Caol Ila 18-year-old (unpeated), Diageo Special Releases 2017

Acquired: Birthday Gift, 7^th August 2020

Ratings:
96/100 – Whisky Bible 2020
90/100 – Whisky in the 6 (his video review below)
86.52/100 – Whiskybase (average from 174 member votes)

I was delighted to receive this Caol Ila 18yo as a birthday gift. Initially I thought it was the standard 18yo until I saw the 59.8% on the box. Some quick research later and I discovered it was the Diageo special release bottled from 2017. The further away we get from the last millennium the nicer it is to acquire whisky distilled before 2000. It’s pure sentimentality that Millennials and Generation Z wouldn’t understand. Hard to believe such a wonderful single malt from 2017 is still available new in 2020 but it was. No need for an auction site quite yet.

I haven’t added a Caol Ila to my collection for nearly 5 years. I love the distillery but it goes to show how much choice there is out there that it’s been neglected for so long. Of my previous 4 examples of Caol Ila none are unpeated like this 2017 18-year-old. Several reviews either say they detect a hint of peat or the smoke element gives a strong illusion of peat. It’s interesting that Caol Ila can’t shake off what people expect to taste but it’s great that the distillery isn’t scared to strip the peat away. It clearly works, and works well.

Jim Murray, author of the ‘Whisky Bible’, scores this Caol Ila 18yo a fantastic 96/100, which classifies it as a ‘superstar whisky that gives us all a reason to live’. He scores the taste a near-perfect 24.5/25 with the remark “so, so beautiful” and finishes with “this is the way Caol Ila should be: so true to the distillery”. Other comments online include “intense arrival, it maintains a maritime character and has substantial oak to affirm its age”, “an extremely rewarding Islay malt, despite its lack of peat” and “just a superb whisky”. What a lovely birthday gift!

Tasting notes from Master of Malt:

Nose: At the tasting we attended, “chocolate digestives” was met with universal agreement. Quite creamy with bourbon hints and sliced peaches too.

Palate: Fruitier now, fragrant and concentrated with a little furniture polish. This is complemented by the expected soft caramel and clean seashell character.

Finish: Cake-like with just a hint of smoke (even though this is ‘unpeated’).

Here’s Rob of ‘Whisky in the 6’ on YouTube giving us his thoughts about this special Caol Ila 18yo (Oct 2018):

Linkwood 12-year-old – Whisky Broker

Bought: Whisky Broker, 4^th February 2016

Ratings:
None as yet and still not listed on Whiskybase. I’ll add the link when/if it apears.

Whisky Broker must be one of the few remaining UK independent bottlers that still give excellent value. One area where they impress me the most is with their pricing of miniatures. No matter how old the whisky, be it a 12yo or 24yo, a 5cl is always £6.50. How long this policy will last I don’t know but I’ll take advantage of it for as long as I can. The next time they have another tempting 70cl I’ll add a few more of their cheap minis to my order.

I already have a Linkwood 12yo miniature by Gordon & MacPhail but that’s 40% as opposed to 59.8% for this cask strength version by Whisky Broker. Perhaps the most common Linkwood 12yo is the distillery release by Diageo under the series name ‘Flora & Fauna’ which scores a cracking 94.5/100 in the Whisky Bible 2016. I recently spotted a bottle in a local off license, which begs the question – what am I waiting for? Buy it! With my Linkwood addiction it seems an obvious choice.