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/
My review on the Caol Ila 25 can be found on: http://maltandoak.com/caol-ila-25-maturity-suits-this-dram-well/
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