Caol Ila Diageo Special Releases 2014 30 Years Old 1983

Caol Ila from the distillery, a 30 year old, from 1983, at 55.1%, 7638 bottles in all. Caol Ila stands below a steep brae on Islay's rugged east shore. The six tall stills sit behind picture windows looking out to Jura.

Here the spirit was run from peated malt through tall stills on Loch nam Ban water, for a smoky spirit with a citrus lift. A fortified or wine cask gave it a fruity, spiced depth. In its ethereal years the malt is waxy and oxidative, faded esters and a touch of sotolon (maple, spice) over the merest whisper of peat. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types. The spirit's high notes of lemon and grass survive even long maturation. Phenols from the peat smoke carry the medicinal, lemony edge through the years. Smoked citrus and a saline minerality are the hallmarks of the make.

Bottled at a cask strength 55.1%, it is intense. A smoky, briny coastal character, with a spiced, dried fruit edge from the cask. Beneath the smoke run lemon, brine and a peppery oil. A long, coastal finish carries a peaty warmth. This is the smoky malt of the Sound of Islay.