Caol Ila 12 Years Old 2009 Cask #318661 (BB&R)

A 12 year old Caol Ila, this distilled in 2009 from the London wine merchant Berry Bros and Rudd, from cask 318661, bottled at 51.9%, one of 307 bottles. Caol Ila is one of the largest malt distilleries in all of Scotland. The original Victorian distillery was almost entirely rebuilt in the modern era.

Here the spirit was distilled with a long fermentation and a clean cut, for a smoke more elegant than heavy. An American oak cask shaped it, soft and sweet beneath the peat. By the integrating teens harsher congeners fade and ethyl esters build, lending a riper citrus over the softening peat. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. Phenols from the peat smoke carry the medicinal, lemony edge through the years. The make balances phenolic smoke against a bright, oily citrus. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay.

Undiluted at 51.9%, it is powerful. A smoky, briny coastal character, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A sea salt and an olive oil note sit under the smoke. A smoky, oily warmth lingers with lemon and salt. This is the elegant, lighter side of Islay.