Caol Ila 10 Years Old 1999 Cask #310039 (High Spirits’ Collection)

From the bottler High Spirits' Collection, a 10 year old Caol Ila, distilled in 1999, from cask 310039, bottled at 60.4%. Caol Ila is one of the largest malt distilleries in all of Scotland. The six tall stills sit behind picture windows looking out to Jura.

The spirit was distilled in tall stills that lend the smoke an oily lightness, building the elegant Islay smoke at its heart. An American oak cask shaped it, soft and sweet beneath the peat. Through integration the spirit and cask settle, lactone coconut and a soft vanillin balancing the easing phenols. Active wood frames the smoke without smothering the citrus beneath. From a small Victorian works it grew into one of Scotland's biggest malt distilleries. The cool Islay air gives a slow, steady maturation by the shore. Time in oak deepens the oily body while the maritime smoke stays bright.

At a full 60.4% it is bold and oily. A smoky, briny coastal character, with a touch of vanilla and toffee. Lemon, olive oil and a soft ash run through the middle. The finish is clean, smoky and maritime. This is Caol Ila's lighter, maritime Islay smoke.