Caol Ila 9 Years Old 2010 Cask #310337 (Archives)

A Caol Ila drawn by the bottler Archives, distilled in 2010, from cask 310337, bottled at 56.9%. Caol Ila is an east coast Islay distillery on the strait facing Jura. A ferry crosses the Sound from Port Askaig to Jura and the mainland.

This was distilled from medium peated malt in tall copper stills, building a refined, maritime peat. A tired refill cask added little but time, the make speaking clearly. At an extractive age eugenol lends a clove note and oak lactones a coconut sweetness, the guaiacol smoke bright and fresh. The oily texture comes from the spirit cut, the cask adding depth around it. Active wood frames the smoke without smothering the citrus beneath. The cool Islay air gives a slow, steady maturation by the shore. Years in oak round the smoke, the peat mellowing while the brine stays.

At 56.9%, undiluted, it is bold and clean. A clean maritime smoke with lemon and brine, with vanilla and a soft caramel from the wood. The palate is oily and smoky, with a green citrus lift. A long, briny finish ends on lemon and soft smoke. This is an Islay malt that wears its smoke lightly.