Caol Ila 31 Years Old 1982 Cask #6494 (Signatory)

From the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, a 31 year old Caol Ila, distilled in 1982, from cask 6494, bottled at 53.9%, one of 215 bottles. Caol Ila is a workhorse of the blending halls and a favourite of malt drinkers. Long fermentations build the fruity, citrus notes that sit beneath the smoke.

Distilled slowly from peated malt for a refined island smoke, building the elegant Islay smoke at its heart. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla and a light sweetness under the smoke. At an ethereal, fragile age the spirit turns delicate, sotolon lending a maple and old oak depth as beeswax and a ghost of smoke linger. The cool Islay air gives a slow, steady maturation by the shore. Active wood frames the smoke without smothering the citrus beneath. A clean smoke and a coastal salt define the distillery style. Diageo's Special Releases have featured both peated and unpeated Caol Ila.

Bottled at a cask strength 53.9%, it is intense. Wood smoke, lemon zest and brine, with vanilla and a soft caramel from the wood. Smoke, lemon and a saline minerality fill the middle. A long maritime smoke closes it. This is a clean, smoky Islay single malt from Caol Ila.