2013-05-21T12:52:12-04:00 Courtney Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=courtney-smith Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Courtney Smith Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2581516 2013-01-30T10:13:11-05:00 2013-04-01T05:12:01-04:00

Courtney Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-smith/
My last beautician experience left me very traumatised. At one stage I thought that I may have died, but the smell of tea tree oil mixed with incessant small talk roused me from my eternal slumber, leaving me to deal with my limp, lifeless talc covered body.

After much internet based research, and asking a number of PR types for recommendations, I settled on the amazing, much sought after Arezoo.

Known as the lady who introduced the Brazilian Wax to the UK, and with a stellar list of celebrity clientele including Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon, Cameron Diaz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Daniel Craig and Jake Gyllenhall, I figured that this beauty phenomenon must indeed be a dab hand in the sensitive art of hair removal and the beautification of one's pre-summer holiday body.

After deciding that my brows and below were worthy of celebrity treatment (convincing myself it is an investment in my summer happiness), getting the appointment was the next hurdle. I spoke to Arezoo, and automatically felt compelled to tell her my whole life story - as superficial and lacking in depth as it is. I got the appointment and my body grooming fate was sealed. I was going to leave the beautifully discreet salon looking not dissimilar to Rosie Huntington Whitely (?!?!?) in my own very private, intimate way. My face would be framed with the spectacular brows sported by the perfectly coiffed woman that demand attention in glossy magazines. I would perhaps come face-to-face with Jake Gyllenhaal post having his man parts expertly sculptured to match his flawless chest.

I made my way through Knightsbridge after my specific instructions via text, and was then invited into a space emanating with a sense of calm and professionalism. Gentle chat and tea ensued, and then I was handed an ice cube - and the magic was about to happen. Now, Azeroo treated me like a blank canvas - her creativity and pride showing as she stood back, carefully making her decision as to her next move. I must admit to thinking that 'this woman has tended to some of the best bodies in the world. I feel so inadequate', but Azeroo would of course never think that way, and would probably be offended if she knew that one of her clients was thinking like that. Fast forward 30 minutes and I was handed another ice cube. I was almost done.

Moving up towards my face, Azeroo's assistant - closely trained and guided by Azeroo's expert eye, was aiming to achieve my relatively high expectations of 'most beautiful eyebrow in a lead role'. They were shaped to perfection, evening them out (most eyebrows are not symmetrical) and perfectly adhering to my request of a sculptured, quite heavy brow. (I once plucked my eyebrows in high school to the point that there was a teeny strand of eyebrow hair holding the thin line together. Awful). After about 1 hour, I was ready to leave. And I was happy.

I do not look like a celebrity, nor do I have the physique of one, but we can all treat ourselves to 5-star treatment right here in the heart of London. This is one idea that I urge you to consider indulging in with the hotly anticipated January pay day.

Salon: Arezoo
Web: www.arezoo.co.uk
Phone: 020 7584 6868]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1857088 2012-09-05T10:01:08-04:00 2012-11-05T05:12:01-05:00

Courtney Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-smith/
With the bright lights of the Big Apple in my mind - the all important questions started to arise- What to pack, where to visit, will I have time to watch Breaking Bad whilst I am there, and of course where the hell should I rest my weary head after the spoils of the city have chewed me up and spat me out? If you Google search 'hotels New York' it is literally page after page of options, with each hotel claiming to be more luxurious / boutique / more hip than the rest. "Where the devil should we stay?" I wailed whilst questioning my very existence and the very weight of this decision. Would this decision prevent the apocalypse? No. Will this decision aid in the overall enjoyment of my trip from a consumer perspective? Yes.

The ultimate reason for my visit to the USA was for my friend's wedding. That was just the event I needed to force me to plan my US adventure and take it out of the 'I'm going to go there one day' pile. Fly into Boston, head to Cape Cod for friend's wedding, head back to Boston for sightseeing (read: Cheers bar and Baseball), train it to the big Apple for fun and frivolity and fly back business class with accrued air miles was the decided plan.

