Caol Ila 10 Years Old 1994 Cask #04/0292 (Signatory)

From the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, a 10 year old Caol Ila, distilled in 1994, from cask 04/0292, bottled at 46%, one of 1259 bottles. Caol Ila is prized for a smoke that leans to lemon and olive oil rather than tar. A ferry crosses the Sound from Port Askaig to Jura and the mainland.

This was run through tall copper stills that keep the smoke light, shaping the lighter side of Islay. A wine cask held it, layering berry fruit over the malt. Through integration the spirit and cask settle, lactone coconut and a soft vanillin balancing the easing phenols. Long ageing turns the young, sharp peat into a soft, coastal smoke. The cool Islay air gives a slow, steady maturation by the shore. Active wood frames the smoke without smothering the citrus beneath. The original Victorian distillery was almost entirely rebuilt in the modern era. A slow maturation in the cool island air keeps the spirit fresh and oily.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow. Smoke, lemon and a peppery oil, with plum and red berry from the cask. Smoke, lemon and a saline minerality fill the middle. A long maritime smoke closes it. This is the smoky malt of the Sound of Islay.