Caol Ila 14 Years Old 2003 Cask #301267 (Adelphi)

This Caol Ila was bottled by the Adelphi bottler, a 14 year old, distilled in 2003, from cask 301267, bottled at 58.9%, one of 271 bottles. Caol Ila is the smoky backbone of the Johnnie Walker blends. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge.

The spirit was run through tall copper stills that keep the smoke light, building the elegant Islay smoke at its heart. A second fill bourbon cask kept the oak in the background. Across the integration years the smoke loses its edge as esters and vanillin weave into a smoother, citrussy whole. The spirit's high notes of lemon and grass survive even long maturation. A few weeks each year the distillery runs an unpeated, Highland style spirit. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols. The medium peating leaves a smoke that is firm but never heavy. Cool, damp warehousing slows the loss of the angel's share over the years.

At its natural 58.9% it is concentrated. Sea spray, smoke and a citrus lift, with a light bourbon sweetness. Smoked lemon and sea salt build over an oily body. Lemon, soft ash and sea salt see it out. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.