Caol Ila 27 Year Old 1983 Wilson & Morgan

Did you know that Caol Ila is the largest distillery on Islay? She has a mash tun of 13 tonnes, 8 washbacks and 6 stills (3 pairs). The bulk of production goes into Johnnie Walker, no kidding, but this 27 year old cask was bottled in Italy by Wilson & Morgan. It sticks to the glass.

The nose is surprisingly sweet and slightly medicinal. Some smoked ham, sprinkled with lemon juice. Not that I would ever do that, but you know what I mean. Very creamy, by the way. I get some white fruit and gooseberries, but the leading aroma is kiwi. After some patience, I could swear that I smelled pancakes flambéed. Rather complex!

It is immediately very prickly on the tongue. Creamy and very peppery. Salty, too. Apart from citrus and kiwi, I also get some banana. The smokiness is countered perfectly by the sweetness. Some oak in the mix and you get a wonderfully balanced and quaffable Islay malt. Add water? No, thanks.

The finish is long and smoky, with sweetness and salt deadlocked until the very end.

If you missed the great 27 Year Old Caol Ila by QV.ID, this is the next best thing. Around 140 EUR. Thanks, Jeroen, for the sample. You can still find this bottle in his shop. Do not hesitate.

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