Caol Ila 13 Years Old 2008 Cask #4031313 (Duncan Taylor)

The bottler Duncan Taylor selected this Caol Ila, a 13 year old, distilled in 2008, from cask 4031313, bottled at 54.2%, one of 90 bottles. Caol Ila is one of the largest malt distilleries in all of Scotland. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge.

Worked from peated barley through the distillery's tall stills, giving a bright, citrus driven peat. A refill hogshead held it quietly, the spirit left to lead. Integration sees eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) fold into the spirit, the medicinal smoke gentler now. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. A few weeks each year the distillery runs an unpeated, Highland style spirit. Maturation by the sea gives the malt its mineral, sea spray character. A ferry crosses the Sound from Port Askaig to Jura and the mainland. Years in oak round the smoke, the peat mellowing while the brine stays.

At a full 54.2% it is bold and oily. Smoke, grapefruit and a maritime salt, with vanilla and a honeyed edge from the cask. Smoked lemon and sea salt build over an oily body. A long, coastal finish carries a peaty warmth. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.