It feels as though the vast majority of Special Release whiskies from Diageo are in the low teens, with maybe one bottle in the twenties and priced at a premium. Way back in 2014, the Special Release line up featured this incredible Caol Ila which spent three decades in refill American and European oak. Sadly, not my everyday fare!

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Whisky: Caol Ila 30 Year (1983), Special Release 2014

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 55.1%

Cask: Refill American and European Oak

Age: 30 Years (Distilled 1983, Bottled 2014)

Notes: Maritime and rich, the aroma carried me past waving grass, sandalwood chests, bleached corals and driftwood to gaze at the open sea. An industrial quality came into focus, salt crusted fishing boats, rubber buoys, tar, and creosote— though soft and somewhat distant from my vantage point. Ginger and sesame biscuits hung in the background with a bit of smoked fish and snuff boxes. Medium-bodied on the palate, the flavors were similar, though the industrial dirtiness was more in focus and closer to the fore. Tar and rust with kelp, barnacles, and algae— more the impression of walking by the active docks than slipping down to scrape the sides of an old boat. Citrus arrived late on, a touch of concentrated pineapple and mango juice from a tin, though watered down, and blessed with some salty brine. The finish was long and drying as a tannic woodiness emerged from further in the background.

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Score: 8 (87)

Mental Image: Harbor Watching from the Dunes

Conclusion: I am not sure any Islay whisky levels up quite so much with age as Caol Ila. They all change with time, often mellowing out and gaining more depth as some of the more boisterous notes settle. Yet., the floor rises with Caol Ila in a way that it does not with other distilleries. The others may still have higher ceilings, and old Caol Ila is wonderful, but the others seem to have deeper valleys.

This was mellow and enjoyable with clearly defined layers and a fine evolution from beginning to end that always toed closer to the dirtier side of the Caol Ila spectrum. It was a touch woody for my taste though, especially on the finish.  Overall, delicious stuff, though I seem a bit cooler on it than the WB consensus.