We already mentioned The Roots had bottled two Cooley 2001 casks a while ago. Here they are. Always nice to be try two immediate sisters casks head-to-head.
Cooley 23 yo 2001 (50,8%, The Roots for The Antelope 2025, bourbon barrel #2656, 155 btl.)
Nose: a lot of orchard fruits like green apples and peaches, along with honeydew melon and ripe mango. Hints of papaya and banana are also easy to note here, as well as creamy vanilla and nougat. Then a few drops of vegetal oil and cookie dough. Very nice whiffs of marshmallows – love that.
Mouth: oh lovely. The tropical fruits really shine now: mango and papaya again, now also hints of passion fruits and aromatic apricot. A total fruit bomb. A wee salty touch makes it even more juicy. It’s all about the fruit and a great waxiness. Only minor hints of almond, vanilla and lime.
Finish: rather long, with some drying nutty elements (peanuts, almonds), but mostly still the generous fruitiness.
Simply an excellent Cooley, up there with some of the best Cooleys and even the fruitiest Bushmills expressions.
Cooley 23 yo 2001 (52,4%, The Roots 2025, bourbon barrel #2657, 177 btl.)
Nose: very similar of course, although I would argue this one is not as forthcoming. There seems to be more beeswax, at the expense of some of the fruity notes. Slightly cleaner and leaner. Still a good dose of banana, melon and mango though, even a little peach bubble gum.
Mouth: slightly more vegetal and waxy again, at the expense of some of the fruitier elements. Candle wax, almonds. Then more honeyed notes, vanilla and some butter biscuits. Banana and mango in second row now. A wee greener note in the distance.
Finish: quite long, with a slightly greener fruitiness, subtle spicy oak and wee vegetal notes.
Differences aren’t big and chances are little you’ll ever find two bottles sitting next to each other. Ultimately the other one has a small advantage. Score: 89/100