Marjorie Higgs
3.8
At most gatherings, there's always one individual acting a bit unusually, as if they don't quite fit in. This is that one. In a blind tasting, I would have mistaken this 1996 Caol Ila from Hunter Laing for a Laphroaig. The aroma presents musty, earthy peat smoke, briny seaweed, pears, and a lot of white pepper. The first sip immediately hits your palate with a pyroclastic flow of dusty peatiness, followed by coal ash, subtle vanilla, and lemon zest. Over-brewed tea and wood spices dominate the medium finish. With that said, I'm somewhat repulsed yet strangely captivated. RATING: 3.7/5.0 stars, equivalent to 85 points - ABOVE AVERAGE [+].
