2005 Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice Caol Ila 14 Year Old Hermitage Cask Finished Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Always one of the more popular G&M releases, this is the latest installment of Caol Ila finished in a red wine casks.

Gordon & Macphail are unusual in being the only independent bottler to mature their whiskies on location at the Caol Ila distillery, rather than in a bonded warehouse on the mainland. After a period in first-fill bourbon and refill American casks, this spent a final maturation in x-Hermitage (French Shiraz) casks for just one year (the last edition was three years) with an outturn of 3708 bottles.

Notes from the bottlers... NOSE- Vanilla pod with wisps of light peat smoke and cured meats. Aromas of cranberry, raspberry, and strawberries with hints of lemon sherbet and undertones of plum skin. TASTE- Hints of pepper followed by mixed spice, raspberry, blackcurrant, and a subtle hint of chocolate. Flavours of beeswax and ash come to the fore with a slight undertone of fresh orange. FINISH- Long; summer fruits evolve into smoky bonfire embers. 45% Alc./Vol.