Caol Ila 18 Year

A little bit better than 12 but still Peat and alcohol too evident for me.

Without a doubt my nr 1 whisky

Nose: A soft and retiring sort of smoke. Woody, a little resinous, creamy and buttery. There's an aromatic herbal touch about it almost like a very piney gin, and a grassy, earthy sweetness that reminds me of a quiet sunny day in a farmyard. The longer it sits, the more voluptuous it becomes. A very good nose with a micro-hint of the sea. [The dry-glass aroma is a soft floral fragrance - where did that come from?!?] Palate: A faintly sweet and slightly smoky entry. Grassy notes, like the nose, with a trace of oak and peat, but the peat never veers towards plastic. There's a malty character underneath everything and a touch of sweet citrus. A sooty, mineral-like smoke is blown about. Finish: Medium. Sweet smoky notes trail off into an aftertaste of lemon liqueur and tea. There's nothing bold, brash or hurried about this malt - in fact it may even seem unexciting. The younger sibling Caol Ila 12 year old is a vaery goos peated malt and much more forward, but this expression shows the distillery character in its elegant, calm maturity. The peat-reek is gentle and refined and never shows an inkling of plastic or rubbery notes (at least not when neat) and there is overall balance. I could happily sip a glass of this all afternoon. The texture is just slightly to the oily side of neutral, and is (I suspect) the thing that some people may find a foundation fault. This is not a highly textured malt and that may make it seem thin. If you approach this with the expectation that it will have a lean character then you'll probably enjoy it more than if you're expecting an oily peat monster. Don't add any water - it is delightfully balanced when neat and any amount of water upsets that. Water unleashes bitter oils and the only hint of plastic notes that I encountered. If you do add water let the glass sit for at least 30 minutes, with an occasional swirl. Some sugars will develop to balance the initial watered bitterness. "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)