Looks like TWE have bottled quite a few exclusive single cask releases lately, and I shall be visiting some of them in the coming weeks.
Alongside older and expensive Teeling, Caperdonich and Linkwood there are two smoky drams: this 11-year-old CI and an older 18 yo Ballechin. Winter is upon us and I decided to try this smoky and massively sherried whisky first, I was longing for some nice peat and sherry, something I’ve not had in many weeks.
This is a 2010 Caol Ila single malt, bottled in September 2021 by Signatory Vintage exclusively for The Whisky Exchange, after 11 years in a single refill sherry butt. and judging from the color of the liquid – this was a very active refill sherry butt.
Caol Ila 2010 11 Year Old Sherry Cask (TWE) Exclusive , 58.2% , £120
Nose: A lovely combination of peaty notes alongside sweet sticky dried fruit cake, with sultana, fig, and date sweetness, burnt sugar, and glazed sweeter meats cooking over bonfires, lapsang tea, and licorice, the peat reek is very subtle as the sherry is dominating.
Palate: The palate is certainly ‘darker’ with bitter sooty and ashy notes upfront, the peat is more pronounced here, and that’s nice if you’re a peat-head. On the second wave of sensations, I’m getting black pepper, charred oak, more licorice, and even more ash, and soot, the sherry is not as strong here with a hint of dried fruit, and maybe grilled oranges, over hot coals.
Finish: Black tea, dark chocolate, ash, orange peel.
Conclusion: A very sweet nose, and a much darker palate and finish make up for a lovely sherry influence Caol Ila, with nice complexity, and a wide array of aromas and flavors. A very worthy wintery dram.Not cheap though.
Score: 88/100
Available Exclusively on the TWE site.
General question: do you receive these samples and pours free from TWE? I noticed it’s timely you and other whiskey bloggers , like WhiskyNotes, post the same whiskeys at the same time when it comes to TWE exclusives. How does that impact your scoring? I noticed the scores are generally high for these.
yes, I do.
yes, I do.
I am getting many other samples from other whisky makers and bottlers, and I try not to rate nay higher than I really think they deserve
I get no other payment, and my blog is independent, so if they were not of great quality, i’d say that.
as it happens, TWE know what they are doing, and have good selection to choose from and a good team , so usually their stuff is of top quality.
Hope this answers your question.
G