Caol Ila 8 Years Old 2013 Cask #C21006 (Claxton’s)

The bottler Claxton's bottled this Caol Ila, an 8 year old, distilled in 2013, from cask C21006, bottled at 58.5%, one of 305 bottles. Caol Ila is the quiet giant of Islay, vast yet refined. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge.

This was distilled from medium peated malt in tall copper stills, building a refined, maritime peat. A wine cask shaped it, the fruit meeting the spirit. Early, extractive maturation draws vanillin (vanilla) and furfural (toasted almond) from the wood over a clean, phenolic smoke. The make balances phenolic smoke against a bright, oily citrus. Long ageing turns the young, sharp peat into a soft, coastal smoke. The spirit's lightness lets sherry, wine and bourbon casks all show through. The peat here is medium rather than heavy, so fruit and smoke share the glass. Malt comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the south of the island.

At cask strength 58.5% it is muscular. Wood smoke, lemon zest and brine, with red berry and a dry spice from the cask. The palate is oily and smoky, with a green citrus lift. A long, briny finish ends on lemon and soft smoke. This is a lemony, coastal Islay single malt.