Caol Ila Select Cask 33 Years Old 1983

This distillery bottling of Caol Ila is a 33 year old, from 1983, cask MC603, at 59.4%, 204 bottles in all. Caol Ila was founded in 1846 by Hector Henderson. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay.

The spirit was made from medium phenol malt on soft Loch nam Ban water, building the elegant Islay smoke at its heart. A wine cask shaped it, the fruit meeting the spirit. At an ethereal, fragile age the spirit turns delicate, sotolon lending a maple and old oak depth as beeswax and a ghost of smoke linger. Time in oak deepens the oily body while the maritime smoke stays bright. Caol Ila's smoke leans to lemon, olive oil and brine rather than tar or iodine. It was founded by Hector Henderson and later passed to the Distillers Company. The distillery was expanded again in the 21st century to meet blend demand. Its peated character is built on malt smoked to a medium level of phenols.

At a full 59.4% it is bold and oily. Wood smoke, lemon zest and brine, with a spiced, dried fruit edge from the cask. Smoke, lemon and a saline minerality fill the middle. Smoke and sea salt see out a long finish. This is a maritime, lemony Islay single malt.