This bottle dates back to 2002 and belongs to the Authentic Collection series by Cadenhead’s, an ancient and renowned Scottish independent bottler. Cadenhead’s has just completed its 175th anniversary and is based in Campbeltown, a stone’s throw from the Springbank and Kilkerran distilleries. Once known as the city of whisky, today Campbeltown has only three active distilleries (in addition to the two mentioned is Glen Scotia). Cadenhead’s offers various bottlings: ranging from blended to small batches of individual distilleries, which the Authentic Collection is a part of. These Scottish malts are bottled at cask strength and is non-colored, unfiltered and from single barrels. We have chosen an indicative price range, as this malt seems to be impossible to find today.
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TASTING NOTES CAOL ILA 1989/2002 CADENHEAD’S
Nose: black pepper and oriental spices, followed by a saline note, sometimes mineral like. Coal, dry wood, seafood, without forgetting a sweet, caramelized note of candied fruit and dark caramel. The profile is completed with balsamic notes of rosemary and Mediterranean maquis. High complexity, the gradation seems lower than the number on the label.
Palate: sweet, candied fruit, then spicy black pepper. Peat, although not invasive, followed by notes of dark caramel and brown sugar. Manageable intensity. The saline and coastal part is more evanescent in favor of the sweetness, due to the aging in ex-Bourbon barrels.
Finish: liquorice root, charcoal, peat, salt, wood and vanilla. Burnt caramel.
This Caol Ila is a different whisky, then the one from the regular production Caol Ila. The peat is less evident. Equipped with great complexity, it is well measured in every aspect, thanks to a gradation which, although high, is still approachable.
Rating: 91