Slainte-Mhath
Caol Ila 30 Year (2014 Special Release)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
March 5, 2017 (edited March 5, 2024)
Oh. My. God. On our whisky journey, there eventually comes a moment where we instantly realize: this is it. The one single malt we have always been looking for. Caol Ila 30 is the crown of the distillery's OB (bottle no. 0181, 55.1% ABV). Smoldering bonfire smoke, zesty citrus fruits and notes of an old, earthy salt cellar enchant the nose. On the palate, the sweet and sour arrival migrates towards vegetal peatiness with well-balanced, mildly bitter wood spices. And the finish? Excellent. Intense, aromatic and slowly abating. Dare I say perfect? Slàinte!
RATING: 5.0/5.0 stars ≙ 95 pts → PERFECT
549.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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Re-reviewed in 08/2018: Those who follow my reviews know that I don't give high scores very often. I was afraid to be disappointed when I re-tasted Caol Ila 30 yo after about a year, but boy it's as good as it was. Of more than 500 whiskies which I have tasted, this is by far the best. Intense, complex and a true delight, catapulting you into whisky heaven. Only Yamazaki 25 yo came close to it, but it costs about 10x as much. Is this Single Malt worth the 500-600 €? Every. Single. Cent.
I was officially jealous of Slainte months ago, when he tried the Yamazaki Sherry 2016. This just accentuates it 😊
Ok... Officially jealous!