Caol Ila 10 Years Old 2015 Cask #310159 (Dr��m M��r)

From the bottler Dr��m M��r, a 10 year old Caol Ila, distilled in 2015, from cask 310159, bottled at 56.2%, one of 336 bottles. Caol Ila was rebuilt in the 1970s into the large distillery it is today. Diageo's Special Releases have featured both peated and unpeated Caol Ila.

The spirit was distilled with a long fermentation and a clean cut, building the elegant Islay smoke at its heart. An American oak cask shaped it, soft and sweet beneath the peat. Integration sees eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) fold into the spirit, the medicinal smoke gentler now. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. Most of its peated malt is destined for the Johnnie Walker blends. The cool Islay air gives a slow, steady maturation by the shore. The original Victorian distillery was almost entirely rebuilt in the modern era. The tall stills and a high cut give a lighter, cleaner spirit than the southern Islays.

At a natural 56.2% it is full and oily. Wood smoke, lemon zest and brine, with a light vanilla and a touch of coconut. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with citrus. The finish runs oily, smoky and clean. This is the elegant, lighter side of Islay.