Caol Ila 25 Year Old (Official Bottling)

42% ABV, £130-165 for 70cl

Score: 85/100

What they say:

Launched in 2010 this is a 25 Year Old Caol Ila bottled at 43% ABV

Official Tasting Notes
Appearance: Full gold, medium viscosity.
Aroma: Without water, sweet-spicy, fresh sea air notes with hints of preserved fruit, perhaps. Adding a little water brings up subtle, fragrant, polished wood.
Palate: Without water, immediately sweet and fruity with balancing bitterness. As befits its age, the trademark smoky-medicinal character of Caol Ila is controlled. Good mouth-feel. Adding water gives a sweeter start, then a light smokiness elegantly envelopes the palate. Sweetly drying overall. Medium bodied, elegant and smooth.
Finish: Quite long, sweetly drying, with more smoke coming through. Pleasant aftertaste.

What I say:

Our 3rd dram in the Caol Ila Warehouse tasting room was their 25 Years Old expression (2nd bottle from right)

Colour:

Full refractive gold

Nose:

Vaporous, sweet, sea spray, copper metallic, melon and cucumber

Taste:

Initially watery before developing a spicy hit, this is full of vanilla and coconut custard cream, hints of peat and antiseptic

Finish:

More vanilla cream, long but very tame

Would I buy it:

This is super-smooth but very one-dimensional, compared to the beautiful cask strength expressions we had been trying at Caol Ila this one was just a little watery and tame. Wonderful if you like smooth whisky, but sadly just a bit too tame for us to love it.

Don’t take my word for it:

http://whiskyisrael.co.il/2015/02/05/caol-ila-25-yo-ob-review/

http://www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com/2010/06/25/caol-ila-25/

http://www.awardrobeofwhisky.com/post/review-of-caol-ila-25-years-old#.VNOeFJ1FCUk

http://maltandoak.com/caol-ila-25-maturity-suits-this-dram-well/