Douglas Laing's Provenance Caol Ila 5 Year Old (2011, cask 11778)

3.75 WITHOUT WATER Nose: Cured meat, and a briny oyster note. Seaweed, maybe once the tide’s been out for a couple hours. One of the most coastal noses I’ve experienced. Vegetative notes too - cabbage? A little rubbery, which is more pleasant. Some wet grass and bitter chocolate - not too sweet on the nose at first, but some sherbet at the back as it opens. More faint with water - plastic note. Palate: Smoky, but a lot less of the cured meat now. It’s tempered by a rounder sweet note - tastes like salted chocolate. A great balance of dry and sweet. Maybe some ginger, but overwhelming note is dark chocolate for me. Maybe with dried berries. Menthol is another great note, taken from a friend. Too soft with water for me - 46% felt better. Loses some of its bite and all that balance is a bit dulled. Favourite notes: Oyster brine, menthol, dark chocolate