Caol Ila 7 Years Old 2015 Cask #313856 (van Wees)

A 7 year old Caol Ila from the Dutch bottler van Wees, from cask 313856, bottled at 46%. Caol Ila has distilled at Port Askaig since the middle of the 19th century. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge.

This was worked from peated barley through the distillery's tall stills, shaping the lighter side of Islay. An American oak cask shaped it, soft and sweet beneath the peat. Early, extractive maturation draws vanillin (vanilla) and furfural (toasted almond) from the wood over a clean, phenolic smoke. The tall stills and a high cut give a lighter, cleaner spirit than the southern Islays. Refill oak lets the maritime peat and lemon of the spirit lead the way. The distillery was expanded again in the 21st century to meet blend demand. Active wood frames the smoke without smothering the citrus beneath. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness.

At 46% it is supple and oily. A bonfire smoke with lemon and sea salt, with a gentle oak sweetness beneath. Soft smoke and citrus sit behind the cask. A long, coastal finish carries a peaty warmth. This is Caol Ila's lighter, maritime Islay smoke.