Planning a trip to the unknown can be very daunting once you get into the nuts and bolts of actually booking and handing over the credit card details. The anticipation and excitement, coupled with the fear of a: not being able to fit absolutely every bit of sightseeing in and b: getting stuck in some unsavoury hotels that look amazing on the website but don't stack up in real life. Well, you can take my word for it that after much internet based research, I managed to successfully select some of the most tremendous hotels on my trip, so if you are in need of a little guidance, please take my lead and read on.

Start of trip - land in Boston after 6 hour delay at Heathrow due to technical issues with the plane. Technical issues on a plane are always quite comforting.

Hotel One: Nine Zero Hotel, Boston
Three words: Zebra print robe
After a seemingly endless day of travelling, we promptly landed, visited a bar, shoved lobster and shrimp into our faces, laughed about how big shrimp are and how silly it is to call them shrimp, and then we arrived at Nine Zero. Immediately I knew that a wise choice had been made. The reception area sported some brilliantly designed, modern as hell furniture making me give an instant thumbs up to the hotel prior to even seeing the rooms.

The room - well ours had fantastic views over Boston - we could see the golden domed roof of the beautiful Boston State House, and we were a stone's throw away from a 7-Eleven where we went for jetlag breakfast Twinkies at 5am. The hotel is also situated right on the doorstep of the Freedom Trail (the Freedom Trail is a red brick path through downtown Boston, that leads to 16 significant historic sites) - 2.5 miles of history at your doorstep. We had 350sq feet of space to lounge around in, with the added benefits of swanning around in Zebra print robes and receiving in-room spa treatments, if one so desires. The bed was massive, and the room sported a sleek and modern palate with dashes of dark brown leather. Saucy.

The receptionist said the rooms matched my leopard print trousers, and on the theme of animals -pet-friendly accommodation is available too (as was the case with all of the hotels that I stayed in).

Would I go back? Oh yes. I had my first ever serving of home fries at the adjoining restaurant, KO Prime, and I grew to love this completely acceptable form of breakfast chips.

As we boarded the train from Boston to New York, the excitement was palpable. I was feeling about 85% excited, and 15% uncomfortable because I had decided to wear a dress sporting horizontal stripes which I am always unsure about. After arriving at Penn Station I had the open-mouthed, overwhelming feeling of the unknown that I had not experienced since I moved to London years ago. Within the first 5 minutes of my arrival I had been told to hurry the swear word up, and been kindly asked 'what you looking at, swear word-swear word.' I was then happy as I knew I was in the safe embrace of New York City.

Hotel Two: The Benjamin Hotel, New York
Four words: This room is huge
Named after a chap called Benjamin Denihan who made a name for himself by providing a supreme laundry service in the 1930's, which lead to him branching out into real estate, this hotel has old world charm in a perfect location in Midtown Manhattan. The decor was charmingly reminiscent of days gone by, and gave the feel of how you imagine a hotel to be. It felt like a place where Sinatra would stay if he were still with us. The room was bigger than my apartment and there were windows in every room. Having been told that 'window real estate' is hard to come by in Lady New York, we were positively spoiled by natural light. The bed was so big that two of us could fully extend our arms across and they were still not touching, which meant that we could both comfortably sleep in a starfish formation without any trouble.

It was in this room that I had my 'OMFG I can see the Empire State Building / Chrysler Building / New York City from my window' moment, and roughly ten minutes later we promptly fell asleep at 5pm. This was just a short nap that happened to conclude at 8am the next morning. I reclined on the impressively high-backed chair and browsed the menu of the hotel restaurant, The National, where we ate like kings that evening. I'm talking oysters, steaks, martinis, desserts - the works. It was so good. I suggest you go there. It has a great buzz with the New York after work crowd, they make a mean martini, and it is headed up by internationally-acclaimed chef Geoffrey Zakarian - 'nuf said.

What makes this hotel extra special is the 'Sleep Program'. The room comes equipped with a pillow menu, where you can select pillows from varieties including 'snore-no-more' and buckwheat or water pillows. There is a sleep concierge available 24/7, and if you do not have the best night's sleep imaginable, guests will be offered one night for free. Now that is dedication to guest comfort, if ever I have seen it.

I have a confession to make. We snuck up to the roof of the hotel after dinner - I know it was wrong but it happened. The views took my breath away, and whilst we should not have been up there, it was one of the highlights of my trip. We happened to spot a party on another rooftop whilst up there, and promptly left to go and find it, which we did.

