Caol Ila Murray McDavid Benchmark Madeira Wine Barrique Cask Whisky (UK Exclusive) 5 Year Old · 2018 Vintage

Colour

Rich amber with copper-gold highlights and a warm mahogany tint.

Nose

Peaty smoke and maritime iodine surge from the glass, carried by a coastal breeze. Madeira’s rich sweetness threads through dark fruit—raisin, prune, fig—mixed with caramel and burnt sugar. Orange zest, cocoa nibs, and toasted almond add depth, while a saline sea-air whisper lingers on the finish.

Palate

Gently start with a full, oily mouthfeel, bold peat and sea-salt smoke. Madeira-barrel sweetness threads through dark honeyed fruit—figs, raisins, treacle—alongside toasted oak and vanilla. Spices—black pepper, cocoa, orange zest—emerge. The palate leads to a long, warming finish: smoky, rancio-fruited, with a hint of medicinal iodine.

Finish

Long maritime finish of Caol Ila peat and sea spray, tempered by Madeira's warm sweetness. Dried fig and raisin mingle with cocoa, toasted oak and a thread of almond, then a subtle peppery warmth lingers, fading into a refined, smoky afterglow.