Caol Ila 15 Year (2008), Dramfool Cask 313322

A sibling cask to the other bottles from Dramfool in this series, this one was finished in a Sauterenes wine barrique. I love the combination of peat and sauterenes, so I have high hopes coming into this dram!

Whisky: Caol Ila 15 Year (2008), Dramfool Cask 313322

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 57.7%

Cask: Sauternes Wine Barrique Finish

Age: 15 Years (Distilled 4 July 2008)

Notes: Maritime and smokey with an understated sweetness and big dose of oak— the aroma hit me like the extra salty wind off a storm tossed sea as I hunkered down by the fire. Lacquered wood and the sweet spice of burning incense kept me warm with mothballs, vanilla, camphor, bergamot, and bitter orange rind. Plenty of time to rest allowed musty damp grass and vaguely barn-like notes to surface— a London Fog tea latte to ride out the storm? Medium-bodied on the palate, a tannic heft arrived a load of lacquered wood, incense, and fine antiques. Acacia koa and sandalwood came to the fore with caramelized sugars and dense plum puddings. A touch of orange rind and treacle arrived with more spirited pepper and, with water, a hint of musty barn and wet sheep. The finish was long and peppery with a spirited tingle, orange rind, and drying tannic astringency.

Score: 6 (78)

Mental Image: Cozy in the Barn Loft

Conclusion: I was a split on this— there was some lovely elements, and a great progression between different flavor elements, but it was also very spirited and woody. I am perhaps a bit more wood sensitive than most, so your mileage may vary, but the final cask provided loads of woody tannins and flavor notes, but not as much of the sauternes influence as I expected. I wondered if it cooked in the cask a bit too long with the hope that more of the wine influence would come through.

Overall, a fun whisky, and perhaps one that will change considerably once opened and given enough time. I would expect more of those woody tannins to soften and the spirit to settle (a reminder that time and air are not the enemy of all whiskies and not all changes are negative).