Friday party: Scapa 14 yo, Highland Park 15 and 18 yo, Springbank 12 yo Burgundy and two single cask Caol Ilas

Tonight we'll travel from Orkney to Western Hebrydes with intermediate stop in Campbelltown.

So the idea of this evening was to try the distilleries I personally like. I built the route as follows: old Scapa 14 yo, two malts from neighbouring Highland Park and then we go for cask strength: well appraised Springbank 12 yo Burgundy and two Caol Ilas.

Scapa 14 yo 40% - bottled at least 10 years ago, as in 2008 it was replaced by 16 yo which I liked less than this one.

Nose: fresh, fruity (ripe pears and apples), lots of honey, whiffs of smoke and salt. Stays long in the glass. Classy nose.

Taste: quite thick for its 40%, flowers, grass and honey inside.

Finish: rather long on malt and butter with nice fresh minty note at the end. 

Overall: surprisingly good for a standard 40% malt!

Score = 22.5 21 21.5 21, 86/100!

Highland Park 15 yo 40% - flattened and not so elegant as it was last time, unsuccessfull batch or spent too much time opened?.. No score for it today.

Highland Park 18 yo 43% - complex and smooth as usual: heather honey, oranges and grass, salt and touch of smoke, my benchmark for Orkney and the age modern Highland Park begins at (strictly personally of course), 89/100!

Springbank 12 yo Burgundy 53.5% - limited (?) run of 10260 bottles, label says it was aged in 1-st fill Burgundy casks, so it should be not wine finish, but full-time maturation.

Nose: light smoke and lots of red berries, leather and spices, changes all the time in the glass. 

Taste: powerful, sweet, winy (what a surprise!), plenty of spices and fruits. 

Finish: long, sweet, salty and tad peaty. 

Overall: needs some time in the glass and then gives you utmost pleasure. Hesitating between 89 and 90, actually depends on a mood, though let it be 90/100 today.

Score = 22 23 23 22, 90/100!

And now come 2 stars of the evening (hopefully):

Caol Ila 26 yo 1982/20018 cask #2736 Duncan Taylor Rare Auld 55.4% - not sure about type of the cask.

Nose: yeah, that's what we love in aged Caol Ilas - ashes, citrus and lots of fresh grass afterwards. Just a hint of smoke.

Taste: very sweet, oily smoked fish, pinch of salt of course. 

Finish: active smokehouse by the sea :) 

Overall: not overwhelmingly complex, though extremely tasty and balanced Caol Ila. Beautiful!

Score = 23 22.5 22.5 23, 91/100!

Caol Ila 29 yo 1983/2013 cask #1555 Carn Mor 60.6% - 218 bottles released at awesome 60.6% strength.

Nose: quite reserved at the very beginning. Grassiness, just a hint of smoke, gouache paint, citrus and liquorice notes. With time or with water arrives sweet smoked fish and salt. 

Taste: powerful indeed, sweet, salty and smoky. More sweetness with water. 

Finish: very long one on lime, smoke, sea salt, old leather and oak, pepper and spices.

Overall: strong and chiselled Caol Ila which gets better and better in the glass. Great finish. But not so friendly as previous one.

Score = 22 22 23 22, 89/100!