Caol Ila 9 Years Old 2008 Cask #311990 (G&M)

From the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, a 9 year old Caol Ila, distilled in 2008, from cask 311990, bottled at 57.3%, one of 232 bottles. Caol Ila takes its name from the Gaelic for the Sound of Islay. The six tall stills sit behind picture windows looking out to Jura.

Here the spirit was run from peated malt through tall stills on Loch nam Ban water, for a smoky spirit with a citrus lift. A fresh bourbon barrel lent vanilla, coconut and a fuller body. Early, extractive maturation draws vanillin (vanilla) and furfural (toasted almond) from the wood over a clean, phenolic smoke. Maturation by the sea gives the malt its mineral, sea spray character. It was founded by Hector Henderson and later passed to the Distillers Company. The original Victorian distillery was almost entirely rebuilt in the modern era. A clean smoke and a coastal salt define the distillery style.

At 57.3%, undiluted, it is bold and clean. Smoke, lemon and a peppery oil, with honeyed oak underneath. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with citrus. A long, coastal finish carries a peaty warmth. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.