Caol Ila 9 Years Old 2013 Cask #3489 (Cane And Grain)

A Caol Ila drawn by the bottler Cane And Grain, distilled in 2013, from cask 3489, bottled at 58.8%, one of 269 bottles. Caol Ila has been bottled at every age from young and fierce to old and waxy. The malt is medium peated, giving a cleaner smoke than the south shore Islays.

It was worked from peated malt for the lighter Islay style, building the elegant Islay smoke at its heart. An American oak cask shaped it, soft and sweet beneath the peat. 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. The clean, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while holding its citrus and smoke. From a small Victorian works it grew into one of Scotland's biggest malt distilleries. Active wood frames the smoke without smothering the citrus beneath. The cool Islay air gives a slow, steady maturation by the shore.

At a natural 58.8% it is full and oily. Wood smoke, lemon zest and brine, with a creamy oak note. Lemon, olive oil and a soft ash run through the middle. Smoke and sea salt see out a long finish. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.