CAOL ILA 12 Year Old 2010 Sassicaia Finish Gordon & Macphail, 45% ABV

Distilled in 2010, this 12 Year Old Caol Ila matured in a Refill Bourbon Barrel before being finished for one year in a former Sassicaia cask (Italian red wine from Tuscany). It is bottled at 45% as part of the “Wood Finished – Connoisseurs Choice” range.

Created in 1968 by the whisky visionary “Mr. George” Urquhart, the “Connoisseurs Choice” range now includes over 2,000 bottlings from around a hundred Scottish distilleries. The story of each “Connoisseurs Choice” whisky is told on its label: cask type, bottling date, ABV, vintage, and tasting notes. Always non-chill-filtered, these rare single casks and small-batch expressions were crafted through Gordon & MacPhail’s unique expertise in marrying distillate and oak casks, passed down through four generations of the same family.

Key Information

Serving Suggestions
First things first, be comfortable, relaxed and free from distractions. Pour a healthy amount (15-25ml) into a nosing glass (e.g., glencairn) and let it sit for a while. We recommend a minute of resting in the glass for every year in the cask. Otherwise, let it settle down for 5-10 minutes at least.

Help yourself to a 'warm up dram' in the meantime - something simple to open up the palate. When ready, start nosing the spirit, followed by sipping it (noting how it arrives on your palate and its development), and finally the finish. Take your time to get to know the spirit, noting its expression, character, depth, complexity and flavours. These can all change with adding drops of water so play around to find different sides of the spirit and identity a personal sweet spot for yourself!

But always remember, the best way to drink it is the way you like it!