Caol Ila 14yo

A medium bodied Islay single malt, with the right balance between the maritime character and the influence of the casks. Of course it’s a very smoky and intense whisky, and the first impact at the nose is dominated by the rugged blast of the spirit at cask strength and by the wild peat. As traditional from this distillery, it’s a crisp kind of peat smoke: ashy, bright, not a tarry and thick one. This also means that it’s an agile whisky: bold, with an overall impression that is juicy but at the same time very fresh. At the palate, behind the smoke, there is only a moderate touch of creamy vanilla sweetness, and then it turns towards pleasantly citrusy notes, a mineral style and a distinctively herbaceous character, of light tea and meadowy fragrance.