Caol Ila The Distillers Edition 13 Years Old 1993

This distillery bottling of Caol Ila is a 13 year old, from 1993, at 43%. Caol Ila has been bottled at every age from young and fierce to old and waxy. Its spirit also feeds blends such as Bell's and Black Bottle.

It was run from peated malt through tall stills on Loch nam Ban water, building a refined, maritime peat. Maturation in an Oloroso cask laid dried fruit over the make. Through the integration phase spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into a rounded vanilla as the guaiacol phenols mellow into a softer smoke. The medium peating leaves a smoke that is firm but never heavy. Active wood frames the smoke without smothering the citrus beneath. Maturation by the sea gives the malt its mineral, sea spray character. It was founded by Hector Henderson and later passed to the Distillers Company. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness.

At 43% it is supple and oily. Ashy smoke, lemon oil and a saline tang, with grape, honey and a floral lift from the cask. The oily body carries the smoke long and clean. The close is long, smoke over a citrus lift. This is the elegant, lighter side of Islay.