Caol Ila Cask Strength JW Mentoring

Some years ago, Diageo made a special event, called "The Johnnie Walker Mentoring", a type of intensive masterclass, where some rare releases were offered to the participants. As you might have already guessed, this special expressions were never sold in the marlets, and that fact makes those bottlings true rarities. This is the Caol Ila Cask Strength release for the JW mentoring, not for sale, but it fell in ly hands somehow (it was an auction). Bottled at 55%abv. On the nose, it has all the crazy peaty notes we love. A pair of new cotton socks, firewood, merthiolate, a hospital gauze and tape; band-aids. After a couple of sips, the aroma changed into sown land, ashes and a fish market. It feels like entering a 90s discoteque where smoking inside the premises was still allowed. On the palate, it is a little simple and straightforward. Sweet. Very sugary, lemon and gooseberries. Aftertaste is all about smoke, which is so thick that you can actually bite it. Salty. Overall, for a rarity, and for a cask strength, this is not super exciting. Not a bad dram at all, it is a little expensive on the secondary market. It is like your standard Caol Ila, just a bit stronger. My score for it is 89 over 100.