Caol Ila 2010

A powerfully peated whisky from Islay, very intense in its characteristic smokiness. Its peculiar quality is the multifaceted peated character, absolutely not unidimensional: at times it borders toward a very dry ashy style, like a spent bonfire or chimney smoke, then it steers to a fatter and darkly smoky aroma, very tarry and oily. It’s quite chewy and full bodied, although still with a touch of the breezy maritime style of the distillery and some refreshingly delicate lemony and grassy notes. The finish in a first fill bourbon hogshead preserved the style of the spirit without overwhelming it in oak, adding only a moderate amount of vanilla sweetness and giving it a muscular quality. The hot blast of white pepper in the end completes the picture.