Caol Ila 10 Years Old 1998 Cask #12875 + 12876 (G&M)

From the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, a 10 year old Caol Ila, distilled in 1998, from cask 12875 + 12876, bottled at 59.1%. Caol Ila is one of the largest malt distilleries in all of Scotland. Its peated character is built on malt smoked to a medium level of phenols.

Drawn off a high cut from peated barley, shaping the lighter side of Islay. A sherry cask gave dried fruit and a dark, nutty sweetness. By the integrating teens harsher congeners fade and ethyl esters build, lending a riper citrus over the softening peat. The spirit's lightness lets sherry, wine and bourbon casks all show through. Long ageing turns the young, sharp peat into a soft, coastal smoke. The six tall stills sit behind picture windows looking out to Jura. Diageo's Special Releases have featured both peated and unpeated Caol Ila. Time in oak deepens the oily body while the maritime smoke stays bright.

At a hearty 59.1% it carries real weight. A lemony Islay smoke over olive oil, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Soft smoke and citrus sit behind the cask. The finish is clean, smoky and maritime. This is an elegant Islay single malt.