Caol Ila 8 Years Old 2014 Benchmark Limited Release (Murray McDavid)

The independent Murray McDavid selected this Caol Ila, an 8 year old, distilled in 2014, bottled at 54.4%, one of 302 bottles. Caol Ila makes a clean, maritime malt on the east coast of Islay. Its peated character is built on malt smoked to a medium level of phenols.

This was worked from peated malt for the lighter Islay style, for a smoke more elegant than heavy. A first fill sherry cask drove a deep, figgy, nutty character. In its extractive youth the spirit takes vanillin vanilla and lactone coconut quickly, the peat phenols vivid and lemony. A slow maturation in the cool island air keeps the spirit fresh and oily. Diageo's Special Releases have featured both peated and unpeated Caol Ila. Water falls to the distillery from Loch nam Ban in the hills above. The medium peating leaves a smoke that is firm but never heavy. The tall stills and a high cut give a lighter, cleaner spirit than the southern Islays.

Undiluted at 54.4%, it is powerful. Smoke, grapefruit and a maritime salt, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with citrus. The finish is long, smoky and citrussy. This is an elegant Islay single malt.