Caol Ila 10yo Palo Cortado
Woodrow’s of Edinburgh | 57.6% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
A gorgeous Caol Ila that’s big on sentiment and bigger on flavor
Goodbye
As I write this from our “home-away-from-home” in remote Northern California, the current view through the blinds and out of the window is of another dreary, gray, rainy morning. But the sadness I’m feeling isn’t weather-related, it’s the prospect of departing.
A few hours away yet from the hustle of packing, final cleaning checks, loading up the car, and “Did you remember the so and so…” that precedes a long journey, I’m finding myself with a heavy heart, not ready to leave.
This was our second annual sojourn to what’s commonly called California’s “Lost Coast” and, although we’ve been to Humboldt County multiple times, a near two week stay with puppy in tow has ticked all the boxes of a fulfilling family retreat: recharged batteries, closer connections, authentic happiness, and all sorts of chatter like “Can’t wait until next year,” and “What if we just moved here?” It seems cliché to say, but this is our happy place - and that’s coming from people who genuinely love the neighborhoods and people where we live.
Cut off and isolated from the rest of California (there’s only one major highway in or out) and a four-hour drive minimum to the next-largest population center, the Lost Coast is aptly named. Many have settled here as refugees from the outside world and a tour through the nearby towns displays an eccentric melting pot of humankind’s proud oddballs.
The remoteness of what’s also called “The Emerald Triangle” attracted a certain set during the 1960’s and 70’s. It was a haven for the “back-to-the-land” movement and hippie counterculture of the time. Humboldt County’s reputation to the rest of the country (and the rest of the world as far as I know) are the particularly good strains of marijuana grown on its secluded farms. For a time, timber and cannabis were its chief export.
When California legalized marijuana in 2016, the inevitable local takeover by capitalism and big agriculture toppled what was once a thriving, albeit underground, enterprise. The legal dispensaries where all varieties of cannabis are sold like six packs of beer are still ever-present on every corner (they outnumber coffee shops), but conversations with locals are usually a sigh followed by grumblings over the realities of such a transition: overpromising from state and local governments, a nightmare of tax navigation without access to banks (it remains illegal nationally, the wonders of federalism), too much private equity leading to overproduction and a glut of new businesses, falling prices, competition from illegal farms, all of it. Parallels to whisky in many ways, but that’s a conversation for another day.
The region has struggled to reinvent itself as a tech and tourism destination -- with inevitable fits and starts along the way. The local college expanded and is receiving a $300 million makeover, the regional airport hopes to bring additional flights to an improved runway, new hotels cropping up in town, plans and chatter galore toward growth and expansion, but the rugged identity of the Lost Coast remains and the signs of worn buildings, shuttered businesses, and failure-to-launch are omnipresent.
But a place doesn’t need glossy new architecture to have character. A region and people boomeranging between boom-and-bust cycles and enduring lean economic realities, mixed with the promise of a prosperous future just over the horizon, creates a folk most hardy.
Everyone I encounter, regardless of the weather, loves it and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I feel the same. It’s called the “Lost Coast” due to its unique position on the map, but for me and others, it’s where the true self is found.
During this stay we hiked previously undiscovered trails with an eager pup in tow, charted new adventures, and welcomed a visit from my mother, who made her own trek to the Lost Coast and stayed a few days – but who was now freshly retired after 43 years of nursing (she’s a living saint) and was in the mood to celebrate.
Unable to haul the entire Dunlop whisky closet to honor such an auspicious occasion, I was forced to box up a hand-picked selection of bottles (including the previously mentioned Edradour and Ardnamurchan) together with a few of mom’s favorite distillery, which happens to be Caol Ila. Side Note: I was incredibly pleased to hear that her co-workers gifted her a bottle at her retirement party. I may have shed tears of pride.
Caol Ila is also tops of the Dunlop list and I very much enjoy observing this dynamic spirit interact with different casks, age statements, and diverse interpretations by independent bottlers. Vertical tastings of this distillery are a favorite pastime.
A couple of years ago, while on a Caol Ila side quest I stumbled upon this wonderful bottle. Palo Cortado sherry sounded like it would work wonderfully with this spirit and boy did it ever. This was also my introduction to intrepid bottler Woodrow’s of Edinburgh, to whom I owe my inaugural Dramface piece.
