We have arrived at the sweet end of this epic Manager's Dram tasting with an absolute monster.
Duchess of Islay did a great job summarizing this distillery's history, so well, in fact, that we're borrowing a few words from her here before we get into our own tasting notes from the Manager’s Dram bottling:
If you don’t know, Caol lla, pronounced /kull-EE-lah/, is an Islay distillery situated near Port Askaig.
Built in 1846, overlooking the Sound of Islay (which is Caol lla in Gaelic), the distillery changes hands throughout the 1800 & early 1900s, repeatedly being mothballed and reopening.
In 1974, demand for blended whisky is in full effect and the distillery is demolished and completely rebuilt under architect George Leslie Darge. Darge helped to build & refurbish 46 different distilleries. You may know a Darge distillery if you see his trademark glazed curtain walls (glass/windowed walls) on the still houses. The glass helps to dispel heat and pot stills can be easily replaced. It is said that Darge’s favorite still was at Caol lla.
In the 1980s, the whisky market took a dive and they began producing “unpeated Highland style spirit”. This allowed the distillery to remain open while so many others had closed. Today, they continue to produce both peated and unpeated whisky.
Fun fact: Caol lla distillery is known primarily for their blended whisky, which takes up 95% of their production. Johnnie Walker lovers can thank Caol lla for a lot of its delicious taste!
Make sure to check out @DuchessOfIslay for all things malt! She's an absolute powerhouse in this category.
In the grand finale of the incredible Manager’s Dram tasting that Gregory Cloyd hosted, we have the 1990 bottling from Caol Ila. The ATW team was honored to participate in such an epic lineup as we ventured into an age-old question in the final hours of this tasting: Is this kind of rarity worth chasing down?
Company on Label: Caol Ila Distillery
Whiskey Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Mash Bill Percentages: 100% malted barley
Proof: 126°
Age: 15 years (distilled in 1975 and bottled July 25th, 1990)
Further identification: On the front label: A 15 Year Old sherry cask specially selected and bottled at natural strength for the S.M.D. Staff Association by manager Grant Carmichael.
Nose: The glass leads with the aromas of classic pulled pork, just wonderful and hunger inspiring. Hints of a plastic paint pail dance at times before barbecue swings back in. The bbq experience is on the lighter end: more smoke, less sauce. This is an inky, black dram for the nose, damn close to the likes of Black Bowmore or Laphroaig 31 year I’ve also sampled.
After a sip, bold earthiness invades the senses. I find a touch of Jagermeister. Deep inhales late in the glass get thinner with gauzy linen tones like hospital bandages. Woah, an epiphany reveals the smell of the balsam fir little incense cabin from Maine I grew up with. The literary proximity and dark, barbecue smoke character lead one to also think of coal.
Palate: On first sip I find rocks, garden potting soil, and mineral water. It’s monumental, towering over any whisky it stands near like the tower of Barad-dûr. Another sip is all cranberries, fresh, chewed at the edge of a bog. The dew hasn’t yet burned off from the heat of a full summers day, the fish haven’t started biting yet… Finally a bite down on the line misses, but the metal spinning rooster tail gets pulled through the mouth; I’m hooked. The soft undergrowth by the banks of the pond are buzzing with bugs, a distant concern not turned yet to worry.
Sipping late in the glass offers deep wood tones, anise, and rich tobacco. It’s cigar box, matches, and a wave of smoke. My last sip is how I imagine being in a space station feels: there’s moon dust on my boots, a banana waiting in a nearby pouch, and water droplets floating in air. This whisky is gelatinous in the mouth with an infinitely echoing finish of dark wood, burning hot in my living room fireplace. Outstanding.
Nose: As the most peated in the lineup, my nose is hesitant, but dive in we shall. The BBQ notes are very prevalent; there's a Smokey Joe vibe, too, lid off and coals smoking white, ready to grill. An eyebrow-raising smell has me turning to my fellow reviewer, "What is that? It reminds me of college." We determine it's likely Jägermeister or someone in the family of Meister’s, like an older cousin, showing the youngsters what's what. Soon after, I'm taken to a musty basement, dimly lit with couches from the 70s, before landing in a classic old car idling on a driveway.
Palate: This is a great example of hoping the beauty of the nose will guide me through the tastes in my mouth, but unfortunately for my tired palate, the one note I get at the very start is the one that I cannot get past. After several sips and sniffs, with no success at moving on from that one note, I set my glass down and listen as the rest of the table chat excitedly about this monster of a dram.
Rating: 5/5
While this whisky style left Jes feeling a bit unseasoned, Nick absolutely went wild for this pour. Having had 6 - 7 examples like Caol Ila prior to this tasting, his palate was warmed up and ready to conquer all that a well-done peated whisky has to offer.
Written by: The Amongst the Whiskey Team
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