Caol Ila 13 Year Old 2008 Cask #314557C Fino Sherry Octave, York Road Bottlers 2008

The nose has sweet bonfire smoke and steeped dark fruits and caramel. There’s a little grassy note in the background and citrus zest giving high notes. The palate has sweet, cooked fruits and manuka honey, sitting atop of barbeque smoke and a little rancio note. Very well balanced with a top dressing note of struck match giving a little highlight akin to seasoning a meal with pepper, which brings out the cooked fruit and fruit cake flavours. Dark chocolate, dried figs and soft spices round out the back of the palate giving a satisfying dram. The finish is complex and very long. The dried fruits persist, and the spices and sweet smoke come through in waves in contrast to toasted oak and a little dark honey. The very end is still rich and spicy and not at all dry. Conclusion - A very complex and satisfying whisky which is well balanced and bottled à point, with the oak well integrated and very fine tannins.