Caol Ila 14 Year Small Batch (Cadenhead's)

Purchased 9/27/2018. Killed 3/25/19. Caol Ila Cadenhead 14 years old 54.4% ABV Distilled 2000 Bottled 2015 Bourbon Hogshead Price: 105 USD Limited to 144 bottles There are some independent bottlers that have just mastered a specific distillery. Gordon & MacPhail and Mortlach; Signatory and Clynelish; and Cadenhead and Caol Ila. Every bottle of Caol Ila from Cadenhead is a masterpiece, worthy of an immediate purchase. Reminiscent of Port Ellen, but a lot cheaper, Cadenhead Caol Ila’s manage to take repulsive notes and flavors, and make them irresistible. This 14 year old smells like wet socks and toenail fungus. I hate stinky cheese, but this somehow combines quite well with the heavy citrus, brine, and chocolate of a more typical Scotch. I also get limencello, which I hate, but this is made beautiful with the antiseptic notes. The peat is gently smoky, but heavily chemical with chlorine, iodine, and formaldehyde. It’s creamy as well, like freshly made banana juice with a spritz of lemon and a dash of salt. Towards the end of the bottle, there was a good amount of barrel sediment, and the finish became too oaky and metallic, but a splash of water fixed this, leaving you with roasted peanuts, incense fragrance, and the faint hints of a juicy, medically pickled cadaver. I hope I properly turned you off, because I want these bottles to remain on the shelves for me. Rating (price not factored): 94 / 100 Purchase satisfaction (price factored): 5 / 5