Caol Ila 10 Years Old 1991 Robert Burns Supper 2002 K��hlungsborn / Berlin (UD – bottler)

From the bottler UD - bottler, a 10 year old Caol Ila, distilled in 1991, bottled at 57.8%, one of 120 bottles. Caol Ila has distilled at Port Askaig since the middle of the 19th century. Most of its peated malt is destined for the Johnnie Walker blends.

This was run from peated malt through tall stills on Loch nam Ban water, giving a bright, citrus driven peat. An American oak hogshead added vanilla and a light toffee. By the integrating teens harsher congeners fade and ethyl esters build, lending a riper citrus over the softening peat. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. A few weeks each year the distillery runs an unpeated, Highland style spirit. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness.

At a hearty 57.8% it carries real weight. Ashy smoke, lemon oil and a saline tang, with vanilla and a soft caramel from the wood. A maritime salt and a lemon lift run through it. A smoky, oily warmth lingers with lemon and salt. This is the elegant, lighter side of Islay.