This place is perfectly situated to all of the shopping hotspots of 5th Avenue. A lady in Saks told me that she loved koalas.

Second hotel: The Distrikt Hotel, New York
Eleven words: There is a brownie to eat and the shower is massive
After dragging our sorry gin soaked behinds out of the Benjamin, we made our way across town to the Distrikt Hotel. Quite a long walk but we managed it, and to our delight, the Distrikt offers endless iced tea for guests. Oh sweet god! What also makes this hotel great it that they have substituted the c in the name for a k, which instantly provides an element of street cred, don't you think? If this hotel name was itself a subculture, it would be men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock with a touch of witty banter. But, the real reason for the spelling is that 'Distrikt' is the Dutch word for "districts," a nod to Manhattan's early colonial settlers. There is also Apple computers there for guests to use - sweet. As the name suggests, the hotel is centred around portraying the different districts that make up New York, with large collages depicting a visual mash-up of 10 districts created by artist Chris Robino.

The room was smaller than the other rooms that we had experienced thus far, but what is lost in size it made up for in character. Monochrome decor was perfectly complemented by a welcome brownie sitting on my bed ready for my piglet fingers to greedily shove into my mouth. Because it had been about 15 minutes since I last ate. The shower was huge and it had a big comfortable bed and although the view was primarily across a car park, beyond that we could see the twinkling lights of the beautiful woman that is new York, and it was glorious and begging us to become part of the night.

Situated near the New York Times building and not far from Penn station, it had a different feel to it from hanging out on Lexington where we were on previous nights, which does help one navigate and get a real feel for the city. Plus, from our window we could see the SR71 Blackbird where Will Smith was hitting golf balls near in the movie 'I Am Legend'. Alright.

Note: It was the evening at this hotel when I lost my passport. I was using it as ID you see, as they would not accept my 'Mickey Mouse Australian driving licence' as proof of age out on the town. This was a low point. Imagine the shock and disapproval I felt at myself upon this discovery, and trying to recall that last time I used it, which to my dismay was to get into a bar called 'Heifers and Hogs'. "Excuse me, it this Heifers and Hogs?" - I asked on the phone - suprisingly the first time I have said that. I spent a delightful afternoon in the Australian Embassy in New York trying to get an emergency passport. I don't recommend it because it is a: boring and b: expensive. I also got called away for questioning once I landed in the UK, so that was obviously awesome.

Third hotel: The Library, New York
Four words: Oh my god beautiful
This is such a unique hotel. The Library Hotel concept is inspired by the Dewey Decimal system. Each of the 10 guestroom floors honour one of the 10 categories of said system and each of the rooms are uniquely adorned with a collection of books and art exploring a distinctive topic within the category it belongs to. Guests are invited to unwind from their adventures by enjoying the quiet exploration of over 6,000 books in the reading room, which as well as being home to endless literature, also supplies endless tea, coffee and snacks which is a nice touch. I idly flicked through a book on how to be the perfect woman from the 1950's. I have failed as a woman so far if what the points that the book suggest still hold true.

We stayed in a suite which had lush views along Madison Avenue, and the topic our room took was 'Ancient languages'. The room was beautifully appointed and the bed was again huge and comfortable. The bathroom had lots of mirrors which made it feel much bigger than it was, but also allowed me to look at the damage I was doing to my body with my insistence of eating every 15 minutes. Sexy. That said, we were told to visit a great steakhouse called Benjamin Steakhouse, which is conveniently situated an easy 35 seconds walk from the hotel. We actually counted the seconds. After a dinner of rib eye and sirloin done rare followed by a hot fudge sundae, we retired to the rooftop bar at the Library and had some deliciously mixed creations that provided the perfect nightcap. They were also playing the Spice Girls as background music which was amazing, naturally.

In this hotel we were steps from the New York Public Library, 5th Avenue Shopping, Bryant Park, Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, Times Square, Rockefeller Centre and a whole host of NYC delights, so it is the perfect location to immerse yourself in the heart of midtown Manhattan.

