Caol Ila 14 Years Old (59.3%)

This 14 year old Caol Ila comes from the distillery itself, at 59.3%, 5958 bottles in all. Caol Ila is an Islay malt of clean, oily, citrus driven smoke. Its peated character is built on malt smoked to a medium level of phenols.

Here the spirit was made from medium phenol malt on soft Loch nam Ban water, for a clean, coastal, oily make. Maturation in a fortified cask lent red fruit and a soft spice. 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. Caol Ila's smoke leans to lemon, olive oil and brine rather than tar or iodine. Sea air works into the maturing casks, lending a briny, coastal lift. 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 59.3%, undiluted, it is bold and clean. A clean ashy smoke with lime and brine, with a spiced, dried fruit edge from the cask. Beneath the smoke run lemon, brine and a peppery oil. The smoke fades slow over citrus and a mineral tang. This is a clean, smoky Islay single malt from Caol Ila.