Caol Ila 4 Years Old 2021 Cask #300015 (The Caskhound)

The bottler The Caskhound bottled this Caol Ila, a 4 year old, distilled in 2021, from cask 300015, bottled at 59.6%, one of 222 bottles. Caol Ila wears its Islay smoke more lightly than its southern neighbours. Malt comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the south of the island.

This was distilled slowly from peated malt for a refined island smoke, for an oily smoke that leans to lemon and brine. A sherry butt held it, the wood lending raisin and walnut. Young and extractive, the cask sheds vanillin (vanilla) and toasted hemicellulose sugars (a light caramel) fast, the phenols still sharp and medicinal. The lighter style means the cask and the citrus speak alongside the peat. The clean, lemony smoke has made it a favourite of blenders for generations. The clean, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while holding its citrus and smoke.

Undiluted at 59.6%, it is powerful. A clean peat with sea salt and citrus, with a dry, nutty, savoury depth from the cask. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with citrus. Lemon, soft ash and sea salt see it out. This is the smoky malt of the Sound of Islay.