Caol Ila 10 Years Old 1993 Cask #6979 (Blackadder)

The bottler Blackadder bottled this Caol Ila, a 10 year old, distilled in 1993, from cask 6979, bottled at 59.2%. Caol Ila makes a clean, maritime malt on the east coast of Islay. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness.

Worked from peated malt for the lighter Islay style, giving a clean, lemony peat. A refill hogshead held it quietly, the spirit left to lead. Through integration the spirit and cask settle, lactone coconut and a soft vanillin balancing the easing phenols. The spirit's high notes of lemon and grass survive even long maturation. Malt comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the south of the island. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types. Smoked citrus and a saline minerality are the hallmarks of the make. Active wood frames the smoke without smothering the citrus beneath.

At a full 59.2% it is bold and oily. Peat, smoked fish and a citrus oil, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A sea salt and an olive oil note sit under the smoke. The finish is clean, smoky and maritime. This is an Islay malt that wears its smoke lightly.