Caol Ila 14 Years Old 2011 Obscurities & Curiosities (North Star)

A 14 year old Caol Ila, this distilled in 2011 from the bottler North Star Spirits, bottled at 48.5%. Caol Ila looks out across the Sound to the Paps of Jura. The six tall stills sit behind picture windows looking out to Jura.

The spirit was worked from peated malt for the lighter Islay style, shaping the lighter side of Islay. An American oak hogshead added vanilla and a light toffee. In integration the oak lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) knit with the phenols, the whole growing rounder and oilier. Cool, damp warehousing slows the loss of the angel's share over the years. The peat here is medium rather than heavy, so fruit and smoke share the glass. The clean, lemony smoke has made it a favourite of blenders for generations. Malt comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the south of the island. A slow maturation in the cool island air keeps the spirit fresh and oily.

Bottled at a cask strength 48.5%, it is intense. A clean ashy smoke with lime and brine, with a gentle oak sweetness beneath. A sea salt and an olive oil note sit under the smoke. A long, briny finish ends on lemon and soft smoke. This is an Islay malt that wears its smoke lightly.