Caol Ila 7 Years Old 2012 Tarona Spirits (The Stillman’s DE)

This Caol Ila was bottled by the bottler The Stillman's DE, a 7 year old, distilled in 2012, bottled at 60.2%, one of 120 bottles. Caol Ila sends more spirit to independent bottlers than almost any malt. A few weeks each year the distillery runs an unpeated, Highland style spirit.

Here the spirit was distilled slowly from peated malt for a refined island smoke, giving the lighter Islay style its shape. An Oloroso hogshead lent raisin, fig and a savoury edge. Young and extractive, the cask sheds vanillin (vanilla) and toasted hemicellulose sugars (a light caramel) fast, the phenols still sharp and medicinal. The spirit's high notes of lemon and grass survive even long maturation. Refill oak lets the maritime peat and lemon of the spirit lead the way. A clean smoke and a coastal salt define the distillery style. The six tall stills sit behind picture windows looking out to Jura.

Undiluted at 60.2%, it is powerful. Peat smoke, citrus and a soft oil, with raisin and a caramelised nuttiness from the cask. A sea salt and an olive oil note sit under the smoke. The close is long, smoke over a citrus lift. This is an elegant Islay single malt.