Whisky: Caol Ila 10 Year (2011), Single Malts of Scotland

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 61.9%

Cask: Sherry Butt

Age: 10 Years (Distilled 10 Jan. 2011, Bottled 13 Jan. 2021)

Nose: Maritime, meaty, and herbal. Clean salt air carried notes of meaty bacon and smoked seafood. Grilled oysters sizzled over charcoal, letting off a salty mineral smoke. Seashells, heather, and an underlying herbaceous quality appeared almost effervescent at times with champagne vinegar, citrus, and glazed donuts.

Palate: Medium-bodied and maritime with meat, cream, and herbal spice. Salt and citrus rolled across the palate to announce grilled shellfish and dynamite oysters— the kind you might find covered in garlic Japanese mayo, citrus, and caramelized by a blow torch. The sweet salt cream gradually released its hold as herbal tinctures, pepper, cigar box, and lemon peel lingered through the finish. Water brought out more minerality with a cloud of herbal smoke and hints of damp hay.

Finish: Lingering herbal smoke and salty shorelines.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Dyn-O-Mite Oysters on a Kaitenzushi Express

Notes: A simple yet effective Caol Ila, Islay’s biggest distillery, is nothing if not consistent. This dram was brimming with typical Caol Ila citrus, sea, and an underlying herbal quality. It was clearly not matured in a first-fill sherry butt; I imagine it had been reused several times at this point, considering its minimal influence on the malt. If you were looking for a sherry bomb, this was not it. That is not a complaint; in fact, I love it when a sherry cask nudges flavors, in this instance elevating some of the maritime meat and fruit rather than bludgeoning the dram to the point it becomes unrecognizable.

While this was a tad on the simple side, it was very effective. It was a bit like a guy who shows up to a party with a guitar but only knows four songs. It is a bit weird he keeps replaying the same songs over and over, but damn if he doesn’t play them well. There was not a lot of hidden depth here, though water did bring out a stronger minerality that elevated some of the maritime notes on the palate.

Overall, a beautifully maritime Caol Ila that certainly felt as though it originated from a more lightly peated distillation run. It was a tad sweet for my taste at times, but the sum total of the nose and palate was incredibly enjoyable. Caol Ila is one of those few distilleries that can seemingly be excellent at any age, and this was a great example.