SMWS Whisky Sample Distillery 53 Rare Release Caol Ila 14 Year Old honeysuckle petrichor 2023 Release (30ml, 56.6%)
SMWS Whisky Sample Distillery 53 Rare Release Caol Ila 14 Year Old honeysuckle petrichor 2023 Release (30ml, 56.6%)
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SMWS Whisky Sample Distillery 53 Rare Release Caol Ila 14 Year Old honeysuckle petrichor 2023 Release (30ml, 56.6%)
Part of the Fèis Ìle 2023 celebrations, this 14-year-old was matured in a complex cask bill of 1st-fill American oak PX hogsheads and refill hogsheads. The PX influence is bold but beautifully integrated, providing a dark, syrupy contrast to Caol Ila’s clean, medicinal peat. At 56.8% ABV, it is a dense and oily dram that captures the essence of a summer rainstorm hitting the Islay coast—earthy, floral, and deeply savory.
Tasting Notes
Nose: A wild collision of sweet and savory. It opens with honeysuckle and rose water, but quickly shifts into bacon jam, BBQ sauce, and buttered crab. There is a persistent mineral note of wet pavement (petrichor) and a touch of salt spray.
Palate: Massive and mouth-coating. It leads with smoked prune juice and cherry fondant, balanced by the savory "funk" of biltong and smoked ginger. The peat manifests as ash-dusted pebbles and singed brambles.
Finish: Long and deeply rewarding. It leaves a lingering trail of liquorice, smoked apple pie, and a hint of old leather.
Why this bottle is special:
This bottle is special because it represents the "Rare Release" tier of the SMWS—a step above their standard single casks. It’s a small-batch marriage designed to showcase a specific theme (Floral/Petrichor) that isn't usually associated with Caol Ila. It is special because it finds a "Goldilocks" zone: it has the sweetness of a sherry bomb, the savory salt of a seafood platter, and the refined smoke of a 14-year-old Islay malt. It’s Caol Ila in "high-definition."
Additional information
Additional information
- Distillery Caol Ila
- Bottler SMWS
- Region Islay
- Whisky Type Single Malt
- Cask/Finish Pedro Ximenez, Refill, and Hogshead
- ABV 56.6%
- Age 14 Year Old
- Release Year 2023
- Distillery Status Operational
