Caol Ila 37 Years Old 1984 Cask #3629 (Private Collection)

This Caol Ila was bottled by the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, a 37 year old, distilled in 1984, from cask 3629, bottled at 53.9%, one of 177 bottles. Caol Ila is a maritime malt, matured within sound of the sea. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay.

Here the spirit was run through tall copper stills that keep the smoke light, for a smoky spirit with a citrus lift. A second fill bourbon cask kept the oak in the background. At this great, fragile age oxidation has the last word, ethereal esters, beeswax and old polished tannins where the smoke once was. Time in oak deepens the oily body while the maritime smoke stays bright. Long fermentations build the fruity, citrus notes that sit beneath the smoke. The spirit's lightness lets sherry, wine and bourbon casks all show through. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types.

Undiluted at 53.9%, it is powerful. A coastal peat with citrus and pepper, with a quiet vanilla under the smoke. A maritime salt and a lemon lift run through it. The finish is clean, smoky and maritime. This is the elegant, lighter side of Islay.