Caol Ila 10 Years Old 2012 Horsemen & Archangels (Signatory)

A Caol Ila of a 10 year old chosen by the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, distilled in 2012, bottled at 58.4%, one of 1238 bottles. Caol Ila makes a clean, maritime malt on the east coast of Islay. The six tall stills sit behind picture windows looking out to Jura.

Here the spirit was made from medium phenol malt on soft Loch nam Ban water, giving the lighter Islay style its shape. A sherry cask gave dried fruit and a dark, nutty sweetness. Integration sees eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) fold into the spirit, the medicinal smoke gentler now. The oily texture comes from the spirit cut, the cask adding depth around it. The lighter style means the cask and the citrus speak alongside the peat. From a small Victorian works it grew into one of Scotland's biggest malt distilleries. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge.

At 58.4%, undiluted, it is bold and clean. Peat, smoked fish and a citrus oil, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Beneath the smoke run lemon, brine and a peppery oil. A smoky, oily warmth lingers with lemon and salt. This is a clean coastal malt with a lemony peat.