As a cask comes to maturity, Finn curates sampling sessions in interesting and relaxing environments, with friends, whisky experts and trusted partners to discover the personality of each cask and gauge the experience each dram evokes.
All the best distillers pride themselves on crafting whisky with a distinctive flavour, which is determined by the water source, grain and barley, the peat and malting, and their distilling processes. High quality original spirit is integral to every cask we bottle.
The cask itself interacts with the whisky over time. The type of wood plays a big role, as do treatments such as the whiskies are aged in a variety of types of casks. The whiskies are aged in former sherry or bourbon casks, augmenting the cask influence. External conditions such as air temperature, pressure and humidity also interact with the cask producing a knock-on effect that makes the spirit inside unique.
Finn uses these factors to balance each FT whisky experience. He may sample a cask and decide to leave it on the rack, allowing age to further develop its personality. He might decide to re-rack a whisky in a new cask to add a finishing touch. Or, he might simply deem it ready. When Finn decides the flavour is perfectly balanced, it’s time to bottle the whisky.
This is the 3rd of a series of sherried Caol Ila 2006 casks that we have bottled. The oldest of the 3 at 18 years old, this has evolved into an incredibly smooth and balanced peated whisky. The Oloroso sherry finish has added layers of sweetness and fruit to combine with the underlying smoke from the distillery.
Caol Ila has a reputation for being Scotland’s most reliable distillery for producing consistently high quality whisky. While it works brilliantly in all different cask types, for me it is at its best matched with a sherry cask.
The sherry influence works beautifully with the underlying fruity flavours of the Caol Ila spirit while the addition of sweetness balances out the smokiness. The final result is a delicate and balanced peated whisky - a far cry from some of Islay’s other malts where the peat flavour is more prominent. Instead this is a sophisticated dram that combines the flavours of peat and sherry perfectly.
As the 3rd of the series of 2006 Caol Ila’s it is fascinating to try this alongside the 15 and 17 year old versions. With the extra time in the cask, this is the smoothest and most delicate yet, showing the vital role patient ageing can have on the quality of a whisky.
This is the 3rd of a series of sherried Caol Ila 2006 casks that we have bottled. The oldest of the 3 at 18 years old, this has evolved into an incredibly smooth and balanced peated whisky. The Oloroso sherry finish has added layers of sweetness and fruit to combine with the underlying smoke from the distillery.
Caol Ila has a reputation for being Scotland’s most reliable distillery for producing consistently high quality whisky. While it works brilliantly in all different cask types, for me it is at its best matched with a sherry cask.
The sherry influence works beautifully with the underlying fruity flavours of the Caol Ila spirit while the addition of sweetness balances out the smokiness. The final result is a delicate and balanced peated whisky - a far cry from some of Islay’s other malts where the peat flavour is more prominent. Instead this is a sophisticated dram that combines the flavours of peat and sherry perfectly.
As the 3rd of the series of 2006 Caol Ila’s it is fascinating to try this alongside the 15 and 17 year old versions. With the extra time in the cask, this is the smoothest and most delicate yet, showing the vital role patient ageing can have on the quality of a whisky.