Caol Ila 30yo, 1984-2014, Hunter Laing Old & Rare, 246 Bottles, 53.2% abv.

Nose: red wine, light peat, sweet, vinegar, wax shows up later. When my nose is at a distance, its fruity. After a few drops of water, its more wax-like, fruit aromas come out, apple-grape juice, hints of gasoline.

Palate: flavor profile similar to heated white wine, sweet, light sour wood, drying, some salt, hints of young tofu on the back end. Actually everything is on the back palate... making it a little complex in my opinion (hard to discern and interpret what I'm tasting at the back end). After a few drops of water its quite sweet, more sour wood, back palate is mostly young tofu.

Finish: short, dry, salty, light wood, slight sourness, methanol? mellow cherries.

Dry glass: wax.

Very nice, although it doesn't taste like Caol Ila. The sweeter and wood flavors are dominant, not much peat, but very good for a 30 year old Islay big boy. A much more mellowed version of the younger Caol Ilas, peat is faint, wood and salt at the backseat. Had this at Bar Marilyn, Seoul, South Korea.

Grade: B-

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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