Whisky : Caol Ila 8 Year, Single Cask Nation

Country/Region : Scotland/Islay

ABV : 61.4%

Cask : Refill Oloroso Butt

Age : 8 Year (Distilled Jan. 2011, Bottled No. 2019)

Nose :  Meaty and sweet with brown sugar cured bacon, dried plums, smoked cheese, and lingonberry jam.  Subtle notes of milk chocolate and candied bacon along with coastal notes of tarred ropes.

Palate :  Medium bodied and oily with a fruity, meaty profile.  Notes of plums and cassis jumped right out followed by roasted pork, apple sauce, fruity chutney, and Swedish meatballs.  More subtle notes of ash and dried wood hung in the background.

Finish : Lingering char and fruit.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Ikea Food Court

Notes :  This reminded me strongly of the one and only time I have been in an Ikea.  Though I wasn’t hungry I still went to the foodcourt to get meatballs and lingonberry having heard it was amazing.  It was pretty good for a furniture store and the Ikea in Brooklyn had a lovely view of Manhattan across the water.  It was a fun stop much as this dram was a fun pour.

Overall, this felt a bit simple at times and veered a bit too much into a fruity saccharine profile that felt slightly sticky and almost a bit rotten when more of the smoke/ash notes appeared.  While I thought this dram felt quite thick the first time I poured it, subsequent tastings always left me feeling as though it was not as thick as I remembered.  If the finish had been a bit longer I probably would have scored this up another rung or two on the ladder.