Caol Ila 17 Year (2015 Special Release)

Nose: very fruit forward, strawberry jam and raspberry with hints of vanilla. Palate: caramel, sea salt, little brininess, light fruit notes. Very complex, finish is super long and very viscous.

Nice with water, but not complex enough....

Will need to come back to this as it opens up. I really find it interesting to taste an islay workhorse that’s unpeated. There is a very strong salted butter taste that permeates the palate from the arrival to the finish. The smoke is there too but without the peat, ashy cinders from a fire that smoldered the night before. Mild flavors of tropical fruits lurk in the background suggesting a more fruity future once this settles down. Citrus-lemon and oak spice round off the profile. Was lucky to get this in the $130 range years after the fact. That’s a great price for this bottle but I’d hesitate at anything over $150.

Vainilla, baked pineapple, oak, spices, caramel, long finish, some coconut notes too