Caol Ila 8 Years Old JE (James Eadie)

An 8 year old Caol Ila, from the bottler James Eadie, from cask 321763 321775 316478, bottled at 46%, one of 912 bottles. Caol Ila has distilled at Port Askaig since the middle of the 19th century. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness.

Drawn off the distillery's six tall stills from peated barley, giving a clean, lemony peat. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the gentle American oak letting the make lead. At an extractive age eugenol lends a clove note and oak lactones a coconut sweetness, the guaiacol smoke bright and fresh. Sea air works into the maturing casks, lending a briny, coastal lift. A few weeks each year the distillery runs an unpeated, Highland style spirit. The make balances phenolic smoke against a bright, oily citrus. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow. Smoke, lemon and a peppery oil, with a quiet vanilla under the smoke. Lemon, olive oil and a soft ash run through the middle. A smoky, oily warmth lingers with lemon and salt. This is a clean coastal malt with a lemony peat.