When you talk about Italian indie bottlers, one of the most reputed names in current panorama is surely Wilson & Morgan, exotic incarnation of the historical company from Treviso, Rossi & Rossi. We’ve had quite a few bottlings from them during the years, and now, thanks to the kindness of Marina Del Puppo, we put our greedy hands on this 2018 bottling: a young Caol Ila, 7 years old, matured in ten first fill ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 48%.
N: a textbook of Caol Ila, as it should always be. It could be resumed in the sacred trinity of Caol Ila: vanilla, sea, lemon. Young of course, but well painted by active wood, perfectly pairing the spirit’s style. It’s fresh and vibrant, promising a very sugary palate. The maturation hides the most naive face of youth and manages to build up a convincing balance between bourbon and Islay character.
P: again a textbook of Caoliliness, with the typical notes clearly in evidence: licorice and ink, upfront. The peatiness is a campfire on the beach here, and it definetely sounds good. Very salty, with a lot of vanilla too; lemon tart, or better: an artisanal Torta Paradiso, made in Strada Nuova in Pavia.
F: medium length, on the very same tones but with a herbal twist, on dried herbs and white pepper. Lovely!
We’re almost embarassed: that’s Caol Ila, it has a coherence and a consistency really unique, unmistakable. As it often happens, these young and superyoung Caol Ilas can show a maturity and a pleasantness that should be really envied by many others. You can’t go wrong with it: they’re all quite similar, they’re all quite good. This is available online at about 50€, thing that makes it even nicer to us. 86/100.
Recommended soundtrack: Pino D’Angiò – Ma quale idea.
