Review #407 - Adelphi Caol Ila 13 Year Single Cask
Independent bottler Adelphi has done quite a few Caol Ila bottlings over the years, ranging from 7 to 28 years in age. These are generally presented at cask strength, are often single casks, and they come from a variety of cask types.
This particular example was matured for 13 years (a 2009 vintage) in a refill ex-bourbon barrel. It yielded 292 bottles, so... perhaps it's actually a larger cask type than the American standard barrel of 200 liters? Either that, or they have actually added a decent amount of water to the bottles to stretch out that outturn. Either way, this is bottled at a solid strength of 53.9% ABV, and as always with Adelphi, there's no added color or chill filtration.
Adelphi Caol Ila 13 Year Single Cask
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 129 (2024)
Age Statement: 13 Years
Strength: 53.9% ABV
Cask Makeup: Refill ex-bourbon barrel
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled in 2009, bottled in 2023; cask 314101, 292 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 80% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Soft and effervescent at first, with a medium level of peat smoke. There's some ashy character and a slightly lactic note; then, buttered bread and dry bread crust. There's a soft medicinal scent in the background, and charcoal is added to the smoke.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; quite dry now, with a blast of ash and strong peat at the front of the palate. Dry vanilla, some soft floral notes, and pepper arrive in the mid-palate; in the background, there's a backbone of malty grain.
Finish: Ash and peat continue, relatively strong, though the rest of the flavor is nicely measured. There's a soft barbecue flavor in the back, and this is medium-long overall.
Final Note: Another solid independently bottled Caol Ila - it's hard to get them wrong. The fact that this was a refill cask allowed the whisky to show off more of the distillate character - that nice peat with a lighter complexion in the background is a treat. It wasn't the most complex whisky, but still quite tasty.
Value is okay, a little below average, to be honest - these Adelphi bottlings do come with a premium, as their cask selection is great, it's higher strength, and it hasn't been meddled with (chill filtration/added caramel color).
Our Average Rating: 7.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.54
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Caol Ila reviews:
Review #399 - Caol Ila 17 Year 'Unpeated Style'
Review #392 - Caol Ila 12 Year
Review #260 - SMWS Distillery 53 Rare Release 'Floral Petrichor' - Caol Ila 14 Year
Review #200 - SMWS 53.363 'Delicious Earthy Smoke' - Caol Ila 10 Year
Review #74 - Caol Ila Cask Strength
Check out our other Adelphi reviews:
