Caol Ila 23 Years Old 1984 (Scott’s Selection)

The bottler Scott's Selection selected this Caol Ila, a 23 year old, distilled in 1984, bottled at 54.1%. Caol Ila is an Islay malt of clean, oily, citrus driven smoke. The distillery was expanded again in the 21st century to meet blend demand.

It was drawn off the distillery's six tall stills from peated barley, building a refined, maritime peat. A sherry cask wrapped the spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Through the evaporative decades concentration deepens the oils, lactones and esters folding into mango and beeswax, the phenols a memory. The spirit's lightness lets sherry, wine and bourbon casks all show through. The medium peating leaves a smoke that is firm but never heavy. Its spirit also feeds blends such as Bell's and Black Bottle. Much of the spirit leaves the island by sea to mature on the mainland. Long ageing turns the young, sharp peat into a soft, coastal smoke.

At a full 54.1% it is bold and oily. A clean peat with sea salt and citrus, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Soft smoke and citrus sit behind the cask. A long maritime smoke closes it. This is Caol Ila's lighter, maritime Islay smoke.