Caol Ila 35 Years Old 1983 Cask #75 (The Whisky Jury)

The bottler The Whisky Jury selected this Caol Ila, a 35 year old, distilled in 1983, from cask 75, bottled at 50.3%, one of 90 bottles. Caol Ila looks out across the Sound to the Paps of Jura. Malt comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the south of the island.

The spirit was made from medium peated malt for a clean, smoky spirit, for a smoke more elegant than heavy. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak quiet behind the spirit. Ethereal and fragile, decades have drawn the spirit to a waxy, tropical delicacy, sotolon and old oak over a soft mineral smoke. The tall stills and a high cut give a lighter, cleaner spirit than the southern Islays. Caol Ila's smoke leans to lemon, olive oil and brine rather than tar or iodine. The malt is medium peated, giving a cleaner smoke than the south shore Islays. A clean smoke and a coastal salt define the distillery style.

At a full 50.3% it is bold and oily. Smoke, grapefruit and a maritime salt, with a creamy oak note. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with citrus. A long maritime smoke closes it. This is a clean coastal malt with a lemony peat.