Dutch wonderboys WhiskyNerds have a new release, a 28 years old Caol Ila 1990 from a refill sherry hogshead. The combination of the distillery and the bottler makes the expectations seriously high.
Caol Ila 28 yo 1990
(48%, WhiskyNerds 2019, refill sherry hogshead #13129, 192 btl.)
Caol Ila 28 yo 1990Nose: very forthcoming, warm and sweet, quite thick and custardy. A lot of paraffin, hints of Tiger balm, almonds and wet hay. Stables. Olive brine. Hints of cigarette smoke. Sweetened mint tea. Light pepper and aniseed as well.
Mouth: rather big and bold, feels more than 48%. Again sweet and oily but also quite salty. A fruity base (peach, golden apple) moving towards lemon peel, limoncello and chlorophyll. Green olives again.
Finish: long, on lemon and salt.
Punchy, balanced, with a big coastal side but a sweet fruity core as well. Quality is very high again. Well done but… € 550 is a lot of money, even close to the official Caol Ila 35 Years for instance.
Score: 91/100