Caol Ila 7 Year Old 2012 Hinata The Stillman’s DE

I have no idea what Hinata means, nor am I familiar with the bottler The Stillman’s DE. It appears to be a German company and a relative newcomer. Hinata is, according to my teenage son, an important character in Naruto. In what? ‘Never mind, dad’. What I do know about this bottling is that it is a young, powerful Caol Ila that has matured on a Madeira cask and has a devilishly high ABV. Let's just get to it. The maritime DNA of Caol Ila is unmistakable – salt, citrus, vanilla, smoke – but is completely wrapped in something that I cannot describe in any other way than pancakes with maple syrup. And it works like a charm! Salty, sweet, salty, sweet… it goes up and down on the palate like a yoyo. Nicely piquant, by the way. Chili Peppers, candied ginger, toasted Oak. Quite powerful and for a minute there I gasp for breath. The typical salty character of Caol Ila is nicely wrapped by sweet notes from the Madeira cask. Even reminds me a bit of raspberry. The smokiness becomes quite grand. The finish is very, very long. Even after 15 minutes I can still taste it. Impressive Coal Ila that really enjoys the benefits of the sweet Madeira cask.

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