Caol Ila 18 Year (2017 Special Release)

Oaky vanilla on the nose. Spicy and more vanilla oak on the palate. A spicy lingering finish. Very nice.

Loved it. Caramel, vanilla, burnt orange peel, fresh cracked black pepper, and a bit of golden raisins. Lots of power, with flavor that pops but is very smooth at the same time. This is the cask strength, unpeated bottling - very different than typical Caol Ila.

Unpeated Caol Ila?! Is this possible? Well, let’s find out. Trying it neat first. Nose: the light smoke and briny smell hit the nose first and then it evolved into salted caramel with charred oak, the vanilla slowly but surely came through with dried fruits hanging at the back, hmmm fragrant and fantastic smell! Palate: surprisingly light and fruity to start out with, then bang the pepper and heat came with tender sweetness. Finish: long, citrus, vanilla, smoky and trace of bitter. Several drops of water later... More creamier and fruity, sweeter also on the nose. Noticeably sweeter, bitter honey and oakier on palate. 95 on the nose easily, such such wonderful nose! The not so complex palate seems a little bit lacking compared to the nose. Overall a fantastic dram. Did I mention the price?? $100 USD for a bottle, such a bargain! Highly impressive unpeated Caol Ila release!

This was an instant purchase. It's rare to find a limited release from 2017, no matter what the distillery. Unpeated Caol Ila also sounded interesting. I know this is the stuff they generally blend into Johnny Walker. 18 years old and cask strength for $100? Absolute no-brainer. Nose: Hot. Even for a 59.8% ABV malt. An absolute blaze of cinnamon red hots and sulfur, with some baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove.) This dissipates greatly with time in the glass and the other notes become detectable. Behind that there's some toffee, malt, honey, butterscotch, and vanilla. There's a sweet bready note like croissant or soda bread. Squeezed lime, orange peel, cucumber, and maybe even some agave. Floral and oaky. Initially, it was way too hot. But given some time, it's actually pretty damn pleasant. Palate: Floral and fruity in the way that Highland malts often are. Apple, pear, and apricot lead the way. Some plum and blackberry as well. Salted caramel, toffee, cola, and butterscotch. The citrus is all orange and clementine now. And heaps of sea salt. Typically, I only pick that up in peated malts. This joins the Old Pulteneys as the only other Scotches that feature that note. Fantastic palate. Finish: More fruit. Apple, pear, apricot, plum, blackberry. It's a nice continuation of the palate there. More of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove baking spice notes. Salted caramel and sea salt mixed in. Toss in a little sun-dried tomato. Long finish, as you'd expect of a gargantuan whisky like this. 59.8% hits like a truck, and in the best way possible. Fair warning, give this its due time to settle. It starts off a bit rough around the edges, but blossoms into one of the most delicious and unique whiskies I've ever had. It starts off hot as hell, but time transforms this into a whisky that has no comparison. I try not to throw 5-star ratings around frivolously. This one earns that by being completely unlike anything I've ever had, in the best way possible. This is a generational-whisky. It fully encompasses the full range of Scotch. It plays the role of a remarkably nuanced Islay and an unbelievably dense and enjoyable mainland malt. You really get the best of both worlds with this one. And for the low entry price of a C-note? I can barely get a mediocre 18-year old for this cheap. And this blows the competition out of the water. I think I've said enough. If you like whisky, buy this on sight. And if you've ever viewed Caol Ila as a mere blended Scotch contributor, forget that, This is the real deal.