Caol Ila 11 Years Old 1983 wines & spirits european distributor (Moon-Import)

The bottler Moon-Import selected this Caol Ila, an 11 year old, distilled in 1983, bottled at 46%. Caol Ila is the largest distillery on the Isle of Islay. It was founded by Hector Henderson and later passed to the Distillers Company.

The spirit was worked from peated barley through the distillery's tall stills, giving a bright, citrus driven peat. An American oak cask shaped it, soft and sweet beneath the peat. By the integrating teens harsher congeners fade and ethyl esters build, lending a riper citrus over the softening peat. The spirit's high notes of lemon and grass survive even long maturation. The make balances phenolic smoke against a bright, oily citrus. Diageo's Special Releases have featured both peated and unpeated Caol Ila. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types. The lighter style means the cask and the citrus speak alongside the peat.

At 46% it is soft, oily and bright. A clean peat with sea salt and citrus, with honeyed oak underneath. Lemon, olive oil and a soft ash run through the middle. The finish is long, smoky and citrussy. This is a maritime, lemony Islay single malt.