Caol Ila 10 Year Old 2005 Gordon & Macphail Reserve for Belgium

This Caol Ila hit the Belgian market last year. The single cask was bottled for my little country, 233 bottles strong.

At first whiff, the nose does not really remind me of Caol Ila. The maritime elements stay away and the bourbon cask does all the talking. Think vanilla, pears, marzipan and coconut. Something that reminds me of stale beer (not an off-note!) and white chocolate. Surprisingly sweet. A tiny little bit of smoke in the background.

De neus doet in eerste instantie alvast niet aan Coal Ila denken. De maritieme trekjes blijven achterwegen en vooral het bourbonvat spreekt. Denk vanille, peren, marsepein en kokosnoot. Iets dat me aan verschaald bier doet denken (geen off-note!) en witte chocolade. Verrassend zoet. Enkel op de achtergrond een beetje rook.

The finish continues in this fashion and slowly dies. The sweetness lingers, while the saltiness fades away.

Lovely Caol Ila, although I prefer it a little less sweet.

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