Caol Ila 12 Years Old 2011 Cask #305289 (Elixir)

Sukhinder Singh's Elixir Distillers bottled this Caol Ila, a 12 year old, distilled in 2011, from cask 305289, bottled at 54.1%, one of 264 bottles. Caol Ila is an Islay malt of clean, oily, citrus driven smoke. The clean, lemony smoke has made it a favourite of blenders for generations.

The spirit was distilled from medium peated malt in tall copper stills, for a smoky spirit with a citrus lift. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding only a light vanilla. Through the integration phase spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into a rounded vanilla as the guaiacol phenols mellow into a softer smoke. The medium peating leaves a smoke that is firm but never heavy. Its spirit also feeds blends such as Bell's and Black Bottle. Years in oak round the smoke, the peat mellowing while the brine stays. The clean, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while holding its citrus and smoke.

At its natural 54.1% it is concentrated. A lemony Islay smoke over olive oil, with honeyed oak underneath. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with citrus. Smoke and sea salt see out a long finish. This is a clean Islay smoke from the island's largest distillery.