New Release: Calila CAOL ILA 1998-2015 Officially for the Islay Festival 2015 Triple Matured

The sweetness was well-balanced, resulting in a satisfying finish. Calila CAOL ILA 1998-2015 OB FEIS ILE 2015 Triple Matured 57.3% One of 1500 bottles The aroma features lemon, gradually intensifying apricot jam and plum, chlorine, seafood dashi, a strong savory barley note, custard, sharp peat, and a smooth mouthfeel that gradually expands into a rich, sweet flavor of apricot jam and plum jam, savory umami from seafood dashi and barley, nuts, and a faint tannin of oak. The sweetness is strong but doesn't linger long, with a lengthy peaty finish. [Good/Very Good] This year's Islay Festival Calila was a triple matured 1998 vintage. While the aroma conveys Calila's characteristic fresh citrus, chlorine, seafood notes, and sharp peat, it also simultaneously presents warmth and concentrated sweetness from apricot jam. Upon tasting, the warm and sweet elements become more pronounced than the aroma, with a concentrated fruity sweetness. Though Calila is often dry and crisp, this bottle was notably sweet. However, the sweetness felt well-integrated rather than forced, without an artificial maturity. This sweetness likely comes from a Sherry cask (probably PX or Muscatel) used in the triple maturation process (likely the final stage). Upon investigation, it was revealed that the whisky first matured in a refilled American oak cask, then transferred to a Muscatel cask, and finally aged in an old oak puncheon. By adding sweetness and depth through the Muscatel cask, followed by a final maturation in a plain puncheon to balance it out, the whisky achieved a harmonious blend of sweetness and unity in flavor. I was thoroughly convinced by this balance. A Calila so well-balanced that I hesitated to rate it as Very Good (VG).