Caol Ila 34 Year Old 1982 Cadenhead Small Batch

Here is another Caol Ila from Cadenhead,b ut a lot older than the one I just tried, bottled a cask strength. It was released for the 10th anniversary of The Nectar and presented at the Spirits in the Sky whisky festival in Brussels in November 2016. Mark Watt was quite persistent that I should try this. Who am I to tell him no? Whilte the typical maritime elements are in fact present on the nose, they are tucked away in the back, hiding out behind a truckload of tropical fruitiness! Apples and oranges, pineapple, grapefruit, peach, mango, gooseberry and loads more. It becomes quite creamy as if someone just dropped a dollop of honey in my glass. This is good fun. Sweet, but fun. It is surprisingly soft for its ABV. Still wonderfully sweet and tropical, but now a mineral and salty side emerge. The development of smoke is barely noticeable. Rather rough, as if I have some pebbles in my mouth. Some tannins. Bittersweet as if from grapefruit. From the second sip on, it becomes quite spicy. I love every drop of it. Wonderfully long finish, in which the typical maritime character of Caol Ila leaves the fruit behind, but at the death I suddenly get a touch of… perfume?! Mighty Caol Ila, in which the peat has been all but matured away to the advantage of the tropical fruit. Around 300 EUR. That’s right.

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