Whisky: Caol Ila 34 Year (1982), Cadenhead’s

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 60.1%

Cask: Bourbon Hogshead

Age: 34 Years (Distilled 1982, Bottled 2016)

Nose: Earthy and maritime with slightly funky paper, glue, brine, and vegetal notes; minerals and earth with maritime meats, fresh shellfish.

Palate: Medium-bodied, oily with sweet maritime meats, shellfish, tobacco smoke, orange citrus, engine oil, grass, minerals and earth with coastal pepper.

Finish: Long with wood, coastal beaches, pepper, and hints of tropical citrus.

Score: 8 (89)

Mental Image: Coastal Cottage Fantasy

Narrative & Notes: The aroma began with memories of a Middle School art room full of modeling clay and papier-mâchén with hints of something saltier and more vegetal lurking in the background.  Anchovies and capers popped from the background with meaty brine and a touch of funk.  Minerals and earth lingered in the background with a clean coastal crispness alongside fresh shellfish.  Medium-bodied on the palate with an oily viscosity that carried sweet maritime meats, shellfish, and tobacco smoke.  A steampunk flying shrimp trawler perhaps?  Hallabong and orangey citrus lingered in the background with engine oil and dank grass.  More shellfish and minerals arrived toward the end with a clean coastal brine and pepper.  The finish was long with driftwood, beach sand, pepper, and hints of tropical citrus.

This was suggested as a companion pour for the 1984 Caol Ila I reviewed last time, something that took classic Caol Ila notes and turned them up another notch. That was exactly what this delivered and the other Caol Ila felt much weaker after trying this— as if it had been just the opening act for the main event.

Overall, excellent.  This had an incredible richness through the earthy and maritime meaty elements with good, clean transitions between different elements.  If the bottle did not give the cask as ex-bourbon, I could easily have been convinced this was a refill sauternes.