Country:
Scotland
Brand:
Chieftain’s Caol Ila Medoc Finish
Bottled
by: Ian Macleod & Comp. Ltd., Edinburgh
Type:
Single Malt Whisky
Region:
Islay
Age:
10 Years
Alcohol:
43%
Date:
02/07/2012
Colour:
Pale Gold
Nose:
A mixture of Peat, Smoke, Rubber, Medicinal Alcohol and Sea Water. A bit of
Malt, Biscuit and Vanilla in the background. No fruity tones that I’m aware of. It’s not
bad but it’s quite uneventful and one-sided.
Taste:
Peat, Sugar, Light Spices and unexpected hints of Milk Chocolate.
Finish:
Quite long, perhaps even too long with Peat, Rubber, Sugared Herbal Tea and
Licorice
With
the addition of a few drops of water, the Nose becomes a brick of Peat sprayed
with Salty Water. Bit of Malt, Oak and Vanilla and a hint of Red or Rose Wine. On the
Palate the dram becomes a bit milder but the Chocolate is gone. The Finish is
much shorter and uneventful really. You can certainly experiment with a bit of
water. I usually prefer to drink Single Malts neat but in this case a couple of
drops are beneficial.
Rating:
76
Nose: 20 - Taste: 19 – Finish: 18 – Overall: 19
General
Remarks: Ian MacLeod is a so-called Independent Bottler. These companies play
an important part in today’s whisky industry. They buy casks of (young) spirit
from Distilleries, mature them, finish them and bottle them, all at their own
discretion and then sell the final product under their own label. This is all
very attractive for whisky drinkers who look beyond the standard Distillery
offerings. They are often bottled at cask strength and non-chill-filtered. Many
times, but not always, Independent Bottlers offer products that are greatly
appreciated.
Drinking
Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion:
This is my first dram of Caol Ila and I’m sure there are a lot of better
expressions around.
This 10 Y Medoc Finish suffers from a lack of fruit. I would love to try a Distillery expression that was(partially) matured in fine Sherry casks. I’m sure that would provide a better balance for the Peat, Smoke and Medicinal Tones. As it is, I find this whisky too monotonous. It also possesses a rubbery off-note that I find unpleasant, particularly in the (overly) long Finish.
Jan van den Ende July 2012