Whisky: Caol Ila 24 Year (1984), Signatory Vintage Cask 6249

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 53%

Cask: Hogshead

Age: 24 Years (Distilled 12 Dec. 1984, Bottled 26 Aug. 2009)

Nose: Maritime and medicinal with a touch of barnyard musty funk, perhaps a coastal pasture; old bonfires and snuff boxes carried wispy smoke and herbal tobacco, a touch of mint interspersed with charred heather and beach grass; floral, vaguely medicinal, elements filtered in the background.

Palate: Medium-bodied, coastal, and herbal with wispy smoke and char from an old bonfire or grassfire; dried grass with only a touch of musty barn and cattle, burnt medicinal herbs and dried grass, a touch of older tractor tires and engine grease toward the end.

Finish: Medium to long and maritime with dried grass and a hint of orange rind.

Score: 8-9 (90)

Mental Image: Parlay of the Buccaneering Bovines

Narrative & Notes: Coastal cattle convocations occurred with salty mineral-tinged sea breezes, musty animals and grass, wispy old bonfire smoke, and a touch of funky dried cow paddies. Herbal and almost medicinal at times with old snuff boxes, tobacco, mint, slightly floral singed heather, and dry strands of beach grass. The aroma gestured vividly toward bucolic coastal pastures and cobalt horizons. The palate was much the same, medium-bodied with a crisp maritime brine, gentle medicinal herbs, and mild wispy smoke. Lively for something so old and bottled so long ago with plenty of singed medicinal herbs, earth, dried grass, and a lighter touch of musty barnyard— horse blankets and hay perhaps. A touch of something dirtier and more industrial at the end with old tractor tires, dirty garage rags, and machine grease. The finish was medium to long with coastal salinity, dried grass, and a hint of orange rind.

I picked this up a few years ago on my birthday— incredibly I stumbled across three of these old Signatory Vintage bottles that day. They had almost certainly been hiding in a box in the back of a store for a decade, and I could not believe my good fortune.  This is the last of the trio I grabbed that year, and thankfully, they have all been excellent.  I might be a bit biased in wanting to love the special bottles I found on my birthday, though.

This Caol Ila was a bit shy the first time I poured it, but the volume increased on future pours as additional layers beyond the maritime and acrid elements coalesced into distinctive earthy, herbal, and grassy elements. The palate remained a touch more chaotic than excellent the nose with a unique combination of flavors vaguely similar to 80s Bowmore, early 2000s Port Charlotte, and then classic mature Caol Ila.  That sounds like a potentially amazing blend and one that will surely never happen, given the rarity of the ingredients.

Overall, I love 1980s Caol Ila and this was a fantastic example. I first opened it up for a special occasion and it lived up to the moment.  It was even better on subsequent visits.