Fourth and final hotel: Dream Downtown, New York
One word: WOW
It was glorious. It is just so cool - the ceiling of the reception area is the bottom of the pool above (Note: wear tight fitting swimwear, boys). I have never been to Miami, but to me this is what Miami would be like in the height of summer. Pumping pool parties every afternoon with beautiful bodies lounging around, a suite filled with white leather sofas and dimmer lights with the addition of a shower curtain made out of heavy chains. A massive stainless steel bathtub and a vast bed. Huge flat screen televisions and bright art work adorn the walls. Graffiti outside by Haculla. Situated in the very hip Meatpacking District, it serves as the perfect place to recoup from a day spent touring the sights of New York City and the ideal meeting place to kick-off a splendid night out in the city that never sleeps.

The hotel is just across from the beautiful Chelsea market where I purchased some artwork from Stray Kat Gallery - they pieces are kind of Asian inspired re-workings of classic rockers via chicks in suspenders, so yeah, pretty great. The hotel is within walking distance to great shopping, numerous Chelsea art galleries, Union Square, Milk Studios and the famous neighbourhoods of SoHo, Chelsea, and the West Village. I also discovered a fantastic little shop within the hotel that features a whole host of designers, both local and international. The jewellery was divine, as was the carefully selected items of clothing available for purchase, with hotel guests getting 10% off. Yes please.

After an early morning dip in the pool and breakfast on the poolside banana lounge in my complimentary hotel flip-flops, I gazed up the seemingly endless port-hole encrusted hotel wall and saw what I knew to be PH-D, the penthouse nightclub. Fast forward 12 hours and we are surrounded by beautiful and eclectic people, and a breathtaking view. A place to see and be seen in Downtown Manhattan. The hotel is also home to the Electric Room, an intimate bar oozing with a cool Brittania feel with union jack adorned chesterfields (Pippa Middleton had some drinks at the bar recently, I believe) Also, take up the offer of complimentary urban cruiser bicycles to get around Downtown, if you are comfortable with riding on the opposite side of the road from what you may be used to.

The staff here are all very beautiful and helpful. It was my boyfriend's birthday whilst there, and we came back from dinner to find wine and cupcakes sitting on the bench with a 'Happy Birthday' note. Very nice touch. I had to stay a night longer than expected (Oh no, stuck in NYC another night, how awful) due to passport related issues i.e. I didn't have one, and apparently they are kind of important. Anyway, the staff at Dream Downtown sorted out another room at virtually no notice. Stay here. Go on. You will not regret it, unless you hate fun and pretty people.

Note: I felt completely at ease in flat shoes in Downtown New York. Although my flat shoes were adorned with studs, you do not have to teeter around on 12 inches, thus ensuring ultimate night-time longevity. Ace.

I hope that this brief little guide to where I stayed provides a bit help if your mind is exploding after trawling endlessly through accommodation options on the interweb.

Take home messages:
- 'Bon Jovi -land' is not a real place, so the cab driver will refuse to take you there if you ask
- Consuming huge calories whilst on holiday are still counted, according to your body
- Your feet will hurt after a day if sight seeing. Alot.
- Try and ditch the shellfish allergy, if you have one. Shrimps and lobsters are delicious
- They advertise pharmaceutical drugs on TV. It looks odd to see that

Hotel details
Nine Zero Hotel / www.ninezero.com/ 90 Tremont street Boston MA
The Benjamin Hotel / www.thebenjamin.com / 125 East 50th Street (at Lexington Ave) NY
Distrikt Hotel / www.distrikthotel.com / between 8th and 9th Avenue on West 40th Street NY
The Library Hotel / www.libraryhotel.com/ 299 Madison Avenue NY
Dream Downtown / www.dreamdowntown.com / 355 West 16th Street NY]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1339136 2012-03-12T11:36:05-04:00 2012-05-12T05:12:01-04:00

Courtney Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-smith/
There are certain people that you meet, make friends, only to have them move on, and so the cycle continues when travelling. Although every now and then someone will come into your life and make a big impact.This happened to me about six months ago. Packing my mass of accumulated stuff into endless boxes ready to move house...again...such is the life of the antipodean, I moved into a flat with a mixed bag of Aussies and Irish (naturally). One girl, who can only be described as hyper-active, enthusiastic, brimming with life and slightly weird (in a good way), is someone that in the last six months has really been an inspiration.

