Brave New Spirits Ardbeg 2009 15yo Cask #26001 & Brave New Spirits Caol Ila 2011 13yo Cask #2322501

Brave New Spirits Ardbeg 2009 15yo Cask #26001

Region: Islay

ABV: 54.5%

Price: £224.95

Distilled in 2009 and matured for 15 years in a first-fill Rivesaltes fortified wine cask, this Ardbeg was bottled in 2025 for Brave New Spirits’ Cask Masters series. Just 308 bottles were released.  

Nose

The nose opens painfully tight. A brief flash of pear skins, crisp apple and orange peel pokes through, followed by toffee and a savoury note that recalls freshly baked bread, but a hefty wave of alcohol spice swamps almost everything else. Peat registers as little more than cold cigarette ash. Blind, we would never have guessed Ardbeg.

Palate

The palate is disappointingly thin for the strength. Watery texture meets an immediate prickle of raw spice. Behind that we find faint peat smoke, damp ash, simple syrup, orange marmalade and a touch of wet earth, yet the dominant sensation is pepper heat that lingers into and throughout a medium finish. We’re hoping water can turn things around.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose remains pretty tight. Water had coaxed out sulphur and a whiff of swimming pool chlorine, while the earlier savoury notes have faded slightly. A little green apple survives, and the alcohol bite eases, but overall the dram hasn’t improved like we hoped.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate delivers a short burst of heat, then flashes of apple and orange before bitterness and drying tannins join on the finish. Mouthfeel improves slightly, but honestly we’ve had enough.

Conclusion

We were really curious about how the cask type would impact this, and unfortunately it doesn’t seem to have done much to benefit. The spirit lacks its usual peat punch, and the spice overwhelms both on the nose and the palate. Not technically flawed, but we struggled to find much pleasure here, with or without water.

Score: 5/10

Value

At more than two hundred pounds and falling well short of expectations. Even committed Ardbeg fans should probably pass.

Brave New Spirits Caol Ila 2011 13yo Cask #2322501

Region: Islay

ABV: 53.9%

Price: £95.00

Distilled in 2011 and matured for 13 years in a first-fill Chateau Chizay Ukrainian wine barrique, this Caol Ila was bottled in 2025 for Brave New Spirits’ Cask Masters series. Just 258 bottles were released. 

Nose

The nose opens with ground almonds, crusty fresh bread and a splash of Robinsons fruit squash. It is less closed than today’s other review, but is still fairly reserved, offering only wisps of light peat smoke and a hint of iodine. We’re also finding it doesn’t give off much in the way of classic Caol Ila vibes.

Palate

The palate brings dried earth, cold ash and a burst of red-fruit sweetness. A light pepper spice follows, lingering with that red fruit through a medium finish. It tastes quite disjointed with the wine notes clashing with the peat and even with time never quite integrating. The mouthfeel is solid, but we’re struggling to pick up many other flavours even with patience.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has benefited from a small splash of water. The spice settles, revealing ham hock, strawberry jam, warm bread rolls and roasted peanuts, with the peat finally showing a little more firmly. It’s improved, though still lacking much we’d personally relate as Caol Ila.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has a slightly diminished mouthfeel, with the tradeoff that some of those fruit notes show through better now. The finish is mostly unchanged, and the peat has also dimmed slightly. It still has a disjointed feel between the cask and spirit.

Conclusion

A whisky that’s slightly better on the palate than on the nose, but overall one that fails to deliver with or without water. There’s some pleasant sweetness here, but it lacks depth, and the distillery character feels muted. Acceptable, though far from exciting.

Score: 5.5/10

Value

Ninety five pounds for a single cask, cask strength Caol Ila isn’t terrible on paper, but the whisky itself does not deliver enough to justify the spend.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

If you like what you’ve read then check out our social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) to get notifications of when we post a new review or just to chat about whisky with us.