Caol Ila 11 Year Old 2008 Brachadair

Belgian bottler Brachadair released a Caol Ila 2008 earlier this year. A young animal to be sure, but we all know that Caol Ila can be quite beautiful at young age. I am looking forward to this one. It is another very pale Caol Ila.

The nose is very young indeed, but powerful. Immediately peaty wish ashes, hay, oak and dried seaweed, upholstered with apples, vanilla and honey. Diesel fumes, butane gas, mud. Sound awful, smells great. This Caol Ila may be young, it certainly has balls.

Ooh, delicious. It dances on the palate. A great dirty edge too. The peat wraps itself around your tongue, dusts it with a big dose of sea salt and then – almost as an afterthought – drops some apples and lemons. Very maritime and simply grand.

The finish is long, sweet and salty at the same time (mostly salty, though) and dry.

A textbook example of wat young, somewhat dirtly Caol Ila should be. You can get a bottle for around 90 EUR. Do not hesitate.

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