Maltbarn has a new batch of bottlings: Invergordon 1973, Fettercairn 1988, Glen Elgin 1995 and the youngest of them all, this Caol Ila 2004 .

Although I can think of at least two others from the same bottler, you don’t get too many Caol Ila expressions from sherry oak these days. I’m always surprised how it can take the common, clean bourbon profile into different directions.

Caol Ila 12 yo 2004 (54,7%, Maltbarn 2017, 175 btl.)

Nose: the sherry isn’t all that loud, yet it gives it a nicely tarry, sooty edge and a certain hint of Laphroaig,...