Caol Ila 12 Years Old 2012 Cask #313104 (James Eadie)

A Caol Ila of a 12 year old chosen by the bottler James Eadie, distilled in 2012, from cask 313104, bottled at 52.3%, one of 314 bottles. Caol Ila has been bottled at every age from young and fierce to old and waxy. Much of the spirit leaves the island by sea to mature on the mainland.

The spirit was run from peated malt through tall stills on Loch nam Ban water, giving the lighter Islay style its shape. An American oak hogshead added vanilla and a light toffee. Through the integration phase spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into a rounded vanilla as the guaiacol phenols mellow into a softer smoke. Maturation by the sea gives the malt its mineral, sea spray character. The six tall stills sit behind picture windows looking out to Jura. The malt is medium peated, giving a cleaner smoke than the south shore Islays. The make balances phenolic smoke against a bright, oily citrus.

Undiluted at 52.3%, it is powerful. Smoke, lemon and a peppery oil, with a quiet vanilla under the smoke. The oily body carries the smoke long and clean. Lemon, soft ash and sea salt see it out. This is a maritime, lemony Islay single malt.