Nose: Crisp peat smoke, flinty stones, breezy seashore, a wisp of tangy citrus (grapefruit, lemon) and just a hint of vanilla and pencil shavings. Palate: Immediately briny on the arrival with semi-sweet lemon in the foundation. As it develops, the sweetness enlarges with just a suggestion of salted caramel and you start to get mild peat smoke. The smoke flavor continues to grow as the palate progresses but this never becomes a peat monster. There is a crisp, clean quality to the palate and the texture is fresh and firm, but not oily or creamy. The dry, salty aspect never retreats. Finish: Medium/Long. The salt and lemon profile subsides into mildly ashy sweetness over time and the texture gains creaminess. A pleasant NAS by Hunter Laing that is sourced from an unknown Islay distillery, but it only takes one taste to nail this as Caol Ila … and very young Caol Ila at that. The crisp lightness of profile, lack of intense wood character and almost colourless appearance all confirm this as very young whisky matured in good quality refill casks. I doubt this is much more than 5 years old but that means nothing in itself. There are some strikingly good young single malts out there (Waterford, Lochlea, Ardnamurchan etc.) and this expression can be added to that list. One thing I would note is that when first opened this whisky seemed overly salty and harsh on the nose with an accompanying sharp palate, however it has relaxed considerably over just a week. At 46% abv this can handle a dash of water, however dilution does little for the nose other than muting it and causing some plastic/rubber notes to emerge from the peat reek. Likewise the palate is softened but a slightly sour metallic flavor comes to the front, which is not desirable. Water does make the texture creamier, but overall I’d call adding it a bad move so take this one neat. This can be enjoyed as a sipping whisky but for me it lacks the character to make it a really engaging experience. It does work well as a mixer or in long drinks, and is pleasant in black coffee, so for the money it is a good buy. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)