Needless to say, this bottle is steeped in sentiment. Sharing and sipping its magical contents has caused the liquid level to fall dangerously low, in the back of my mind I knew a potential goodbye may be imminent.
Sure enough, following Super Bowl celebrations and retirement cheers, a few days later, on the eve of our departure, only a couple of pours remained. It didn’t make sense to pack this bottle back into Archie Dunlop’s Traveling Whisky Apothecary, taking up space for the long drive home.
So, as I braced to bid farewell to a location that brings immeasurable joy, so too this bottle, to whom I also have a fair attachment, I must likewise take my leave.
Review
Caol Ila 10yo, Woodrow’s of Edinburgh, matured in ex-bourbon and finished in Palo Cortado sherry casks, 57.6% ABV
US$85 (£65) paid, now sold out
From the first sip I knew this was something special. It might be one of my top Caol Ilas to date.
Palo Cortado sherry is rare and enigmatic. It’s far less seen in whisky maturation than its cousins Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez. Comprising only 1-2% of total sherry production, its infrequency is due to its accidental nature, often occurring when the flor yeast protective layer naturally fails, allowing oxidation.
My admiration for Caol Ila is shared among my fellow Dramface writers, especially when sold by independent bottlers at higher ABV. It’s a distillate that shines in bourbon, sherry, wine casks, and everything in between. Caol Ila IB’s are widely available and are typically affordable. Everything a botherer could hope for.
Like most whisky on the market the price tends to shoot up once the bottles get into the high teens and beyond, but I’ve found particularly fair value for expressions ranging from 9-15 years old and I’d consider that the “sweet spot” for both enjoyment and cost.
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
A gorgeous Caol Ila that’s big on sentiment and bigger on flavor
Nose
Rich, inviting, and layered. Salty-sweet, peppery cookfire smoke that’s slightly earthy with hints of charcoal embers. Orange slices. Lemongrass. Cashews and salted almonds. Seashells. Driftwood. Tree bark. Dry Rosé. Lots of dessert sweetness like Butterfinger candy bars, chocolate donuts, mousse, and apple crisp.
Coming back there’s burnt pizza crust, charred pineapple, buttered popcorn, and milk duds. Finally, there’s a savoriness like chicken teriyaki and beef jerky. The nose was itself an adventure with something new beneath each layer and those rich chocolatey hints becoming more dominant as the liquid levels dropped. Water brings baking notes, toffee, salted caramel, raisins, candied nuts, Crema di Limoncello, and smoked salmon. Just beautiful.
Palate
A complex mouthfeel with more Butterfinger, but also Twix Bars, tri-tip burnt ends, coffee with sweet cream, lemon pepper, eclairs, peanut butter, and candied nuts all overlapping with a lovely and perfectly balanced syrupy-savory smokiness that sticks to the palate. Water brings Limoncello, Almond Joy, Country Time lemonade, vanilla frosting, and sea-salt dark chocolate.
The finish is long and dry with candied lemon and a cigar with chocolate cake, that final rich fudginess lingers and elevates this pour even beyond what is already a wonderful dram.
The Dregs
What a bottle. So much to unpack as I officially finish the last pour. Caol Ila in sherry always seems to deliver and I’ve yet to have any expression from this distillery that wasn’t at least “good stuff.” The signature lemon-ey coastal smokiness is there, with the finishing cask delivering those meaty cookfire notes, as well as lovely decadent sweetness, citrus fruits, and even a light savoriness wrapping it all together, providing additional depth and flavor. So much complexity for a bottle that’s only 10 years old.
I remember taking notes on this the first time and scribbling “magnificent” in the margins. I shared with others who all had the same experience. Mother Dunlop, who is a certified Caol Ila fan, also rated this with an enthusiastic thumbs up. At $85 two years ago, it was amazing value and I’m happy that Woodrow’s and their retailers aim to keep prices fair and affordable for their releases. More of this please.
Time on vacation and liquid in a bottle are both very finite things. Eventually we must say goodbye to both. After all, whisky is meant to be enjoyed in moments of solitary reflection and celebratory moments equally. I bid farewell to this wonderful expression, just like I bid farewell to our sanctuary on the coast, always looking forward to the next adventure.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. AD
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