Malt Nuts: Caol Ila 8 Years and Under

Another Malt Nuts event so close to the last? Madness! Well, actually, it is, but not the kind you're thinking of. It took me forever to get the Ardmore tasting notes up because things got insane with the day job and had to cut down my writing time significantly. Luckily this week I caught a wee bit of a breather and was able to get everything from last week's Malt Nuts Caol Ila 8 Years and Under tasting done in a timely fashion.

Like all MN events, it was done blind and so we only knew the theme, and what bottle we brought, and that was it. But unlike most MN events, this one only had one round since it was just 8 whiskies total. So no breakdown this time, just a straight run through.

In typical fashion we gathered, laughed and stayed way too late at our gracious host's place because once the whisky is open no one wants to stop the fun. Here's what we drank that night

Malt Nuts: Caol Ila 8 Years and Under Tasting

1: Faultline and Seven Grand Caol Ila 06 years (09-16): 58% - "Oak Cask" and ex-Rum

2: Hepburn's Choice Caol Ila 06 years (09-16): 58.9% - Sherry Hogshead

3: Hepburn's Choice Caol Ila 07 years (09-16): 58.2% - Wine Cask Finish

4: Old Malt Cask Caol Ila 06 years (09-16): 50% - Sherry Hogshead

At this point in the tasting we took a break and Head Malt Nut Barry asked how we felt about the whisky. Turned out that #3 was incredibly polarizing (and still was at the end of the night). I, obviously, enjoyed it and it ended up being my favorite of the night.

5: SMWS Caol Ila 07 years (10-18): 60.2% - 2nd Fill Hogshead

6: The Sovereign Caol Ila 08 years (10-18): 59.5% - Sherry Finished Butt

7: Old Particular Caol Ila 08 years (10-18): 58.3% - Refill Hogshead

8: Hepburn's Choice Caol Ila 05 years (09-15): 58.4% - Refill Hogshead

One of the things I do at all of these Malt Nuts tastings is, at the end of the night, make a vatting of all the whiskies we tasted. I take everything that's left in my glasses, pour them together, give it a couple of good mixing swirls and that's what I end the night with. Sometimes it's the best thing I've tasted all night and sometimes it's the worst. But this time it was right in the middle.

Through the evening I never picked up a "lemon" note, but when I mixed them all together (at this point having opened all night + water added) it was the first thing that hit me on the aroma - followed by peat. The palate was the same experience and it slowly got stronger as the night went on and we turned away from the serious business of Scotch and towards the more serious business of catching up and telling jokes.

If I've said it once, I've said it several dozen times. My favorite part of Malt Nuts is the people so it's never a sad moment when the whisky ends and the socializing begins... though never hurts that the whisky is still on the table.

Till next time. Cheers!