Caol Ila 36 Years Old 1981 Cask #Batch 18/103 (Connoisseurs Choice)

A 36 year old Caol Ila from the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, from cask Batch 18/103, bottled at 60.2%, one of 201 bottles. Caol Ila was rebuilt in the 1970s into the large distillery it is today. Its spirit also feeds blends such as Bell's and Black Bottle.

It was made from medium peated malt for a clean, smoky spirit, giving a bright, citrus driven peat. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the spirit. At this great, fragile age oxidation has the last word, ethereal esters, beeswax and old polished tannins where the smoke once was. The clean, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while holding its citrus and smoke. Long ageing turns the young, sharp peat into a soft, coastal smoke. Much of the spirit leaves the island by sea to mature on the mainland. Water falls to the distillery from Loch nam Ban in the hills above.

At its natural 60.2% it is concentrated. A fresh peat smoke over oily lemon, with a light bourbon sweetness. It is clean and coastal, the peat and lemon to the fore. Smoke and sea salt see out a long finish. This is one of the most versatile of the Islay malts.