Caol Ila 9 Years Old 2012 Exclusive to the Netherlands (Phil & Simon Thompson)

The bottler Phil & Simon Thompson bottled this Caol Ila, a 9 year old, distilled in 2012, bottled at 53.3%, one of 257 bottles. Caol Ila is the largest distillery on the Isle of Islay. The original Victorian distillery was almost entirely rebuilt in the modern era.

This was run through tall copper stills that keep the smoke light, building a refined, maritime peat. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the distillery character to the fore. At an extractive age eugenol lends a clove note and oak lactones a coconut sweetness, the guaiacol smoke bright and fresh. Cool, damp warehousing slows the loss of the angel's share over the years. Caol Ila's smoke leans to lemon, olive oil and brine rather than tar or iodine. Long fermentations build the fruity, citrus notes that sit beneath the smoke. The peat here is medium rather than heavy, so fruit and smoke share the glass.

At a natural 53.3% it is full and oily. Ashy smoke, lemon oil and a saline tang, with vanilla and a soft caramel from the wood. Beneath the smoke run lemon, brine and a peppery oil. The close is long, smoke over a citrus lift. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.