Chaos Batch #1

Name-wise this is very apt considering what North Star Spirits already bottled with Spica, Vega and Sirius. All of them are references to the galaxy. Chaos was, after all, what came after the Big Bang. In this case it’s a whisky composed with three casks of Caol Ila. Two PX hogsheads that were put to sleep in 2010 and a refill hogshead that was filled in 2009. After vatting they yielded no less than 1.200 bottles of single malt at 50%. Hmmm… subtle nose in which the typical character of Caol Ila (shells on the beach, citrus fruit, oyster sap and a hint of stock fish) is nicely wrapped in a blanket of warm sweetness. It also sports some herbal and medicinal traits as well as bacon on the barbecue against mango and blood oranges. Finally some freshly ground coffee beans and some dark chocolate. Keeps a nice balance between salt and sweet, but the maritime character finally dominates. Nicely oily and good strength. Off to a good start. It’s a great continuation of the nose with some brackish water, peat, lemon juice, smoked salmon and a drop of olive oil upholstered with dried apricots, a handful of nuts and even some raisins. Again salt versus sweet, but on the palate it’s the sweet side that captures most of the attention. Wonderful, medium long finish with a good smokiness. Towards the end a nice bitter note appears, leaving your mouth dry. Ah, Caol Ila, how I love you. There is also a second batch, also a vatting of three casks, albeit oloroso. But what a lovely price tag: 50 EUR.