Caol Ila 11 Years Old 2011 Cask #312149 (Finn Thomson)

A Caol Ila drawn by the bottler Finn Thomson, distilled in 2011, from cask 312149, bottled at 53.6%, one of 263 bottles. Caol Ila is the quiet giant of Islay, vast yet refined. It was founded by Hector Henderson and later passed to the Distillers Company.

It was made from medium peated malt for a clean, smoky spirit, for a smoke more elegant than heavy. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding only a light vanilla. Through integration the spirit and cask settle, lactone coconut and a soft vanillin balancing the easing phenols. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. The oily texture comes from the spirit cut, the cask adding depth around it. Its peated character is built on malt smoked to a medium level of phenols. The original Victorian distillery was almost entirely rebuilt in the modern era. Long fermentations build the fruity, citrus notes that sit beneath the smoke.

At cask strength 53.6% it is muscular. A coastal peat with citrus and pepper, with a touch of vanilla and toffee. Beneath the smoke run lemon, brine and a peppery oil. It finishes smoky, oily and bright. This is one of the most versatile of the Islay malts.