Caol Ila 13 Years Old 2007 (Ex-Bourbon)

This distillery bottling of Caol Ila is a 13 year old, from 2007, at 59.8%. Caol Ila is an east coast Islay distillery on the strait facing Jura. Most of its peated malt is destined for the Johnnie Walker blends.

This was run from peated malt through tall stills on Loch nam Ban water, for an oily smoke that leans to lemon and brine. An American oak cask shaped it, soft and sweet beneath the peat. Through the integration phase spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into a rounded vanilla as the guaiacol phenols mellow into a softer smoke. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types. Active wood frames the smoke without smothering the citrus beneath. Malt comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the south of the island. A clean smoke and a coastal salt define the distillery style. From a small Victorian works it grew into one of Scotland's biggest malt distilleries.

At its natural 59.8% it is concentrated. Wood smoke, lemon zest and brine, with a light bourbon sweetness. Smoked lemon and sea salt build over an oily body. A long, briny finish ends on lemon and soft smoke. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.