ABV: 43 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is lemon, honey and peat. The nose comes through as a layered experience. The first layer delivers the peat, which is a honey sweet smokiness from burning wood and hay. Not far behind is a layer of fruits, especially lemon and sour green apples. In the third layer, which is a bit further back, there’s dry soil, vanilla and a salty caramel. The vanilla moves up a layer with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet with honey and vanilla. The fruitiness comes forward on the sides, while the peat starts to fight with the sweetness in the middle. The citrus fruits, together with a malty note, bring through sort of an IPA note. They also create a white wine aura surrounding everything. There are still notes of earthy dry soil and a small hint of oak.

Finish: There’s no real impact at first. A mild chili pepper spicyness gently spreads and a mix of peat and lemon fills the mouth. It still has the IPA note in the middle. The vanilla and honey are both toned down. The oak comes through in a good place and it overpowers the peat and the lemon to become the focal point. The oak turns the fruitiness towards assorted tropical fruits. It has a nutty quality to it. It’s a very juicy finish and there’s no astringency. This is not as dramatic as the peat level would have you believe.

Additional information
This is the base level of Caol Ila’s core range. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon barrels for the full maturation. The ppm level is around 35.