Caol Ila 12 Years Old 1995 Cask #DL 3556 (Douglas Laing)

The Glasgow bottler Douglas Laing released this Caol Ila, a 12 year old, distilled in 1995, from cask DL 3556, bottled at 50%, one of 341 bottles. Caol Ila wears its Islay smoke more lightly than its southern neighbours. Malt comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the south of the island.

The spirit was distilled with a long fermentation and a clean cut, building the elegant Islay smoke at its heart. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla and a light sweetness under the smoke. Through the integration phase spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into a rounded vanilla as the guaiacol phenols mellow into a softer smoke. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols. The peat here is medium rather than heavy, so fruit and smoke share the glass. The malt is medium peated, giving a cleaner smoke than the south shore Islays.

At a natural 50% it is full and oily. Ashy smoke, lemon oil and a saline tang, with honeyed oak underneath. A maritime salt and a lemon lift run through it. Smoke and sea salt see out a long finish. This is a clean coastal malt with a lemony peat.