Caol Ila 10 Years Old (Premier Barrel)

This Caol Ila was bottled by the Glasgow bottler Douglas Laing, a 10 year old, bottled at 46%, one of 399 bottles. Caol Ila stands below a steep brae on Islay's rugged east shore. Its peated character is built on malt smoked to a medium level of phenols.

Distilled from medium peated malt in tall copper stills, shaping the lighter side of Islay. A tired refill cask added little but time, the make speaking clearly. Through integration the spirit and cask settle, lactone coconut and a soft vanillin balancing the easing phenols. The peat here is medium rather than heavy, so fruit and smoke share the glass. The make balances phenolic smoke against a bright, oily citrus. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. The distillery was expanded again in the 21st century to meet blend demand. The tall stills and a high cut give a lighter, cleaner spirit than the southern Islays.

At 46% it is supple and oily. Peat smoke, citrus and a soft oil, with a gentle oak sweetness beneath. Smoked lemon and sea salt build over an oily body. A long maritime smoke closes it. This is a clean Islay smoke from the island's largest distillery.