Caol Ila 8 Year Old 2011 Asta Morris

In the weeks of the release of a great Miltonduff 2011, Glentauchers 2009 and Glen Keith 1994, Asta Morris also launched another sherry matured Caol Ila. Guess what? Most retailers showed ‘sold out’ before it hit the shelves. Oh, well. Luckily I was able to get a sample from a friend in Holland. I put it head-to-head with last year’s release.

The nose is very sweet with hardly any maritime elements. The sherry cask was clearly king and offers chocolate with praline filling, walnut liqueur, chewing tobacco and old leather. While it is most likely a sister cask of #AM55 that was launched a few months ago, it is pretty different.

The arrival is not only very powerful, but also very spicy. Think cloves and nutmeg, even some curry powder. Then the dark and sweet fruit kicks in, but the plums and raisins are having a hard time beating the salty, peaty spirit. The result is quite the party on your palate. Roasted nuts and some ashes complete the picture.

The finish is nicely long, warm and spicy.

Stunning! The best of what the combination sherry and peat have to offer. Just a tad better than its predecessor. And a bottle was only 75 EUR. But like I said, completely sold out. Darn! Who can help me obtain a bottle of this?

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