Caol Ila 8 Years Old (64.2%)

Caol Ila from the distillery, an 8 year old, at 64.2%, 5664 bottles in all. Caol Ila wears its Islay smoke more lightly than its southern neighbours. Diageo's Special Releases have featured both peated and unpeated Caol Ila.

It was made from medium peated malt for a clean, smoky spirit, giving a clean, lemony peat. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla and a light sweetness under the smoke. 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. Years in oak round the smoke, the peat mellowing while the brine stays. The spirit's high notes of lemon and grass survive even long maturation. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay. Long fermentations build the fruity, citrus notes that sit beneath the smoke. A few weeks each year the distillery runs an unpeated, Highland style spirit.

At its natural 64.2% it is concentrated. A coastal peat with citrus and pepper, with vanilla and a soft caramel from the wood. Soft smoke and citrus sit behind the cask. Smoke and sea salt see out a long finish. This is a lemony, coastal Islay single malt.