Caol Ila 11 Years Old 2011 Cask #16 (Signatory)

An 11 year old Caol Ila, this distilled in 2011 from the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, from cask 16, bottled at 46%, one of 440 bottles. Caol Ila is the lighter, more elegant face of Islay smoke. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge.

The spirit was run through tall copper stills that keep the smoke light, shaping the lighter side of Islay. A fortified or wine cask gave it a fruity, spiced depth. Integration sees eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) fold into the spirit, the medicinal smoke gentler now. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols. The spirit's high notes of lemon and grass survive even long maturation. Maturation by the sea gives the malt its mineral, sea spray character. Caol Ila's smoke leans to lemon, olive oil and brine rather than tar or iodine.

At 46% it is smooth and clean. Smoked lemon, brine and a green olive note, with a gentle oak sweetness beneath. Smoked lemon and sea salt build over an oily body. A long, coastal finish carries a peaty warmth. This is a clean Islay smoke from the island's largest distillery.