Caol Ila Connoisseurs Choice Single Malt Scotch Whisky 11 Year Old · 1998 Vintage

Colour

Deep copper-amber with ruby-bronze highlights and a warm mahogany edge.

Nose

Peat smoke and sea air mingle with coastal iodine, brightened by vanilla. First-fill sherry lends lush dark fruit—raisin, fig, and cherry—alongside cocoa and toffee, with warming spice. A waxy oak backbone frames the aroma, while a subtle maritime tang lingers, true to Islay character.

Palate

Opulent and smoky, Caol Ila’s peat unfurls against a maritime, medicinal spine, then leans into first-fill sherry sweetness. Dried fruit—fig and raisin—rise with cocoa, orange zest and toffee, carried on a velvety, briny palate. Oak warmth threads through, releasing spice and embered smoke in a long, refined finish.

Finish

Long, warming finish where Caol Ila’s smoky peat lingers, wrapped in the richness of first-fill sherry. Dried fruit and cocoa seep through—figs, raisins, a touch of orange rind—while a subtle coastal salinity trails behind, fading to a soft, bittersweet echo.