Caol Ila 18 Year (2017 Special Release)

Bewildering to find yourself with a Caol Ila with such a gentle, herbaceous and fruity nose. Warm and inviting, with vanilla cream cake, fruit (mango, peach, kiwi), fresh flowers, cut grass. Slight hint of wet wood in the background. If you couldn't feel it on the nose, on the palate the alcoholic power is explosive, a cannonade of burning shortcrust pastry which you have to get used to, giving space just to the citrus notes with vanilla and cinnamon. Generally refractory to the addition of water, I find myself having to do it for the really important aggressiveness of alcohol, being rewarded by a broadening of the aromatic horizon, with the release of ripe fruit (peach and banana), malt, custard and licorice. There is an impression, really little more than an impression, of peat in the background. Long finish, with cream cake, licorice, wood and always that idea of ​​peat. If it weren't for the uncentered alcoholic content, I would have given it a few more points: if the bottler chooses a certain alcoholic strength for their own whisky, that's what I have to deal with to understand whether or not it meets my taste, having to add water for me is a malus. However, it remains an unusual and pleasant drink, a "fake highlander" who cannot completely hide its true identity.

2020.03.10

Rich spicy caramel salt

Neat: Nose: Very shy on the initial nose. There is a hint of barley and vanilla but that's basically it. Palate: Big arrival with then toasted barley that takes you on a journey with some salt, big honey notes and certain sour notes. The finish is long, very pleasant and has an oaky butter quality to it. With water: Nose: The whisky opens up with a splash if water. Some floral and herbal notes appear together with a little caramel smell. Palate: The taste stays very much in tact but gains in volume and punch. There is just a little smokiness coming through the mid palate and a dryness usually associated with peated whiskys. If you add more water the whiskys loses some of its complexity, gets sweeter but also more alcoholic. In summary it gets younger the more water you add. In summary: Its a well matured bourbon CS whisky. It tolerates quite some water but probably has its sweet spot around 50% ABV where both nose and palate are interesting. I miss the bold honey notes from previous expressions but still nice to play with. (82/100) The price is a little bit too high. I prefer the Loch Lomond 17 much more.