Caol Ila 1998 Distillers Edition

Nose: sweet peat. Not a ton of smoke in this one. The peat is thick with a sort of mothball sweetness to it. Not the most complex Islay aroma but it is nice and clean.

Taste: a little thin on the tongue, but it arrives with much more smoke than was advertised in the nose. There is a sweet vanilla sheen to it, though the wine casks certainly don't overtake the typical Islay flavour.

Finish: pleasantly peaty, but some of the perfumey sweetness also persists.

Balance: this is a pleasant Islay malt that seems to lack a certain punch. Maybe it is the thin mouthfeel but I expected a little more oomph.

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