Caol Ila 12 Years Old (TBWC)

The bottler That Boutique-y Whisky Company released this Caol Ila, a 12 year old, bottled at 45.8%, one of 419 bottles. Caol Ila is among the most widely traded of Islay's single malts. Its spirit also feeds blends such as Bell's and Black Bottle.

The spirit was drawn off the distillery's six tall stills from peated barley, for a clean, coastal, oily make. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak quiet behind the spirit. By the integrating teens harsher congeners fade and ethyl esters build, lending a riper citrus over the softening peat. The oily texture comes from the spirit cut, the cask adding depth around it. Maturation by the sea gives the malt its mineral, sea spray character. The clean, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while holding its citrus and smoke. From a small Victorian works it grew into one of Scotland's biggest malt distilleries. Long ageing turns the young, sharp peat into a soft, coastal smoke.

At 45.8% it is supple and oily. A fresh peat smoke over oily lemon, with a gentle oak sweetness beneath. Soft smoke and citrus sit behind the cask. Lemon, soft ash and sea salt see it out. This is an elegant Islay single malt.