Jeff – 84

This dram Jumps right at you, At first the nose and body seems a little young. But, then the light oily body coats your Palate with spicy notes and hints a vanilla. A nice whisky to enjoy by yourself with the lights dimmed and tasting each hidden note.

Glen – 87

A wonderful big smokey dram. I fell in love with the 18 year old Caol Ila and this one is almost as good. Big smoke in the nose and a deceptively light body, the smoke comes back in a great medium length finish.

Nose: Green grass, smoke, peat, a little young
Body: light and a tad oily
Finish: Medium to long and smoky, vanilla, full of flavor

I could drink this one all day!

Glen – 88

A very unique dram that's very difficult to find. We found a few in some specialty shops in Scotland and quickly snatched them up. The distillery uses unpeated barley in this dram but the whisky still has some smoke. The dram felt older then it is and wasn't overly grassy that so many young drams have in abundance. A subtle nose greets you with hints of grass, tart apples and charcoal. The body is light to medium and the finish is sharp and intense. Not a very well balanced dram but it all seemed to work exceptionally well.

Nose: Fresh, grassy, charcoal, tart apples, sea air
Body: Light to medium
Finish: Long and sharp, the bite lingers, warming, smoke

Not a dram that you drink all day but perfect for when you're in the mood for an intense treat.

Jeff – 88

A good dram but always leaves me wanting something more. A nice nose it has a nice light smokiness to it.

Glen – 93

A great scotch that starts out sweet and then the smoke begins. A wonderful whisky seemingly made for a flask and enjoyed hiking or fishing. Add water to really bring out the character on this great dram. Offers much more complexity than younger Caol Ila's and is little more tame. Has a sweetness that comes through with it's long maturation process.

I love this one. 

Jeff –91

Glen – 92

This one’s a wow whisky from one of my favorite distilleries. Finished in Moscatel casks this is one of the best of the Distillers Edition range. This is a beautiful whiskey that still maintains that great Coal Ila character while offering more sweetness and complexity. The Moscatel sets off the smoky Coal Ila perfectly and my co-taster and I fell in love with this exceptional whisky. The dram wasn’t too smooth and had a wild side we both enjoyed.

Nose: Clean and fresh, peat, seashore breeze, sweet, red table wine
Body: Light and delightfully sharp.
Finish: A long burn, dry and hot, spicy, smoke, wild

A drink all day, hot & spicy Islay. Caol Ila can do no wrong.

Jeff –

Glen – 79

The best part of this dram was its dry smoky finish. The nose just didn’t seem to move me. The nose has a vegetable feel with hints of menthol and earth. The body was light to medium.

Nose: Menthol, melon, dry. earthly, smoky

Body: Medium to light

Finish: Dry and smoky, medium length, a nice fruity sweetness coming through in the end

This one’s all in the finish.

Jeff – 93

A fantastic dram, Subtle complexities and hints of fruit make this one a winner. Add a splash of water and take in the bouquet.

Glen –82

A complex but tamed Coal Ila that had a marked sweetness to it. I love the 12 and 18 year old expressions due to their fire and classic Islay taste. I found the fire missing with this dram and replaced by more complexity and sweetness. Age seems to tame Islay whiskies a little too much for my taste.

Nose: Subtle, sweet, light smoke, peat
Body: Medium with a sweet character
Finish: Long and dry, sweet, skunk weed, peat smoke

Very good but I miss the fire of the 12 and 18 year old.

Jeff –

Glen –88

A nice vibrant Caol Ila that has all the characteristics that have made the whisky from this distillery so sought after. Nice balance of peat and sweetness with some subtle spiciness. I really liked this dram and found it very approachable and just seemed perfect for a rainy day. Reminded me of a toned down Lagavulin.

Nose: Peat bonfire, sweetness, simple syrup, anise, floral, cloves
Body: Light and smooth
Finish: Dry and medium length, smoky peat, coastal

Very nice.

Jeff –

Glen – 75

Another example of an over aged Islay whisky. All of the Islay character has been replaced with gauze and brine. Lacked that nice balance of peat smoke and sweetness that’s typical of younger Caol Ila’s. The dram improved with water but just seemed uninspired.

Nose: Light and grassy, gauze, peat, iodine, brine, very light smoke
Body: Medium
Finish: Long and sharp, peat, sticky sweetness

Uninspired.