2009 Caol Ila 8 Year Old "Signatory" K&L Exclusive Islay Single Hogshead Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)

Notes

We've made it a point this year to buy as much young Caol Ila as possible! Not only is the distillery cranking out some of the finest peated malt anywhere on Islay, but it tastes extremely delicious even at a very young age. When Signatory showed us this exceptional cask, we knew it would be a struggle to get it to the states at a price that makes sense. Luckily, the new local representation for the brand are old friends and they were able to work out a deal to bring this exceptional cask into stock at a relatively reasonable rate. Of course, these Signatory casks don't compare on paper to our Directly Imported casks from Hunter and Douglas Laing, but they also offer something different than we've ever been offered from our friends in Glasgow. This small lot of top tier Caol Ila was filled into fresh bourbon barrels on October 22nd, 2009. It has a freshness and intensity unsurpassed by any similarly priced peater in the shop and beats even the wonderful young Ardbegs in terms of sheer power. It's a perfect contrast to the soft rounded single barrel of Sovereign. While it doesn't offer quite the same ridiculous value, it takes the complexity to a whole new level. With that in mind, we think this special whisky still stands out as one of the best peated values in the shop.