The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar - Door Number 5

Each day in December until Christmas Day we are opening a door on The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar and posting our tasting notes on our blog.

The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar Door Number 5 Caol Ila 9 Year Old AD Rattray

The 5th whisky from The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar is a 2006 Caol Ila 9yo from AD Rattray. 56.7% is the bottling strength this time.

We still have a couple of these calendars left if you'd like to catch up with us and join in the daily tasting.

On the nose there's that unmistakable blast of peat, like coastal spray mixed with the smokey embers of a campfire. Iodine, dried fish...this is the sort of thing that you think of in a winter whisky.

On the palate there's initial zesty sweetness which gives way to a richer, denser sweetness like fudge and caramel. It packs a big old punch at cask strength and probably needs a couple of drops of water (try using one of our Whisky Water Droppers for this). 

The finish is a combination of the nose and the palate. There's a lovely balance between the smokey, peaty elements and the rich, sweetness from the cask. Delicious. I think I'll have another wee taste...

With water the nose becomes more gentle, less stormy. The palate loses the burn and is all creamy vanilla with a more subdued and slightly bitter finish.

The first peaty whisky from the calendar is a fire-cracker of a dram, but it's not all smoke.

×