Cut Your Wolf Loose Caol Ila 17 Year Old (x Ricky Also) & Adelphi Caol Ila 10 Year Old (Cask #325994)

Cut Your Wolf Loose Caol Ila 17 Year Old (x Ricky Also)

Region: Islay

ABV: 49.0%

Price: £70.00

Distilled in 2007 and matured for 17 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, this was bottled in collaboration with artist Ricky Also with an outturn of 285 bottles.

Nose

There’s a nice hit of peat on the nose that we weren’t expecting given the age. We’re getting smoked ham, icing sugar, orange rind and cigar ash initially. Going back there’s fresh bread, sponge cake, freshly chopped apples, sea spray, and a little TCP. There’s very little alcohol spice for the ABV. 

Palate

Again, as on the nose, there is a good amount of smoke for the age. The palate is fairly similar, but the notes that stand out to us are limoncello, burnt toffee, passion fruit, saline solution, and freshly squeezed orange juice. It is spicier than we expected, with a little too much cracked black pepper on the slightly mouth drying finish. The finish is medium in length and the spice outlasts the other notes. The mouthfeel is solid given the ABV.

Nose (with water)

Reduced, the nose has become more musty, with the smoke and citrus sweetness pared back. Banana skin, strawberry jam, cherries, and passion fruit now appear in their place.

Palate (with water)

Even with reduction, there is still too much spice on the finish, though the mouthfeel has held up well. Like the nose, the smoke has diminished on the palate, and the fruit notes from the reduced nose now take centre stage. The finish remains a good length.

Conclusion

Tastes a touch younger than 17 years and feels a bit tame for Caol Ila. Perhaps one for people new to peated whisky; it is fruity and, if you can get past the spice, a perfectly pleasant lightly peated dram.

Score: 7/10

Value

Absolute banger of a price.

Adelphi Caol Ila 10 Year Old (Cask #325994)

Region: Islay

ABV: 56.2%

Price: £84.95

Distilled in 2014 and matured for ten years in a first fill Oloroso sherry hogshead, this was bottled in 2025 with an outturn of 251 bottles.

Nose

The nose shows prunes, figs, pencil shavings, menthol, thyme, pine cones, forest floor, and light peat smoke. Returning to it, we find dark chocolate, brown sauce, beef gravy, and Arbroath Smokies. There is minimal alcohol bite or spice, though it does feel as if the cask has overpowered the spirit.

Palate

The palate opens with heaps of dark chocolate, followed by dried earth, fresh prunes, cola cubes, ash, thyme, and sugar syrup. These notes carry through to a medium length finish, where there is a little too much sweet chilli spice. The mouthfeel is good, with a touch of texture.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose is broadly similar, although we are finding more red fruits and prunes. The alcohol remains well balanced. As it sits in the glass, the smoke becomes more noticeable.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate is very dirty, with lots of dried earth and ash carrying right through from the moment it hits your tongue to the end of the finish. The sweeter notes have intensified, although it is still very cask led. The mouthfeel remains good, and the finish is still medium in length.

Conclusion

Definitely one for sherry bomb lovers, and we have no doubt some will enjoy it more than we did, but we struggled to get past the dram’s mintiness. That said, we cannot deny it is a good whisky, even if it is not to our tastes. We are going with a 7.

Score: 7/10

Value

A touch pricey, but it is full maturation.

• 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.

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