Caol Ila 5 Years Old 2011 Cask #DL 11298 (Provenance)

A 5 year old Caol Ila, this distilled in 2011 from the Glasgow bottler Douglas Laing, from cask DL 11298, bottled at 46%, one of 354 bottles. Caol Ila is the quiet giant of Islay, vast yet refined. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness.

Worked from peated barley through the distillery's tall stills, shaping the lighter side of Islay. A tired refill cask added little but time, the make speaking clearly. At an extractive age eugenol lends a clove note and oak lactones a coconut sweetness, the guaiacol smoke bright and fresh. Smoked citrus and a saline minerality are the hallmarks of the make. Long fermentations build the fruity, citrus notes that sit beneath the smoke. The make balances phenolic smoke against a bright, oily citrus. A clean smoke and a coastal salt define the distillery style. Sea air works into the maturing casks, lending a briny, coastal lift.

At an easy 46% it is gentle. Peat smoke, citrus and a soft oil, with a creamy oak note. A maritime salt and a lemon lift run through it. A long, coastal finish carries a peaty warmth. This is one of the most versatile of the Islay malts.