Caol Ila 9 Years Old 2015 Cask #319898+319901+319908+319911 (van Wees)

A 9 year old Caol Ila, this distilled in 2015 from the Dutch bottler van Wees, bottled at 46%. Caol Ila has distilled at Port Askaig since the middle of the 19th century. The distillery was expanded again in the 21st century to meet blend demand.

The spirit was worked from peated malt for the lighter Islay style, building a refined, maritime peat. A second fill bourbon cask kept the oak in the background. These first years are extractive, the oak giving lactones as coconut and vanillin as vanilla beneath a sharp, citrussy smoke. The medium peating leaves a smoke that is firm but never heavy. It was founded by Hector Henderson and later passed to the Distillers Company. Malt comes from the Port Ellen maltings on the south of the island. A ferry crosses the Sound from Port Askaig to Jura and the mainland. Most of its peated malt is destined for the Johnnie Walker blends.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow. A bonfire smoke with lemon and sea salt, with a light vanilla and a touch of coconut. The texture is oily, the smoke threaded with citrus. A long, briny finish ends on lemon and soft smoke. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.