Caol Ila 14YO Unpeated Sherry cask

I gave a sample of this out to a blind taster with the challenge of naming the distillery in three guesses. First quote was 'it's a Speyside isn't it?' Yep, this is rather different Caol Ila

Needs water and then time to breathe though, the whopping 59% means the nose is overpowered when neat. It's a lightly floral nose with red fruit hints. Quite a delicate fruity palate too. After 10 mins of breathing it mellows out and reveals a few drier hints. I keep searching for peatiness though when there is none - is that just psychology knowing I'm drinking Caol Ila?

Overall, a nice dram. But something is missing and with this priced at £60+ I find myself yearning for the lower priced traditional peated releases. Try if you're curious but don't expect anything spectacular enough to match its price tag.

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