Caol Ila 1979 35 YO Directors' Cut

Caol Ila 1979 35 YO Directors' Cut, 47,1 %

As usual we see a lot of new and exciting whiskies released for sale in Norway just as the Autumn whisky festival race begins. The two main release dates are the first Friday of September and November. In September we saw the release of more than 60 whiskies, and one of these was the Caol Ila 1979 35 YO Director's Cut from independent bottler Douglas Laing.

This whisky was matured in a hogshead (cask# 10291), and the outturn was just 102 bottles. It was distilled in February 1979 and bottled in March 2014.

This rather exclusive and expensive whisky is available to buy in Norway at NOK 4495 (item number 1723301), and in Sweden at SEK 4979 (85711). I guess this serves as a good example where we see that prices are not all that different between these two countries, especially for the more expensive bottlings.

Nose (24/25): A whirling dervish of sweet and delightful peaty notes. This is, to me, the essence of how a perfect Caol Ila should smell. Accentuating the sweet peat we have soft, maritime notes - a salty sea breeze, and a surf-tormented shore on a an island I sorely miss. In a word, the nose is harmonious.

Taste (23/25): Soft and delicate. The sweetness (which is hard to define) and the peat from the nose carry through to the taste. I also detect white pepper and malty notes. The peat is more tangible now, not just a wild dance, it almost takes on a chewy character. Not a bad thing!

Finish (22/25): I am now (finally) starting to pick out certain elements of the sweetness; mild citrus, fresh ginger, simple syrup and a hint of sweet prosecco.

Balance (23/25): I tried this dram and I liked it. I liked it!

Score (92/100)

Sláinte! - Thomas