ctmcnabb
Reviewed
November 27, 2014 (edited March 8, 2017)
Nose: Fresh sour & peaty lemonade, subtle floral, young leather?, and I suspect sherry involvement bc it reminds me a bit of Uigeadail. The freshness is reminiscent of Caol Ila, although I think Caol Ila's fruit is more complex. With water: sweetness jumps out at you now with lemon hard candy, more aromatic, and the alcohol nip becomes more prominent. Slight cinnamon in the background. I definitely burned my nose sniffing this one because it's that nose-able. Palate: A busy whisky that evolves on the palate and is surprisingly drinkable neat. It's got a pretty oily mouthfeel that reduces the alcohol nip, so it's on the mellow side for CS. Arrives with subtle sweetness, BIG lemony citrus, mild phenolic peat reek, and right when you swallow (my favorite part of this whisky), a huge waft floral and fruity flavorful smoke. With water: more elegant with the high aromatic notes jumping out and arrives sweeter. Finish: I'm not sure I've ever noticed a whisky with an evolving finish like this. The smoke dominates at first, but shockingly, as it recedes you go back to tangy lemon citrus, then it goes very dry and slightly leathery. Something herbal. Rosemary? Final Thoughts: "Of everything I've tried, this is most like Caol Ila, but there's a lot more depth and subtance here for sure. It's one of the best whiskies I've tried. Not a heavy hitter like Laproaig or a'bunadh; it's much more elegant, subtle, and refined. The massive complexity and sophistication is highly rewarding.