Whisky you might have missed: Caol Ila 11 Year Old 2007 Single Cask
Buy Caol Ila 11 Year Old 2007 Single Cask from Master of Malt now.
There comes a point in every whisky drinker’s life when exhaustion sets in.
“Matured in an ex-mezcal-tinctured IKEA bookshelf.”
“Matured in casks that once held Sardinian orange wine for a week before being turned into candle holders”.
“A limited edition aged in Tokaji casks, Armagnac casks, and the tears of a brand manager.”
A little respect for the spirit, please
Cask finishing has become a bit of an arms race. The intention can be noble. Explore flavour, push boundaries. But too often it feels like a distraction dressed up as innovation. A cover-up. A way to slap Limited Edition! on a bottle and charge above the odds.
What we’ve got here is the antidote to all that. A Caol Ila just being Caol Ila. It’s character-led, full stop.
The next instalment in the Whisky You Might Have Missed series is Caol Ila 11 Year Old 2007 Single Cask.
Quality casks should be used to enhance a whisky, not hide it
A single cask with no finish and no apology
Distilled in 2007, this single malt was left to do its thing in a single bourbon cask for 11 years.
It was then filled into just 108 bottles (there’s a lot less now), with all its soot and salt intact. Not a drop’s been chill filtered or colour-adjusted.
What you get is spirit in high definition: Islay peat smoke, citrus oils, sweet barley, and a good, honest punch of coastal brine. The wood supports without suffocating. The peat’s present but not overbearing. It’s maritime, medicinal, and balanced. No wine bomb. No sticky Madeira syrup. No flavour gymnastics. Just good whisky, done well.
Caol Ila Distillery on Islay
Caol Ila: the beloved but quiet powerhouse
I know, I know. It was only last month I banged on about Caol Ila and its charms. But sometimes the quiet backbone of Islay needs someone else to do a bit of its shouting. While the louder drams roar with fire and brimstone, Caol Ila gets on with the job: dependable, complex, adaptable.
In this single cask, you taste the distillery in its least diluted form. Not blended, not softened, not finished. Smell like the sea and woodsmoke for a week. Feel alive. Tell your mates.
Our Whisky you might have missed comes from Caol Ila
Caol Ila 11 Year Old 2007 Single Cask tasting note:
Nose: Vegetal peat, smoked shellfish, and pebbly minerality bring a coastal, smoky start with jammy berries and stewed plums beneath. Herbal honey develops in time, with hints of vanilla cream and apricot sorbet.
Palate: Bittersweet candied orange wheels, prunes, and sultanas are backed by drying, woody spice. A touch of sea salt joins meaty notes of fennel salami before smoked nuts and creamy lemon posset arrive.
Finish: Bold, rich peat smoke lingers beside charred citrus and burnt brown sugar.
The Last Drop: Caol Ila 11 Year Old 2007 Single Cask
If you’ve been swept up in the shiny-finish trend, take a moment. Pour this. Taste it. And remember that sometimes, what makes a whisky great isn’t what’s added – it’s what’s left alone.
Buy Caol Ila 11 Year Old 2007 Single Cask from Master of Malt now.
The post Whisky you might have missed: Caol Ila 11 Year Old 2007 Single Cask appeared first on Master of Malt blog.