Caol Ila 12 Years Old 2007 Cask #C10720 (Hidden Spirits)

The bottler Hidden Spirits selected this Caol Ila, a 12 year old, distilled in 2007, from cask C10720, bottled at 51.8%, one of 210 bottles. Caol Ila is the smoky backbone of the Johnnie Walker blends. Its peated character is built on malt smoked to a medium level of phenols.

Drawn off a high cut from peated barley, giving a clean, lemony peat. A wine cask shaped it, the fruit meeting the spirit. Through integration the spirit and cask settle, lactone coconut and a soft vanillin balancing the easing phenols. The tall stills and a high cut give a lighter, cleaner spirit than the southern Islays. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge. Diageo's Special Releases have featured both peated and unpeated Caol Ila. A slow maturation in the cool island air keeps the spirit fresh and oily.

At its natural 51.8% it is concentrated. A clean peat with sea salt and citrus, with red berry and a dry spice from the cask. Beneath the smoke run lemon, brine and a peppery oil. It finishes smoky, oily and bright. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.