Caol Ila 11 Years Old BNSp (Brave New Spirits)

An 11 year old Caol Ila, from the bottler Brave New Spirits, from cask Batch No. 1, bottled at 54%, one of 1251 bottles. Caol Ila is the lighter, more elegant face of Islay smoke. From a small Victorian works it grew into one of Scotland's biggest malt distilleries.

Here the spirit was made from medium peated malt for a clean, smoky spirit, for a clean, coastal, oily make. A sherry cask gave dried fruit and a dark, nutty sweetness. Across the integration years the smoke loses its edge as esters and vanillin weave into a smoother, citrussy whole. Smoked citrus and a saline minerality are the hallmarks of the make. The spirit's high notes of lemon and grass survive even long maturation. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge. A ferry crosses the Sound from Port Askaig to Jura and the mainland.

At a full 54% it is bold and oily. A clean ashy smoke with lime and brine, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A sea salt and an olive oil note sit under the smoke. A smoky, oily warmth lingers with lemon and salt. This is an Islay malt that wears its smoke lightly.