Caol Ila 9 Years Old 1990 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (G&M)

A Caol Ila drawn by the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, distilled in 1990, bottled at 40%. Caol Ila was founded in 1846 by Hector Henderson. Malt comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the south of the island.

Distilled from medium peated malt in tall copper stills, for a clean, coastal, oily make. A long spell in ex-Bourbon oak rounded the spirit gently. These first years are extractive, the oak giving lactones as coconut and vanillin as vanilla beneath a sharp, citrussy smoke. Long ageing turns the young, sharp peat into a soft, coastal smoke. Olive oil and lemon sit at the heart of the Caol Ila character. Water falls to the distillery from Loch nam Ban in the hills above. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay.

At an approachable 40% it is balanced. A fresh peat smoke over oily lemon, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Lemon, olive oil and a soft ash run through the middle. It finishes smoky, oily and bright. This is Caol Ila's lighter, maritime Islay smoke.