Caol Ila K&L Excl. SVUC, 8yo, 2009/2018

Rating33.0/40
OriginScotland, Islay, North Shore
DistilleryCaol Ila
OwnerDiageo
DistilledOct 22nd, 2009
BottlerSignatory Vintage
SeriesThe Un-Chillfiltered Collection
StyleSingle Barrel Single Malt Whisky
Peatedyes
CaskHogshead 319401
BottledJul 16th, 2018
Bottles287
Strength56.9% (113.8 Proof)
RetailerK&L Wine Merchants
WhiskybaseWhiskybase

A youthful, energetic and aggressive single barrel bottling from a cask hand-picked by the folks at K&L Wine Merchants back in 2018. Balance is not what this one is about but it has plenty to offer in other areas.

Nose: Sharp, bright peat jumps right out of the glass snapping excitedly at your nose with the sharp and pointy teeth of a young pupper that’s been cooped up inside all day and desperately needs to burn off a good amount of pent up energy. Apparently it tore into a bucket of powdered vanilla cream at some point, which is now caught in its fur. (8.0/10)

Palate: The same sharp, bright peat cuts through the oral cavity like a bright but narrow beam of sunlight that found its way into a dark room through the crack of a door left slightly ajar. While it indirectly lights up everything, it doesn’t itself spread out and you can clearly see the crisp  geometry of the shaft where it lights up countless peaty dust motes in its path. (7.5/10)

Finish: Hoo boy! At first that beam of light illuminates some very young, freshly cut wood, but luckily that somewhat unpleasant, unripe smell burns away quickly. With the distraction of the bright beam gone the peat finally expands into a massive cloud filling the entire mouth and top of the throat. Heat is crawling down into my chest but I keep losing track of it as I’m too busy chewing on that billowing smoke, which intensifies and thickens with every breath. Wait, did I eat chocolate earlier? Where did that suddenly come from? (9.1/10)

Balance: A bit rough in parts and volatile and bouncy as one might expect from a younger whisky. In fact this one feels considerably younger than it actually is. If I had tasted this blind, I would have guessed it might be 5 or 6 years old at best. Water doesn’t really help it calm down or integrate more… it just… lessens it. That big smokey finish though… damn. It makes up for a lot. (8.4/10)

Edradour, Ballechin, The Chronicles, 2009 Vintage

Rating30.5/40
OriginScotland, Highlands, Midlands
DistilleryEdradour
OwnerSignatory Vintage
Distilled2009
SeriesThe Chronicles
Edition2009 Vintage
StyleSmall Batch Single Malt
PeatedYes
CaskFirst Fill Bourbon Barrels
BottledSeptember 25th, 2019
Strength46% (92 Proof)
WhiskybaseWhiskybase

The 2009 Edition of the Chronicles series of the peated Ballechin single malts distilled at the Midlands’ Edradour, one of the few remaining independently owned distilleries in the country.

Nose: Peat. Simple, nice peat. Wait, is there mint? Minty peat? Peat mints? Hmmm… not sure. Either way, it’s not exactly complex but certainly nice. (7.5/10)

Palate: No surprises here. The simple, nice peat continues right off the bat but the minty bits go into hiding. The whisky doesn’t quite want to expand here no matter how vigorously I swish and chew. Perhaps not surprising at 46% (6.5/10)

Finish: Aha! That’s where the minty bits went! They must have dashed to the very back of my mouth and jump off out over the throat to do some recreational paragliding on the thermals of my breath. The peaty parts have finally decided to expand as well once freed from the actual liquid. Very nice! Bright and entertaining. It doesn’t reach very deep but with all that long lasting smoke wafting about it still feels satisfying and like something I could happily spend a lengthy amount of time with. (8.5/10)

Balance: The unexciting drop in the middle doesn’t matter all that much in the end because the finish is quite lovely and rewarding. A perfectly enjoyable little dram from one of Scotland’s most intimate distilleries. (8/10)

Bunnahabhain K&L Excl. SVUC “Staoisha” Heavily Peated, 4yo, 2014/2019

Rating31/40
OriginScotland, Islay, North Shore
DistilleryBunnahabhain
OwnerDistell Group
DistilledOctober 23rd, 2014
BottlerSignatory Vintage
SeriesUn-Chillfiltered Collection
StyleSingle Barrel Single Malt Whisky
Peatedyes
CaskDechar/rechar Hogshead #10723
BottledJun 10th, 2019
Bottles284
Strength60.6% (121.2 proof)
RetailerK&L Wine Merchants
Price$70

Nose: The peat appears in the form of compressed chocolate harvested from ancient bogs. The best such chocolate is often apparently somewhat fuzzy. (8/10)

Palate: The fuzzy chocolate from the nose melts into some mild Oolong tea served alongside it. Also, the table legs appear to be on fire. (7/10)

Finish: Heat stings the flanks of my tongue. These peripheral sensations meet up like the arms of a rather strangely shaped tuning fork back down in my esophagus. A hamster appears to have stored chocolate pudding in my cheeks. For the winter one assumes. (8/10)

Balance: A bit bumpy as a ride perhaps, which is not at all surprising for a 4 year old. Nevertheless absolutely enjoyable and well in line with Bunna’s recent push into bolder and peatier territory. (8/10)