Caol Ila, 1999-2011, The Whisky Trail, 43% abv.

Ralfy finds it suspicious that it is being sold in 2018, suspects the bottling was lost in the process.

Nose: good amount of peat smoke, a little salty, background has a light sweet strawberry syrup? After a few sips, the peat smoke disappears and I get dominant smoked ham, a slight metalic or iron like side aroma, tar.

Palate: time and tasting technqiue changes many aspects, mid palate is honey initially but that disappears quickly and is mostly replaced with a salty, rubber tire like flavor, still some smoke, back palate has peat smoke, becomes more metallic with each sip.

Finish: long, peaty, slightly metallic, hints of dryness later on.

Peated Caol Ila is always good. Interesting that I got hints of strawberry jam on the nose and that the flavors detracted from peat smoke the longer I sipped it.

Grade: B-

Ralfy, 87/100

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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