Caol Ila 17 Years Old 2007 No. 245 (Maltbarn)

This Caol Ila was bottled by the bottler Maltbarn, a 17 year old, distilled in 2007, bottled at 54.2%. Caol Ila looks out across the Sound to the Paps of Jura. From a small Victorian works it grew into one of Scotland's biggest malt distilleries.

The spirit was distilled from medium peated malt in tall copper stills, giving the lighter Islay style its shape. An Oloroso hogshead lent raisin, fig and a savoury edge. At oxidative maturity aldehydes and esters lend dried fruit while ellagitannins add a drying, structured grip, the smoke now mellow. Cool, damp warehousing slows the loss of the angel's share over the years. Active wood frames the smoke without smothering the citrus beneath. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols. Long ageing turns the young, sharp peat into a soft, coastal smoke. The distillery was expanded again in the 21st century to meet blend demand.

Undiluted at 54.2%, it is powerful. A lemony Islay smoke over olive oil, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Soft smoke and citrus sit behind the cask. A long maritime smoke closes it. This is a clean coastal malt with a lemony peat.