Caol Ila 12 Years Old 2010 Cask #314030 (Whisky Is The Limit)

A 12 year old Caol Ila from the bottler Whisky Is The Limit, from cask 314030, bottled at 58.5%, one of 415 bottles. Caol Ila makes a clean, maritime malt on the east coast of Islay. The original Victorian distillery was almost entirely rebuilt in the modern era.

This was distilled in tall stills that lend the smoke an oily lightness, giving the lighter Islay style its shape. A refill hogshead held it quietly, the spirit left to lead. Through the integration phase spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into a rounded vanilla as the guaiacol phenols mellow into a softer smoke. Years in oak round the smoke, the peat mellowing while the brine stays. Phenols from the peat smoke carry the medicinal, lemony edge through the years. Caol Ila's smoke leans to lemon, olive oil and brine rather than tar or iodine. A ferry crosses the Sound from Port Askaig to Jura and the mainland.

At a full 58.5% it is bold and oily. A smoky, briny coastal character, with vanilla and a soft caramel from the wood. A sea salt and an olive oil note sit under the smoke. The finish is clean, smoky and maritime. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.