This 30-year-old girl embarking on her overseas adventures, one day told me that she felt a little dizzy, and that her eyes a were a touch blurry. Being the wise friend, in no uncertain terms I said 'go to the doctor, and ease up on the partying'. Fast forward a month and there I was on a cold December evening sitting in Emergency, telling my friend to stay positive and look at the 'hot young doctors'. My friend, with the whole world in front of her, was just about to be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Wow. How does one cope with being told they have a neurological condition that will progressively get worse as time passes, thus all of a sudden having to make the big decisions about when to have children and the future in general, what to and what not to eat, maintaining a strict healthy lifestyle all whilst battling this incurable disease. A sprightly successful architect is suddenly sitting in a backless gown (sexy as it sounds, it is not exactly Agent Provocateur) asking herself "how did this happen?" Who knows? There is no definitive cause of MS, but could it be stress? (We are all stressed these days) poor diet? (She has a strange relationship with food) too much work? (Although we all work, she is a particularly hard worker, but still) this is such a confusing, frustrating disease.

For those of you reading that are not familiar with MS, it is a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting movement, sensation, and bodily functions. It is caused by destruction of the myelin insulation covering nerve fibres (neurons) in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Put simply, is causes the body to attack its own immune system, which is mightily annoying.

The treatment for MS here in London on the NHS has been nothing short of wonderful. As morbid as it is, my friend almost looks forward to her monthly 'stabbings' as she cringingly calls them. Once a month she is intravenously filled with a drug called Tysabri, and it has done wonders, relieving her symptoms and allowing her to live life as usual, with the added benefit being that she now appreciates how precious life is, and is completely grasping it with both hands. She has made friends with others that are tackling this condition head on, and has a large support network in London after only being here for a matter of months.

My pal has travelled. A lot. She has sent me emails entitled 'Amsterdamaged' with contents too colourful that I am not at liberty to divulge. She exercises like a woman possessed, has overhauled her diet as much as one can with temptation always in the way and her outlook is nothing short of glowing. Her loving parents made the long-haul journey over here to see her, with the aim of bringing her home to care for her as parents are inherently programmed to do as long as they live. But, as predicted, she stayed in London and is basically living the dream. Work has become a distant second in her life, with her travelling and vibrant escapades taking a fast track to number one priority. Determination to help find a cure for MS now trumps her architectural dreams as her main quest in life. And to have fun.

Having never faced this situation myself (and touch wood that I never do) I think I would take the 'woe is me' approach, 'what have I done to deserve this?' etc etc. But maybe I wouldn't - it is hard for me to say, sitting here with my nonexistent neurological ailments. The amazing thing is not once, not at all, has my friend ever said 'why me?' No, she has taken in all of this news with grace, has been quite stoic in her approach, and has handled this with the maximum amount of poise that an Australian is physically capable of, and is just getting on with it. It is almost textbook - person is faced with a potentially life changing situation, person puts things into perspective. We worry about the little things in life, and think that our problems are far worse than those of anyone else, and we take everything for granted - of course we are going to take things for granted until an event occurs that forces us to re-evaluate those around us. But really, more often than not, our problems are eased by a simple chat and cup of tea (or bottle of wine and a drunken tantrum - whatever). Working in PR, I need to formulate some key learnings. And I identify these as being: Collectively, as a society we need to take time to smell those metaphorical roses. We need to stop questioning everything, accept things that we can't change, improve things that we can, and get happy. Harden up. Simple (easier said sometimes, I know.)

Selfishly, this MS gig is working out OK for me, as my friend guilt trips me into going to the gym by playing the 'MS card' as we affectionately call it. Apparently I have no excuse not to go, as I am not suffering from a progressive neurological condition. I very fortunately do not have anything to trump her. Unless I was to grow a third leg or some such.

