Caol Ila 12 Years Old 2003 Cask #302249 (G&M)

This Caol Ila was bottled by the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, a 12 year old, distilled in 2003, from cask 302249, bottled at 59.1%, one of 200 bottles. Caol Ila is an Islay malt of clean, oily, citrus driven smoke. Diageo's Special Releases have featured both peated and unpeated Caol Ila.

Here the spirit was run through tall copper stills that keep the smoke light, for the clean island smoke prized by blenders. A bourbon barrel held it, the oak lending vanilla and a little cream. Integration sees eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) fold into the spirit, the medicinal smoke gentler now. Maturation by the sea gives the malt its mineral, sea spray character. A slow maturation in the cool island air keeps the spirit fresh and oily. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay. Time in oak deepens the oily body while the maritime smoke stays bright.

At a full 59.1% it is bold and oily. A smoky, briny coastal character, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath the smoke run lemon, brine and a peppery oil. The close is long, smoke over a citrus lift. This is a clean Islay smoke from the island's largest distillery.