Caol Ila 13 Year Old Signatory

A young Caol Ila at a cask strength of no less than 59,9%? That surely must give fireworks. It was bottled in the Signatory Cask Strength Collection, in one of those beautiful decanters that grandma uses to keep her olive oil in afterwards. Let us get to work!

The nose is surprisingly soft for such an alcohol bomb. And very salty. The coastal character is obvious, but the peat is light and discreet. The sea salt and pickled fish outnumber the fruit, that manifests itself in the form of pear and lime. Adding water turns the tables and makes this a sweet dram. The fruit is then flanked by caramel.

When tasting this, the alcohol speaks first. Prickly, but not scorching, it crawls across the taste buds. The sweetness dominates and forces the salt to second row. Citrus, peel included, and a touch of caramel. Midpalate, the salt and peat are fed up and push themselves back to the front. With water, the sweetness keeps the lead.

The finish is long, warm, slightly drying and a veritable clash between sweet and salt. Sweet wins.

This is a phenomenal Caol Ila. Both with and without water, it is very accessible. I prefer with a few drops of water.

Find where to buy Caol Ila whisky