Caol Ila 12 Years Old 2011 Cask #Batch 4 (BB&R)

Small Batch

700ml / 46%

Single Malt

$148

Drawn by the London wine merchant Berry Bros and Rudd, a 12 year old Caol Ila, at 46%. Smoked lemon, sea spray and a soft oil run through it. A workhorse of the blending halls and a favourite of malt drinkers. Its casks mature within sound of the sea. Its tall stills give a lighter, cleaner island spirit. This is a bright, coastal Islay malt of poise.

In stock

Available

SKU CIL141 Categories Caol Ila, Islay, Scottish Whisky, Whiskey Brand: Caol Ila

Description

The London wine merchant Berry Bros and Rudd released this Caol Ila, a 12 year old, distilled in 2011, from cask Batch 4, bottled at 46%, one of 894 bottles. Caol Ila sends more spirit to independent bottlers than almost any malt. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay.

Here the spirit was distilled in tall stills that lend the smoke an oily lightness, building a refined, maritime peat. Refill American oak let the spirit speak, adding a quiet honeyed note. Through integration the spirit and cask settle, lactone coconut and a soft vanillin balancing the easing phenols. Cool, damp warehousing slows the loss of the angel's share over the years. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. Years in oak round the smoke, the peat mellowing while the brine stays.

Bottled at 46%, it is rounded. A clean peat with sea salt and citrus, with vanilla and a soft caramel from the wood. A maritime salt and a lemon lift run through it. A long maritime smoke closes it. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.