As a general rule, Australians are ingrained with a 'she'll be right' attitude. And never before has this been more true. She'll be right. She really will. So here I am, sticking my middle finger up to MS, and tipping my cap to all of those amazing people who are fighting it with much aplomb.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1251027 2012-02-02T19:00:00-05:00 2012-04-03T05:12:01-04:00

Courtney Smith http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-smith/
Whisky is indeed a complex subject, but the thing to remember is that it is also subjective. It is an intimidating liquid, with all of the different finishes, flavours, varieties, brands, regions, each with their own charming and unique characteristics - but the thing to remember is that it is accessible and fun to learn about. More and more females are becoming interested in this wonderful world, and what a good thing this is!

Ladies - I really want you to explore this world, and with a few simple tips, you can sound like you know what you are talking about next time you go for a drink with boyfriend/husband/brother/random stranger whose name escapes you. Ha And here they were thinking you were a 'white wine' girl to the core. You may even surprise yourself and realise that you do actually want to know more. Seriously. It happens.

The five steps of production - A crash course

Once you know the very basics of whisky production - you are well on your way to being able to convince any potential new suitors that you may encounter that you are much more than a pretty face asking for a slim line something or another (nothing wrong with that, however).

Ingredients - Barley, Water and yeast (that's all!)

Malting - Barley is germinated to covert starches into sugar. This is carried out by steeping, germinating and drying

Mashing - This process allows the enzymes in the malt to break down the starch in the grain into sugars. This produces a sweet liquid called Wort.

Fermentation - Yeast is added to the Wort. The action of the yeast on the sugar of the wort will produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. This is done in a vessel known as a Wash Back.

Distillation - This process is used to separate alcohol from water and other substances contained in the wash. Distillation is made in stills.

Maturation - The spirit is but into casks, and left to mature for at least three years (it cannot legally be termed Scotch whisky until this age). It is the ageing process that gives each specific expression its unique characteristics.

There. Basics = done. Now, in the UK (ignoring the obvious Scotland for a moment), there are so many easily accessible ways to edge your way into the whisky world in a very non-threatening, non pretentious way. First step - whisky tasting.

There are many places where this can happen. The Albannach on Trafalgar Square in London is one of these coveted bunch. I met with Cat Spencer (A fellow lady whisky lover), and was taken through a range of whiskies very suitable for the beginner. It was a trip through Islay, Speyside, Highland and Lowland, Wales and Japan all in one enjoyable evening. The above are the regions where Scotch whisky is produced and each has their own unique qualities. Note that.

Whisky tastings can be selected based on your level of knowledge, and what you hope to get out of the experience, but please by all means request the list below - it gives a great, well-rounded insight into the complexities of each expression, and how statements along the lines of 'I don't like whisky' can be removed completely from the lexicon. You can like whisky. Repeat. You can like whisky.

My menu from The Albannach and brief notes to get you started:
Yamazaki 18 (Japan) - Slight oiliness with hints of citrus. Also quite dairy- almost like a milkshake on the finish... seriously!

The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 (Speyside) - This is aged in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in sherry casks. A taste of cinnamon coupled with a nutty sweetness and a bit spicy. On the nose it is sweet and fruity.

Cragganmore 12 (Speyside) - Light, sweet and honeyed. It is quite aromatic and floral, with a bit of smoke on the long finish. Perhaps even tangy and a little grassy.

Mortlach 16 (Speyside) - It tasted of ice cream! It really does. It is fresh with more than a hint of vanilla. Heather and toffee tastes on nose and the palate

Penderyn Madeira (Wales) - Slightly dry, very fresh and verging on bitter. To nose it almost has an earthy, rotting quality yet a sweet and warming finish

Jura Prophecy (Island) - Very smoky. Heavily peated with hint of pine on the nose, with a sweetness cutting through on the finish

Ardbeg Corryvreckan (Islay) - The nose is strong. The spirit breaks through here. Sweet and smoky, with a salted caramel taste

Bruichladdic 2003 Organic (Islay)- It is very light, and tastes as though it could be from Speyside. It smells of a barn, cut hay and quite fresh. Honey and custard flavours carry throughout. A smooth finish

Caol Ila Distillers edition Moscatel cask (Islay) - Quite Christmassy. Nutty on the nose, with traces of burnt sugar. Quite spicy with and a soft peat on the palate

For whisky tastings like the above, visit:
http://www.albannach.co.uk/]]>