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

3.75 WITHOUT WATER Nose: Cured meat, and a briney 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 feinty 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, stolen from MoM. 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