lemongrass
-smelled oaky with peat and band aid
-tasted sweet on the tongue, tasted bread
-citrusy with slight floral tones
-with chocolate tasted lemony with pepper
-with water - less citrus and more grass
*Caol Ila Cask Strength 2013 15yr - Chocolate, Salted Caramel
(Bourbon 12yrs/Muscatel wine 6 mnths/Bourbon 2.5yrs)
-smelled cherry syrup with a tinge of peat
-tasted dry wine fruity
-trailed to pepper oak quickly!
-with chocolate - creamy vanilla and cherry
-ended peaty
-with water - smelled peat and grass
-tasted cherry filled chocolate
-trailed to peat and oak
The chocolate and the water sweetened this one up quite a bit.
*Caol Ila 15yr Unpeated Cask Strength 2014
-smelled vanilla sweet with some oak
-tasted peppery oak with sweet vanilla in the middle
-trailed oak
-with water smelled citrusy, lemon bar
-tasted peppery citrus
-had a dryness like wine
-trailed very quickly to oak
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