Caol Ila 30 Years Old 1983 Cask #1096 (Wilson & Morgan)

From the Italian bottler Wilson and Morgan, a 30 year old Caol Ila, distilled in 1983, from cask 1096, bottled at 57.5%, one of 513 bottles. Caol Ila takes its name from the Gaelic for the Sound of Islay. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness.

Here the spirit was distilled in tall stills that lend the smoke an oily lightness, for a smoke more elegant than heavy. An American oak hogshead added vanilla and a light toffee. At this great, fragile age oxidation has the last word, ethereal esters, beeswax and old polished tannins where the smoke once was. The tall stills and a high cut give a lighter, cleaner spirit than the southern Islays. The spirit's high notes of lemon and grass survive even long maturation. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types.

At 57.5% without water it is rich and full. A lemony Islay smoke over olive oil, with a light vanilla and a touch of coconut. The palate is oily and smoky, with a green citrus lift. A long, coastal finish carries a peaty warmth. This is the elegant, lighter side of Islay.