And the party goes on … in late May 2023, Munich-based specialist whisky shop Sieberts Whiskywelt – run by expert drammers Marcel and Başak – celebrated its fifth anniversary. While the on-site festivities are mostly over now, the commemorative birthday bottling, an 8 years old Caol Ila with an Oloroso finish, keeps spreading joy among all those who bought it! The extremely well-developed spirit was imported from Scotland to Germany by The Caskhound, and launched by Sieberts Whiskywelt as their first-ever own indie release in an edition of only 164 bottles. I was so impressed by this complex yet approachable Islay malt that I re-ordered a second bottle only a few days after I had opened my first one. If you are lucky, you might still get one, too. Last time I chatted with Marcel, he told me that bottles were changing hands fast, but some were still available. So I would recommend you to hit him and Başak up in case you are currently looking for a finger-licking good Caol Ila that will completely make you drool …

by Tobi

Eye: Roasted chestnut brown in color, big n’ oily in stature.
Nose: Sieberts Whiskywelt’s top-class B-Day dram starts off with a most amazing mix of rich-with-minerals Islay smoke and sweet-as-a-treat strawberry jam. Then more scents and smells join in to provide additional depth and width: cooled-off ash, chimney wood, cocoa powder, cola drop, bramble mush, whipped cream, and dried ‘n’ spiced potpourri.
Palate: Despite its young age, this well-chosen single cask Caol Ila presents itself wonderfully rounded – offering a dense but also broad-ranging cloud of flavors. The raised ABV produces a pleasant burn; and it elevates the provided flavors to an even higher level. Among others, I taste cooked cherries, nougat bites, gingerbread cookies, demerara sugar, milk coffee, alc-soaked raisins, and burnt rosemary. Plus all kinds of wooden, resiny, and minty notes. And not to forget: lots of soot and fume!
Finish: The continuing aftertaste provides a “Best of” compilation of the many good things we got to smell and taste before … and then some! There’s stewed fruits, smouldering wood, (half-)sweet pastry, dark chocolate, moist stones, and dried herbs – clothed in a mid-heavy shroud of peat smoke. Towards the end, one more note becomes present: jellied banana. It remains present on the tongue extra-long and gives the finish additional weight.

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Region: Islay
Age: 8 Years
Alc. volume: 57.6 per cent
Cask type: 1st-fill Oloroso quarter cask finish
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
# of Bottles: 164
Price: ~99 Euro
More info: https://sieberts-whiskywelt.de/ (Bottler)

*** I bought the bottle as a regular customer. ***