Caol Ila 15 Years Old M.Wigman They Inspired III Whisky Icons Geert Bero 53.3% 2006

Distillery	Caol Ila
Bottler	Michiel Wigman
Serie	They Inspired III Whisky Icons 15 Years Old M.Wigman They Inspired III Whisky Icons Geert Bero
Bottled for	The Netherlands
Distilled date	03.2007
Bottling date	04.2022
Country	Scotland
Region	Islay
Age	15
Cask Type
Cask Number
Alcohol percentage	53.3
Volume	0,70
Condition	Perfect
Label	Perfect
Stock	11

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (89)

This one is sporting the portrait of our dear old friend Geert Bero. Presto, 25 more points! Drawing done by another good friend, Hans Dillesse. Presto, 25 + 25 more points! Colour: white wine. Nose: this is the afficionados' way, 'as pure as possible!' Mercurochrome, seawater, paint thinner, fresh apple juice, crabs and oysters, plus of course, ashes. With water: always loved fresh bark, white asparagus, raw salsify, new wool and 'Islay mud'. Mouth (neat): totally, embarrassingly perfect. As we sometimes say, this is a blade that cuts you into two halves of exactly the same sizes, with millimetre precision. With water: gentler, rooty, earthy, yet clean and salty. Finish: very salty. Comments: some good folks say Caol Ila is a malt that's made solely by computers (like, Commodore, Radio Shack or Amstrad, I would suppose). And?

Words of Whisky (90)

:

Nose: Warming wood smoke with gentle farmy notes, quinces, vanilla biscuits and lemons, but also a touch of olive brine. Then there’s a gentle sea breeze, some licorice root and nutmeg, with a whiff of oysters as well.
Taste: Damp oak, pralines and cinnamon with a smoky bonfire. An oily mouthfeel to boot. Somewhat ashy, but also brine and iodine, and sweet barley husks. Not unlike like sugared breakfast cereals. Oh, and lemons of course!
Finish: Long. Some oak spices with kippers and minerals. Lingering wood smoke.

CONCLUSION
A slightly more mature, well-rounded Caol Ila with great balance. Whereas many younger Caol Ila (sometimes only a few years) seem a bit more rugged, this is very polished.

BOW (88)

serie 3.5 Geert Bero - artwork and design by Hans Dillesse

review by maltfascination.com:

Sniff:
An interesting combination of lighter lemony notes, combined with a rather heavy engine grease nose. A heavy smokiness that’s really machine like. Like heavy diesel machinery, There’s coastal scents behind that. Marram grass and sandy beaches.

Sip:
The palate is not too intense. There’s a bit of bite from the alcohol, but it’s not hot. Some sawdust and oak shavings, there are bonfires on the beach and old engines too. Smoke, but with a slightly creamy note behind it. Not as much as with some other Caol Ilas though, it’s rather timid on that front.

Swallow:
The finish is a very smoky one. There’s a sooty quality to it, so slightly greasy and sticky as well. Which could be the creamy, engine grease thing that Caol Ila has going for it anyway.

This is a big whisky. Very modern, but with some age to it. As in, there’s a lot of younger Caol Ila out there that has a similar smokiness, but these lack the depth this one has. Good stuff indeed!