Review #408; Scotch #149: Caol Ila 11yr 2007 SMWS 53.304 “Rose petals on a rock pool”

I tried this blind and then was revealed the bottle, so keep that in mind while reading my notes.

This is a bottling from SMWS of Caol Ila. It was aged for 11 years in a refill bourbon hogshead, then bottled at cask strength with no color added and was non-chill filtered.

ABV: 59.5%

Nose: Buttery Popcorn, light honey, hay.

Palate: Medium mouthfeel. Slight Heat, buttery popcorn, hay, slight salt, a bit meaty.

Finish: Medium length. Warm. Hay, slight honey and earth. Buttery popcorn, vanilla. Slight must.

Rating: 6/10

Guess: Single Malt, Ex-Bourbon Barrel, 7-10 years old. 50-52% ABV. A young Clynelish?

Reveal: CAol Ila SMWS 11 53.304 Rose Petals on a Rock Pool

Whew was I a bit off and I didn’t get a ton of peat but this was overall an enjoyable and nice dram.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect