Caol Ila 10 Years Old 2012 Cask #318324, .6, .9, .43 (Signatory)

This Caol Ila was bottled by the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, a 10 year old, distilled in 2012, from cask 318324,.6,.9,.43, bottled at 46%. Caol Ila has distilled at Port Askaig since the middle of the 19th century. The distillery was expanded again in the 21st century to meet blend demand.

This was made from medium phenol malt on soft Loch nam Ban water, giving a clean, lemony peat. First fill bourbon gave it a fuller vanilla and a touch of coconut. Across the integration years the smoke loses its edge as esters and vanillin weave into a smoother, citrussy whole. Maturation by the sea gives the malt its mineral, sea spray character. The original Victorian distillery was almost entirely rebuilt in the modern era. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow. Wood smoke, lemon zest and brine, with a creamy oak note. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with citrus. Smoke and sea salt see out a long finish. This is a clean Islay smoke from the island's largest distillery.