Caol Ila 15 Years Old (43%)

Caol Ila, a distillery release, a 15 year old, at 43%. Caol Ila makes a clean, maritime malt on the east coast of Islay. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge.

Here the spirit was run from peated malt through tall stills on Loch nam Ban water, for the clean island smoke prized by blenders. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla and a light sweetness under the smoke. At oxidative maturity vanillin and lactones are fully expressed and ellagitannin tannins lend a polished, drying frame to the smoke. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. The oily texture comes from the spirit cut, the cask adding depth around it. From a small Victorian works it grew into one of Scotland's biggest malt distilleries. A slow maturation in the cool island air keeps the spirit fresh and oily. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols.

At an easy 43% it is gentle. A coastal peat with citrus and pepper, with a light vanilla and a touch of coconut. Smoke, lemon and a saline minerality fill the middle. A long, briny finish ends on lemon and soft smoke. This is a clean coastal malt with a lemony peat.