Caol Ila 11 Years Old 2009 Cask #321181 (King Cask)

700ml / 57.3%

Single Malt

$140

An 11 year old Caol Ila, 2009, at 57.3% from the bottler King Cask. A coastal smoke runs to lemon, olive oil and a peppery lift. Bottled by independents the world over, and by Diageo itself. It is the most independently bottled of all the Islay malts. This is a refined Islay single malt that wears its style lightly.

Only 2 left in stock

Only 2 left

SKU CIL637 Categories Caol Ila, Islay, Scottish Whisky, Whiskey Brand: Caol Ila

Description

The bottler King Cask bottled this Caol Ila, an 11 year old, distilled in 2009, from cask 321181, bottled at 57.3%, one of 152 bottles. Caol Ila makes a clean, maritime malt on the east coast of Islay. The malt is medium peated, giving a cleaner smoke than the south shore Islays.

Here the spirit was distilled in tall stills that lend the smoke an oily lightness, for a smoky spirit with a citrus lift. A bourbon barrel held it, the oak lending vanilla and a little cream. By the integrating teens harsher congeners fade and ethyl esters build, lending a riper citrus over the softening peat. The clean, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while holding its citrus and smoke. Sea air works into the maturing casks, lending a briny, coastal lift. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. Long ageing turns the young, sharp peat into a soft, coastal smoke.

Undiluted at 57.3%, it is powerful. Sea spray, smoke and a citrus lift, with vanilla and a soft caramel from the wood. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with citrus. The finish is clean, smoky and maritime. This is a maritime, lemony Islay single malt.