Caol Ila 12 Years Old 2013 Cask #307555 (Wilson & Morgan)

A 12 year old Caol Ila from the Italian bottler Wilson and Morgan, from cask 307555, bottled at 57.8%, one of 256 bottles. Caol Ila looks out across the Sound to the Paps of Jura. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay.

Drawn off the distillery's six tall stills from peated barley, for a clean, coastal, oily make. A refill hogshead held it quietly, the spirit left to lead. In integration the oak lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) knit with the phenols, the whole growing rounder and oilier. The clean, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while holding its citrus and smoke. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. The malt is medium peated, giving a cleaner smoke than the south shore Islays. Phenols from the peat smoke carry the medicinal, lemony edge through the years.

At cask strength 57.8% it is muscular. A lemony Islay smoke over olive oil, with a light vanilla and a touch of coconut. An oily smoke coats the palate, citrus and brine behind. Smoke and sea salt see out a long finish. This is a clean, smoky Islay single malt from Caol Ila.