Caol Ila 11 Years Old 2008 Cask #300058 (Signatory)

This Caol Ila was bottled by the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, an 11 year old, distilled in 2008, from cask 300058, bottled at 58.6%, one of 282 bottles. Caol Ila is Diageo's largest Islay distillery. Water falls to the distillery from Loch nam Ban in the hills above.

This was run through tall copper stills that keep the smoke light, giving a bright, citrus driven peat. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the spirit. In integration the oak lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) knit with the phenols, the whole growing rounder and oilier. Sea air works into the maturing casks, lending a briny, coastal lift. The malt is medium peated, giving a cleaner smoke than the south shore Islays. The lighter style means the cask and the citrus speak alongside the peat. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types.

At a natural 58.6% it is full and oily. A clean ashy smoke with lime and brine, with a light vanilla and a touch of coconut. A sea salt and an olive oil note sit under the smoke. A smoky, oily warmth lingers with lemon and salt. This is an elegant Islay single malt.