Caol Ila 2005 Cask Strength (Gordon & Macphail)

Very enjoyable

Nose: Apple, vanilla, sweet cream, peat smoke, bubblegum, raspberry Palate: without water - sharp, smoke, light body. With water - much smoother, sweetness comes through, smoke stays, vanilla cookies, slight vegetal, seaweed Finish - long, spicy, warming, peat, iodine, oak, leather Awesome caol ila example. High ABV gives perfect example of w/o vs w/ water differences. Fun to drink

It smells of heavy smoke, but more like how bbqed fish smells like. There is some citrucy undertones, mandarines or oranges. But what a journey the taste is! It starts out heavy smoky, and the smoke lingers for long as a good spicy cigar, right after some tones of lemon hints in, with the arrival of pear and apples. The taste complements itself and adds up with some salty undertones until it lies there, lumbering in smoothness. I lost track of time for a second there.

My handwritten tasting journal notes are unclear about this bottling - it was definitely a G&M 2005/2016 cask strength bottling, but there are at least two of those from different cask combinations. The abv I recorded also does not match either of them. Oops. Nose: A strong, fresh and invigorating iodine-heavy smokiness. Very maritime and dry. Grilled lemon, pineapple and grapefruit ; wet hessian bags, fresh thyme, bay leaf and linseed oil. Gammon steaks and herring sizzling in a steamboat's galley. As it rests in the glass the nose gradually softens, allowing more subtle orchard fruit notes to emerge from the shadows. There's a touch of mezcal-like vegetal and mineral aromas about the nose. Palate: A shimmering, intensely peaty arrival with lemon and cloudy green apple juices in the background. As it develops it expands, builds in heat and blooms to fill the mouth with billows of smoke and a hint of salt licorice. There's also a sweet briny tang like the juice from freshly shucked oysters, eaten straight from the rocks on a beach. The grilled fruits from the nose return, sprinkled with salt. Water softens the palate, adds a little more sweetness and makes the development more measured. Finish: Long, long, long ... ashy bonfire smoke and sweet oysters with a squeeze of lemon. A beautifully sour/bittersweet/salty aftertaste. I'd recommend tasting this neat first (it's angular and spiky, but not tight or burning) and then with the addition of just a few drops of water. Don't add too much or it will spoil the nose, which has some wonderfully intense aromas to enjoy. Dilution is mainly for the palate, which is rendered more subtle and approachable. This marvelous whisky would be perfect to sip while sitting rugged up in a warm coat on a porch overlooking the sea on a brisk spring day. It's a very maritime experience with not a single off note, and is one of the best peated whiskies I've tasted for some time. "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)