Caol Ila 2016/2026 - 10 y.o. - 1st Fill St. Michael-Eppan Chardonnay Butt Finish #9 (Best Dram)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 57.6% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

A Chardonnay finish from South Tyrol shapes this single-cask bottling from Caol Ila. Its final maturation took place in a First Fill Chardonnay Butt from the St. Michael-Eppan winery. Honey, citrus notes and a delicate touch of rose complement the maritime peat smoke.

Caol Ila distilled this Single Malt on 6 June 2016. After ten years of maturation, Best Dram had it bottled from cask 9 on 17 July 2026. The release comprises 674 bottles of 0.7 litres each. The whisky was bottled at its cask strength of 57.6%, without chill filtration or added colouring.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Bright citrus notes and green apple appear first. Delicate vanilla sweetness and salty sea notes join them, accompanied by a hint of peat smoke.
• Palate: The whisky feels powerful and oily on the palate. Bright, juicy yellow fruit meets creamy vanilla and maritime spice before subtle peat smoke joins in.
• Finish: The long finish is dry, mineral and salty. Citrus peel and a delicate maritime note linger, accompanied by a hint of vanilla.

Distillery/Bottler:

Caol Ila lies near Port Askaig on Islay’s east coast, opposite the island of Jura. Founded in 1846, the distillery takes its Gaelic name from the Sound of Islay, the strait between the two islands. It produces both peated and unpeated Single Malts.

Michel Reick, known as Whisky Druid, is the person behind independent bottler Best Dram. He has released whisky bottlings under this name since 2014. He personally travels to Scotland’s whisky regions to select individual casks. His range includes different cask maturations and finishes; the single-cask bottlings are released at cask strength without added colouring.

Facts: