TASTING NOTE
Appearance : burnished gold with green hues.
Nose : powerful, lively. On the first nose, peat and smoke embark upon a Homeric duel. Candied lemon, cut hay, pear and dark chocolate act as particularly inspired troublemakers. Allowed to breathe, peat takes the upper hand. It is oily, iodine, salty and medicinal (ointment, camphor). Next, superb lemon and floral aromas (carnation, lily) flood the air. Finally, not to be outdone, peat once again takes the upper hand.
Palate : full, rich. The very ashy attack is also unctuously chocolate and marine (seaweed). On the mid-palate, almond milk and fresh walnut very gently cover the taste buds. Honey flavours (rose, lavender, heather) fragrance the end of the palate. This very interesting sequence of flavours and aromas showcases both Caol Ila and Ballechin. The image of a peat field home to white and yellow flowers (dandelion) is more appropriate than ever.
Overall : long, heady. At the start of the finish, notes of agave and a fresh and oily peat underscore the profoundly mineral character of the flavour palette (schist, slate). Gradually, red fruits (raspberry, red currant) and coconut milk bring lots of freshness to the very end of the palate. On the retro-nasal olfaction, strong spices (clove, nutmeg) and candied ginger soak into whole blocks of freshly cut, damp peat. The empty glass is intensely smoky (powerful Havana cigar), iodine (tincture), musky and camphoric.