Review #100: 1991 Cadenhead Caol Ila 22 Year Bourbon Hogshead

Islay - 22- NCF - NCA - Sample ($140 at the local) - 52.2%

This is a single cask bottling, 1 of 234 bottles. It was distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2013.

Color - Old Gold

Nose - Vanilla and honey, some peat - vegetative funk, and some cereal underneath - maybe rutabaga - with drops water - some pears show up and the funk becomes more smoke like

Taste - Cooked mash, plastic rope, perfume, smoke and something astringent - with drops water - smoke with plastic hints, barley

Finish - Medium long - A big old puff of pipe smoke, salivation inducing, bicycle tires - with drops of water - unadulterated smoke

Overall - 5 - This was kind of all over the place and once it got past the nose, the peat drove everything. There was an astringent note on the palate that was distracting. I wish some honey and or vanilla on the nose made it through to the palate and finish to balance this out. Instead it was a study in Caol Ila peat. A few drops of water took away the astringent note but then made it a little boring. There is a Caol Ila peathead out there that would go nuts for this, but that is not me. It was interesting and fun to sample dram but not my style.

---

Rating system is price influenced as it is based on my shopping decisions when buying a bottle.

10 Best in Show

9 Great Dram for Special Occasions

8 Worthy of consistent spot in my collection

7 Worth picking up a bottle if in the mood

6 I would buy a bottle if it went on sale

5 I would drink it happily if offered

4 I would drink it if offered on the rocks

3 Maybe some soda will make this potable

2 I'll Pass

1 Toilet cleaner

Inclusive Ratings

Overall 6.1

Standard Deviation 0.92

Skew 0.66

Kurtosis -0.48