Caol Ila 25yo?

[jimidrammer]

This Caol Ila 25yo OB just came in to a local store and I can get it for $165US. I'm not sure which edition. A search has not returned a lot. Any notes or comments? Reviews I've found so far have been mixed, but not too current.

[Spirit of Islay]

The 1978 and 1979 O.b.'s i've had have been very , very good especially compared to the rest of the range , £80-90 for a bottle is very good , i would say go for it . They are just as good as the SMWS 25yo's which i hold in high Esteem !

[Willie JJ]

I agree with everything Gordon said. Go for it

[Ryguy]

That's definitely a fair price too, it is $189 here.
So if you like Caol Ila, go for it, why not!!

[jimidrammer]

That's definitely a fair price too, it is $189 here.
So if you like Caol Ila, go for it, why not!!

It's $189MSRP here also, but the guy gets a special deal. I have gotten various other good bottles over the years, so... The hesitation with Caol Ila is, I liked the 12 and 18 OB's okay, but less than Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Talisker. Also had a bad experience with a 1990 Signatory Caol Ila, all sulfur laden. I like the idea of a well aged cask strength Caol Ila. Is there something special that sets it apart? Any similarities to Talisker 25yo, which I enjoyed, and can replace for the same $$$, or two Uigeadail's or three Laga 16's or three Laph 10 C/S's. Decisions, decisions. Buy more of what I know I like or explore. I guess I'm a little gun shy after getting a Balvenie 25yo Single Barrel recently and feeling it not really worth the 2.5 times the price of the 21yo Port Wood. That old law of diminishing returns, you know.

[Ryguy]

I'd recommend trying a young Caol Ila at Cask Strength then. Plus it's less money, and I've had some realllly good ones at CS. Not sure what's available in your area, but it will most likely be an IB. Check it out before spending a lot of $$ on something you're not sure you will like. Best of luck, and let us know how you make out.

[Spirit of Islay]

Hi JD ,
I'm not a big fan of the 12 and 18 , pretty Flat IMHO , as Ryan says try the Cask Strength (or Natural Cask Strength) , it's the best bottling of the 3 standards , the 25yo is very lively , more exciting than what the 25yo Lagavulin ever was . I held back on the CI 25 until i had a chance to try it at Billy Stitchells Masterclass and even then i thought they were giving us the young CS ! Went out and bought one straight away......
For some reason the 12 and 18 seems to have the medicinalness took out of it (or i find that) and that's part of Caol ilas appeal to me .

[jimidrammer]

Hi JD ,
I'm not a big fan of the 12 and 18 , pretty Flat IMHO , as Ryan says try the Cask Strength (or Natural Cask Strength) , it's the best bottling of the 3 standards , the 25yo is very lively , more exciting than what the 25yo Lagavulin ever was . I held back on the CI 25 until i had a chance to try it at Billy Stitchells Masterclass and even then i thought they were giving us the young CS ! Went out and bought one straight away......
For some reason the 12 and 18 seems to have the medicinalness took out of it (or i find that) and that's part of Caol ilas appeal to me .

That's the kind of endorsement and description/comparison I was looking for and don't worry I won't hold it against you it if I don't care for it. Sounds promising as it's the only C/S Caol Ila I've come across. Thanks for all the replies, I guess I'll pick it up tomorrow, but may not open right away. I'll post back here when I do.

[Willie JJ]

Jimi I will be amazed if you don't like it. It is wonderful stuff.

I am a fan of Caol Ila generally, although not so much of the 18 as I agree with Gordon on that one, but the 25 is a different class. Just brilliant IMO.

[jimidrammer]

Thanks, Willie, I'm sold. That's just how I feel about the Talisker 25yo C/S from 2004. I have a third bottle in the wings.

[Deactivated Member]

Jimmi,
in my tasting note thread (Malty's Whisky for One under live tastings) I tried the Caol Ila 25y, the notes are in the 4th post from the top:

http://www.whiskymag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=8147

Regards,
MT

[jimidrammer]

Thanks for the link. I'm kind of hoping for a farmy nod toward a Brora or Port Ellen. I should be picking this up today.

[jimidrammer]

I finally got this today. Caol Ila 25yo '79-'05 Natural Cask Strength bottle
#5289, 58.4% abv, $161US. I will probably open it tomorrow. There are five more "cask-mates", so I want to find out pretty quick whether to secure another.


Also got another Talisker 18yo and a Balvenie 15yo Single Barrel '90-'06. That makes five different vintages of the 15 SB in my drinking collection.

[orangedogofglory]

That makes five different vintages of the 15 SB in my drinking collection.

I thought that the 90-06 was ok... but a recent shipment to the states has included a 00-08, and it is very very good. The shops around here seem to have plenty from 2 or 3 different casks, so keep your eyes out for it if you plan on getting another.

And congrats on picking up the CI!

[jimidrammer]

Thanks for the tip. I'll keep my eye out for that one. I assume you meant '90-'08? An eighteen year old 15? You would think they'd save that for their limited release series like the new Rum Cask 17yo. There's not a big turnover around here and last I checked the distributor was out of the 15, so any new might be the older release. They all seem consistent and I'm not really trying to collect them all, I just found a store that had several different ones.

I plan to open the Caol Ila 25 tonight. Look for notes in the "What are you drinking now?" thread later.

[orangedogofglory]

Thanks for the tip. I'll keep my eye out for that one. I assume you meant '90-'08?

Yep, typo - my bad. It's shy of 18 years by a few months - they have released a few like that as they try to bottle the 15 for "taste", not age. I believe it is Sir Dino that has one at almost 22 years.

I plan to open the Caol Ila 25 tonight. Look for notes in the "What are you drinking now?" thread later.

Looking forward to seeing the notes!

[jimidrammer]

Copied the notes from the other thread in case they get lost in the shuffle

Opened a fresh purchase tonight:

Name: Caol Ila 25yo '79-'05 Natural Cask Strength Bottle #5289, 58.4% abv

Region: Islay

Color: Light gold

Nose: Gentle smoke from a distant fire, earthy tone(farmyard, mossy stone wall, wood shed), fruit & spice(apple streusel), candle wax, parchment paper

Palate: Sweet up front, very spicy oak tannins, buttery herbal notes in the middle, the oak returns for a drying back note

Body: Assertive, chewy, oily legs

Finish: A spearmint spiciness holds on for quite awhile

Notes: Similarities to a Port Ellen at this age are apparent from the first sniff and taste. I can almost paint a picture with the nose. A subtle quality to the palate keeps things appealing, if not a chore to decipher. With a splash of water: A potpourri aroma; taste is limes in black tea. It will be interesting to see how this develops in a couple weeks.

Quote: Picturesque

Score: 89, interim score, this might make it to the 90's on a different day