Chapter 7 Caol Ila 10 Year Old
Key Facts About This Single Malt Scotch
Bottler: Chapter 7
Founder: Selim Evin
Range: Monologue
Distillery: Caol Ila
Region: Islay, Scotland
Age: 10 years
Bottled: 2025
Cask Type: Aged in PX sherry and finished in Scottish rum octave
Alcohol by Volume: 48.4%
Outturn: 85 bottles
Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration
Bottle Size: 700ml
Caol Ila 10 Year Old Tasting Notes
Nose: Waves of peat smoke and sea spray mingle with dark dried fruits and molasses.
Palate: Sweet sherry richness, rum toffee, and candied orange peel balanced against Caol Ila’s classic smoky, saline character.
Finish: Long and warming, with embers of peat, treacle, and spiced oak lingering.
About this Chapter 7 whisky
This Caol Ila 10 Year Old from Chapter 7 forms part of Selim Evin’s thoughtfully curated Monologue range, a series known for expressive single casks and inventive yet well-judged maturation. Bottled in 2025, this Islay single malt brings together two bold influences: PX sherry maturation followed by a finish in a Scottish rum octave, before being bottled at an ideal strength of 48.4% ABV. As ever with Chapter 7, it is presented with natural colour and no chill filtration, with a tiny outturn from the small octave of just 85 bottles.
Caol Ila’s spirit is famously adaptable, combining a clean, precise distillate with maritime peat smoke that takes exceptionally well to cask influence. Here, the initial PX sherry ageing contributes depth, sweetness and dark fruit richness, while the subsequent rum octave finish adds a further layer of intensity. Octave casks are small-format vessels, meaning a high spirit-to-wood ratio, and even a short finishing period can have a pronounced effect. In this case, the rum octave brings molasses, toffee and spiced oak notes without overpowering the underlying Islay character.
On the nose, waves of peat smoke and sea spray set the scene immediately, before giving way to dark dried fruits, treacle and molasses, hinting at the dual influence of sherry and rum. The palate delivers a satisfying balance: sweet sherry richness, rum-soaked toffee and candied orange peel sit comfortably alongside Caol Ila’s unmistakable smoky, saline backbone. The finish is long, warming and confidently Islay in style, with embers of peat, treacle sweetness and gently spiced oak lingering long after the last sip.
This is a compact but characterful release that showcases Caol Ila’s versatility and Chapter 7’s talent for creative cask management. A distinctive Islay dram that will appeal to peat lovers looking for something a little different, without straying too far from classic coastal territory.
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Meet The Founder
Selim Evin