Caol Ila 17 Year (2015 Special Release)

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

Totally loved it.

A buttery front with a taste of vanilla in the back. This is a fantastic flavor with only a faint hint of smoke.