Caol Ila 10 Years Old 2008 Smoky Friday Germany 2019 #1 (Battlehill Scotch Whisky Co.)

A 10 year old Caol Ila from the bottler Battlehill Scotch Whisky Co, bottled at 54.2%, one of 158 bottles. Caol Ila is the lighter, more elegant face of Islay smoke. It was founded by Hector Henderson and later passed to the Distillers Company.

Here the spirit was made from medium peated malt for a clean, smoky spirit, giving the lighter Islay style its shape. Maturation in an Oloroso cask laid dried fruit over the make. Across the integration years the smoke loses its edge as esters and vanillin weave into a smoother, citrussy whole. Years in oak round the smoke, the peat mellowing while the brine stays. The spirit's high notes of lemon and grass survive even long maturation. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay. Long fermentations build the fruity, citrus notes that sit beneath the smoke.

At 54.2%, undiluted, it is bold and clean. Smoke, lemon and a peppery oil, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A sea salt and an olive oil note sit under the smoke. The close is long, smoke over a citrus lift. This is a clean Islay smoke from the island's largest distillery.