Gordon & MacPhail (distilled at Caol Ila), 12 year old, 1991

Notes of smoked olives and an earthy peatiness wrapped inside layers of sweetness (honey, caramel and light toffee). The whisky is laced with seaweed and pepper for added zest, with a long smoky and peppery finish. It shows enough maturity, yet it is young enough to let the true Caol Ila character shine through. I would like to have seen this whisky bottled at a higher strength and not chill-filtered.