Caol Ila 20 Years Old Guaranteed 20 years old (G&M)

A Caol Ila drawn by the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, bottled at 40%. Caol Ila sends more spirit to independent bottlers than almost any malt. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge.

It was run through tall copper stills that keep the smoke light, for a smoke more elegant than heavy. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding only a light vanilla. Through oxidative maturity the phenols mellow and esters concentrate, citrus turning to candied lemon over a soft peat. A slow maturation in the cool island air keeps the spirit fresh and oily. Most of its peated malt is destined for the Johnnie Walker blends. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay. Much of the spirit leaves the island by sea to mature on the mainland. Its peated character is built on malt smoked to a medium level of phenols.

At an easy 40% it is gentle. A smoky, briny coastal character, with a quiet vanilla under the smoke. Smoke, lemon and a saline minerality fill the middle. The close is long, smoke over a citrus lift. This is the smoky malt of the Sound of Islay.