Caol Ila 11 Years Old 2006 Cask #306183+4, 306186+7 (G&M)

A Caol Ila drawn by the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, distilled in 2006, from cask 306183+4, 306186+7, bottled at 60.2%. Caol Ila is one of the largest malt distilleries in all of Scotland. Malt comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the south of the island.

It was drawn off the distillery's six tall stills from peated barley, for a smoky spirit with a citrus lift. A sherry cask wrapped the spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. In integration the oak lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) knit with the phenols, the whole growing rounder and oilier. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types. The distillery was expanded again in the 21st century to meet blend demand.

At its natural 60.2% it is concentrated. A lemony Islay smoke over olive oil, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Smoked lemon and sea salt build over an oily body. A long, briny finish ends on lemon and soft smoke. This is the elegant, lighter side of Islay.