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Caol Ila 15 Year Old 1998 Samaroli

Sweet Smoke

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@markjedi1Review by @markjedi1

10th Jun 2014

0

Caol Ila 15 Year Old 1998 Samaroli
  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    90

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Samaroli is something of an iconic bottler that has released many a wonderful cask. I first tried this Caol Ila from 1998 at a whisky festival and took home a sample, that I try today with a lot of gusto, since it was one of the highlights of the festival for me.

Wonderfully sweet, ashes infused nose. Loads of fish and linseed oil, white fruit, lemon juice and wet rocks. Soft on the spices (some aniseed), but quite punchy despite the low ABV. After a few moments, some stockfish kicks in, but then it again travels down the sweet lane with some vanilla and hints of candied pineapple and apricots. And then some white chocolate shines through. Complexity, anyone?

Soft and sweet on the palate, mildly creamy and mouthcoating. The sweetness arrives first, immediately followed by a grand smokiness. Mild tannins, but it remains more than juicy enough thanks to the white and yellow fruit. Ashes return and give it a grainy feel on the tongue if you know what I mean.

Wonderful finish, albeit not very long, on sweet smoke and citrus.

Another Caol Ila that goes straight to my heart. One to make you feel like you want to lick the glass clean. Delicious.

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5 comments

@vanPelt
vanPelt commented

Darn, this webpage links to the wrong whisky (Caol Ila Samaroli)! connosr.com/reviews/ballechin/… It should be Ballechin #8 Sauternes...! I also wanted to ask whether you've tried the new Ballechin 10...

10 years ago 0

@markjedi1
markjedi1 commented

@vanPelt, yes I have tried the new Ballachin 10 and those nose will follow shortly.

10 years ago 0

@vanPelt
vanPelt commented

Darn, it would still be nice to read the correct Ballechin review, currently unaccessible...

9 years ago 0

@markjedi1
markjedi1 commented

@vanPelt, let me help you. These are my notes on the Ballechin 8 Sauternes. NOSE: The nose starts on peat and nut oil, a touch of tar and smoldering fire, before the fruity notes emerge. Think gooseberry and peach. A slice of pineapple and some honey. Very pleasant. PALATE: It is a lot fruitier on the palate than it was on the nose. The nuts and the fruit from the nose get company from mango and apricots and with some imagination even kiwi. The whole is neatly wrapped in a very smoky and spicy blanket. Nicely sweet on the one hand, wonderfully smoky on the other. Honey, again, and not a little bit. The sweet dessert wine works wonders with the peat in this case. FINISH: In the medium long finish, the nuts shine through the peat for a moment. COMMENT: Not the most complex of Ballechin, but surely one of the best. A top whisky. Who would have thought?

9 years ago 0