Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 2005 Cask Strength (Aged 11 Years)
One of the things I love about independent bottlers of single malt whisky is that they offer us the ability to try whisky from distilleries that we otherwise wouldn’t get to try. Auchroisk, Glenburgie, Longmorn, and Strathmill (amongst many others) are all examples of whiskies I’ve found bottled independently which I otherwise would have never been able to purchase or even try. But that’s not the situation I have here today—Caol Ila is a readily available single malt. An independent bottle (IB) of Caol Ila isn’t giving us a whisky we otherwise wouldn’t get to try, but rather gives us the other thing I love about IBs—the ability to see a different side of a distillery in which we are already quite familiar.
I’m a fan of Caol Ila in general, but the official bottlings from the Islay distillery always seem to leave me wanting more. The 12 year is a terrific malt, but being bottled at only 43% ABV leaves it a little lacking in oomph. The annual unpeated style special release is bottled at cask strength, but it’s unpeated, defying the distillery’s normal characteristics. Luckily Caol Ila appears to be one of the whiskies most readily available to independent bottlers, as it seems like every major (and minor) IB releases Caol Ila expressions on a regular basis.
Gordon & MacPhail is one such IB. Caol Ila is a regular member of G&M’s cask strength range, with batches released on a regular basis. This particular batch of Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila was distilled on February 21, 2005, aged in first fill ex-bourbon barrels, and bottled on October 27, 2016.
I’ve had mixed experiences with other recent bottles from Gordon & MacPhail—some really good bottles which warranted a repeat purchase, and some pretty poor bottles that I’ve had a hard time finishing. So where does this one rank? Let’s find out.
Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 2005 Review
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Region: Islay
ABV: 54.1%
Non chill-filtered
Natural color
Nose
Driftwood. Teakwood. Not quite a bonfire, but the smoldering ashes of one. Seashells. Tobacco. Ink. Bourbon notes of vanilla, dark caramel, and charred oak. Chocolate malt. Light fruits, including apricot. Complex and lovely.
Palate
Vanilla, caramel, and a good amount of oak—the bourbon barrel influence is quite clear. Fruity, with lots of melon, both cantaloupe and honeydew. Peat smoke that’s fairly soft and well integrated with the fruitiness. Chocolate covered coffee beans emerge on the backend, along with some anise. The mouthfeel is full and creamy, quite enjoyable. Fairly well balanced overall, although a little too much oaky astringency. The first fill bourbon barrels are perhaps contributing a bit too much?
Finish
Vanilla custard. Burnt caramel. Candied pears. Fruit pie. Cinnamon. Cocoa powder. Gentle peat smoke. Medium in length, although that cocoa powder seems to linger a bit longer than the other notes.
Overall
This is a tasty Islay dram, but the palate lacks some of the complexity I would normally expect in a good Caol Ila. It lacks a wow factor.
The nose is violent and powerful, complex and wonderful. Unfortunately the palate just doesn’t quite live up to the promise of the nose, although I do really enjoy the chocolate notes on the back of the palate on through the finish.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed this bottle. It’s good—the nose especially, but also the mouthfeel and the finish are quite nice. And if you enjoy a big bourbon influence, then you might love this dram. But to my taste, the bourbon barrels are exerting too much influence on the palate and hiding some of Caol Ila’s best intrinsic qualities.
SCORE: 85/100
Final Thoughts
With a high-character malt like Caol Ila, which is heavily peated (usually) yet still a bit delicate, I’m not sure that first fill ex-bourbon barrels do the whisky many favors. For comparison, I have another recent Caol Ila from a different IB—the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), to be specific—that is also 11 years old and cask strength, but was aged in refill bourbon hogsheads. Tasting the two side by side, the SMWS bottling is better in just about every way. More complex, more interesting, and more in line with Caol Ila’s best characteristics.
Buy Again? I’m happy I bought this bottle, but I wouldn’t buy this particular batch of G&M Caol Ila again. That said, G&M uses different cask selections for different vintages of cask strength Caol Ila, and I would certainly consider buying another year’s release.
Drink This Not That: Indie bottles of Caol Ila are always a solid choice, as long as you can find one that fits your budget. If you are a fan of a stronger bourbon barrel influence, this particular bottle might be a better choice for you than it was for me.
Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.
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