Caol Ila 7 Years Old 2015 Cask #313025 (van Wees)

The Dutch bottler van Wees selected this Caol Ila, a 7 year old, distilled in 2015, from cask 313025, bottled at 58.7%, one of 303 bottles. Caol Ila is the most heavily bottled of all the Islay malts. Diageo's Special Releases have featured both peated and unpeated Caol Ila.

Here the spirit was drawn off a high cut from peated barley, shaping the lighter side of Islay. A refill hogshead held it quietly, the spirit left to lead. In its extractive youth the spirit takes vanillin vanilla and lactone coconut quickly, the peat phenols vivid and lemony. Long ageing turns the young, sharp peat into a soft, coastal smoke. The lighter style means the cask and the citrus speak alongside the peat. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge. Much of the spirit leaves the island by sea to mature on the mainland.

Bottled at a cask strength 58.7%, it is intense. A smoky, briny coastal character, with vanilla and a soft caramel from the wood. An oily smoke coats the palate, citrus and brine behind. The finish is long, smoky and citrussy. This is an Islay malt that wears its smoke lightly.