Caol Ila 12 Years Old 1979 (UD – bottler)

The bottler UD - bottler released this Caol Ila, a 12 year old, distilled in 1979, bottled at 45%. Caol Ila was rebuilt in the 1970s into the large distillery it is today. The six tall stills sit behind picture windows looking out to Jura.

Here the spirit was drawn off a high cut from peated barley, giving a clean, lemony peat. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the spirit. Through integration the spirit and cask settle, lactone coconut and a soft vanillin balancing the easing phenols. Maturation by the sea gives the malt its mineral, sea spray character. Refill oak lets the maritime peat and lemon of the spirit lead the way. The oily texture comes from the spirit cut, the cask adding depth around it. Time in oak deepens the oily body while the maritime smoke stays bright. The malt is medium peated, giving a cleaner smoke than the south shore Islays.

At 45% it is smooth and clean. A lemony Islay smoke over olive oil, with a gentle oak sweetness beneath. Smoke, lemon and a saline minerality fill the middle. The finish runs oily, smoky and clean. This is one of the most versatile of the Islay malts.