Caol Ila Unpeated Stitchell Reserve Bot.2013

  • Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
  • Distillery Bottling

70cl / 59.6%

4.5 (3 Reviews)

Caol Ila Unpeated / Stitchell Reserve / Bot.2013

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2013's unpeated release of Caol Ila is named for distillery manager Billy Stitchell, who is retiring after almost 40 years at the distillery. This year it's been bottled without an age statement and despite being 'unpeated' there's a definite smoky tang to the whisky, although less so than in previous years.

Tasting Notes (2)

Flavour Profile

Style

  • Body
  • Richness
  • Smoke
  • Sweetness

Character

  • Earth Earth
  • Liquorice root Liquorice root
  • Grass Grass
  • Cinnamon Cinnamon
  • Apple Apple
  • Honey Honey
Facts

Facts

  • Bottler Icon

    Bottler

    Distillery Bottling

  • Bottling Date Icon

    Bottling Date

    2013

  • Country Icon

    Country

    Scotland

  • Region Icon

    Region

    Islay

  • Colouring Icon

    Colouring

    Yes

Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes

  • Tasting Notes by Billy A

    • Nose

      Sweet caramel, fresh cut grass and ferns to start, with resin, sweet sappy wood and pine needles. Water adds in a hint of darker sugars (black treacle?) and a wisp of smoke.

    • Palate

      Sweet and green with a dark wood smokiness. It’s surprisingly rich and dark in flavour, with liquorice and honeyed biscuits, as well as shot through with fresh herbal notes. Water makes the darker notes more noticeable, with liquorice, plums, raisins and cinnamon spice contributing to a grown-up fruitcake feel.

    • Finish

      Demerara syrup, damp dark wood and light touches of appley fruit.

    • Comment

      Much more unpeated than some of the other releases and great for it. It doesn’t feel like a typical Caol Ila, with lots of darker notes masking the usual freshness, and at almost 60% can happily take a good slug of water. A great send off for Billy.

  • Producer's Note

    • Appearance

      Clear, olive gold. Light beading.

    • Nose

      At full strength, immediately clean, aromatic and fresh: like inhaling Friar’s Balsam. After this first blast, more reticent; softly sweet, then a vivid freshness like that of crisp green fruit or lemon zest. Water raises a fruity, nutty honeyed sweetness and a faint note of treacle, with perhaps just a hazy hint of smoke.

    • Body

      Light to medium. Oily, yet firm.

    • Palate

      Drinks well straight; has an intense and in your face style, with a most appealing smooth, lightly oily texture. Firm, clean and fresh throughout. Intense and mouth-filling, with a great initial surge of sweet spiciness unaccompanied by the usual signature phenols of peated Caol Ila or indeed, much fruit. Becoming honey-nutty (nut brittle, with a dark edge of treacle bitterness) then finally, warming and drying. A good splash of water develops these flavours; it’s tongue-coating and appetisingly bitter-sweet now, leaving a spicy dryness as the tide of flavour ebbs.

    • Finish

      Aromatic, spicy and drying; a balancing bitter edge embraces more of the soft nutty, biscuity notes, always maintaining that essential freshness overall.

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Customer Reviews

Reviews (3)

Reviews

  • 5

    Anonymous,

    excellent whisky and a joy to savour

  • 4

    Barbara Nichols,

    Delicious; not quite good enough for price.

  • 4

    Hamish D. Cole.,

    Excellent whisky,purchased a bottle at Distillery, the bottles contents are excellent.There is an undertone of peat but not overwhelming.

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