Cadenhead's Cooley 11yo (27yo)...

Cadenhead's Cooley 11yo (27yo) (53.4%): A very special bottle triggering beautiful memories from the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2019... It was our favorite whiskey we tasted at the "Big Tasting" blindly during Cadenhead's Open Day and we picked a bottle right after and carried it all the way to the other side of the world to its new home. It is technically an 11yo Irish Whiskey like the label states since the cask got moved from Ireland to Campbeltown Scotland when it was 11 years old. But the barrel didn't get emptied right away and was let to mature for another 16 years in Cadenhead's warehouses... It's safe to say that the whisky actually is 27 year old. I was saving this bottle for our St. Patrick's Day party which never happened of course for obvious reasons and honestly I don't see myself showing the perseverance to keep it uncorked till next March. So, today is the day then... We should be trying harder to make our 2020 better after all: One dram at a time..!

Color: Pale yellow, straw-like color with thin but slow legs around the glass.

Nose: Dry warehouse, cardboard boxes and old newspapers. Banana chips, dried mango and dried papaya slices. Spearmint gums, cattle shed and hay bales. It's dusty, chalky and sweet... Touch of peat, more like campfire or burnt pine needles. Water opens it up beautifully, more floral now: Jonquils, hyacinths, milk chocolate and gummi bears.

Palate: Matches the nose pretty much: Pineapple juice, ripe mangoes and Golden Delicious apples. Unripe bananas, ground white pepper and dry soot. A few drops of water bitter the whisky a little and highlight the peat: Charcoal, cracked red peppercorns and dried tropical fruits again.

Finish: Long with red pepper flakes, dried mango slices and ash.

Overall: Brilliant whisky... It was a winner back then, it is a winner now. Textbook ex-bourbon cask maturation. I have to admit that I am extremely bummed that we couldn't attend the Campbeltown Malts Festival this year. I miss the town, I miss my friends and I miss the fun... Well, all I can say is "Cannot wait till next May..! See you all there again..."

Price: £100

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