Caol Ila 8 Years Old 2015 Cask #313840+313844+313852 (Signatory)

An 8 year old Caol Ila from the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, from cask 313840+313844+313852, bottled at 40%, one of 1450 bottles. Caol Ila was rebuilt in the 1970s into the large distillery it is today. 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, building the elegant Islay smoke at its heart. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the distillery character to the fore. In these extractive early years the oak surrenders vanillin as vanilla and cis oak lactones as coconut, while guaiacol carries a vivid, lemony peat smoke. 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. It was founded by Hector Henderson and later passed to the Distillers Company.

At 40% it is soft, oily and bright. Wood smoke, lemon zest and brine, with a gentle oak sweetness beneath. Smoked lemon and sea salt build over an oily body. The close is long, smoke over a citrus lift. This is Caol Ila's lighter, maritime Islay smoke.