Caol Ila 25 Year Old

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 43%

An old bottle of Caol Ila 25-year-old Islay single malt whisky. This long-aged official bottling was first introduced in 2010 at 43% following a pair of successful cask strength 25-year-old Caol Ilas bottled for Diageo's Special Releases in 2004 and 2005.

Caol Ila 25-year-old was for a long time the pinnacle of the distillery's core range, with batches appearing regularly for over a decade, but as far as we're aware there have been no new batches since 2023 and it seems likely that this expression has now been discontinued, presumably to retain the distillery's longest aged stock for the more lucrative Casks of Distinction and Prima & Ultima ranges.

All the versions of this Caol Ila 25-year-old that we have tried showed a distinctive sherry influence, and seem certain to have been a mix of bourbon and sherry cask matured whiskies. This was a very consistent bottling, in line with Caol Ila's reputation for quality, and typically showed green tea, preserved lemons, sea salt, gentle notes of bandages, brine and other subtle medical qualities on a palate with a rich, creamy mouthfeel. The phenols are old, oily and gentle, making way for a myriad of softer notes of green fruits, white flowers, minerals and citrus. A really charming Caol Ila that shows how you can have a heavily peated whisky that is also very gentle and genuinely complex.

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