My latest sampler from Flaviar starts with Caol Ila 12 yr. This is a 43% ABV dram from Islay. In the glass it is a medium straw/light gold color. No idea whether it is chill filtered or colored. Swirling produces thin legs and a fair amount of water droplets on the glass. Not the most auspicious beginning. The nose is underwhelming. Light smoke/peat, with citrus/lemon notes. Some light vanilla sweetness and some grassy or herbal tones. Light and pleasant, but nothing like the Islay peat monsters from Laphroaig or Ardbeg. The palate is completely different. Strong smoke followed by light honey sweetness. Kind of one-dimensional; not a lot of complexity here. Surprising considering the nose. Nice, but nothing memorable. The finish is also smoky, with ash and campfire smoke. It hangs on for a while and is probably the best aspect of this whisky. This is a decent whisky, but considering the online price of $70 I'd have to pass on it. 3.5/5. Cheers!