Caol Ila Cl14 ElD Elements of Islay (Elixir)

Sukhinder Singh's Elixir Distillers released this Caol Ila, bottled at 50.1%. Caol Ila is Diageo's largest Islay distillery. Water falls to the distillery from Loch nam Ban in the hills above.

Here the spirit was worked from peated malt for the lighter Islay style, for the clean island smoke prized by blenders. A first fill sherry cask drove a deep, figgy, nutty character. No age is given, but vanillin vanilla and the lemony phenols of the smoke are well knit. The medium peating leaves a smoke that is firm but never heavy. The malt is medium peated, giving a cleaner smoke than the south shore Islays. A clean smoke and a coastal salt define the distillery style. The warehouses are ranged along the rocky shore at the water's edge. Its spirit also feeds blends such as Bell's and Black Bottle. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types.

At a natural 50.1% it is full and oily. Smoke, lemon and a peppery oil, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Smoked lemon and sea salt build over an oily body. Lemon, soft ash and sea salt see it out. This is a refined, citrus driven Islay smoke.