Caol Ila 10 Years Old 2015 Cask #0553 (House of McCallum)

A 10 year old Caol Ila from the bottler House of McCallum, from cask 0553, bottled at 48.5%, one of 311 bottles. Caol Ila was founded in 1846 by Hector Henderson. From a small Victorian works it grew into one of Scotland's biggest malt distilleries.

The spirit was made from medium phenol malt on soft Loch nam Ban water, building a refined, maritime peat. An unusual cask gave the spirit a distinctive, fruity twist. Integration sees eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) fold into the spirit, the medicinal smoke gentler now. Cool, damp warehousing slows the loss of the angel's share over the years. A few weeks each year the distillery runs an unpeated, Highland style spirit. The six tall stills sit behind picture windows looking out to Jura. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness. The lighter style means the cask and the citrus speak alongside the peat.

At a full 48.5% it is bold and oily. A coastal peat with citrus and pepper, with brown sugar and a tropical lift from the cask. Soft smoke and citrus sit behind the cask. Lemon, soft ash and sea salt see it out. This is an elegant Islay single malt.