If you weren’t aware, I’m a total sucker for Caol Ila. It’s a very large distillery, but only a fraction of its output reaches the market as single malt. I’ve even heard rumors that significant quantities of unpeated malt are produced for blending needs. One thing I love about Caol Ila, much like some of its Islay neighbors, is how remarkably multifaceted it can be. It’s difficult to determine whether these stylistic ranges are intentional, as with Bruichladdich, or seasonal, as with Laphroaig, but this year we have three barrels of different styles and ages, each from classic refill hogsheads. The idea was to capture three faces of Caol Ila and present them at stupendous prices. This first cask is the youngest of the three, but also the most vibrant. The color is a juicy pale gold (0.3). The nose is shiveringly good, offering zesty citrus and salt, briny oiliness, salted capers, tense sea spray, and fresh green peat. With air, it moves further into a pure, taut vibrancy. The palate is intense, with a strong citrus character of lime and salt, followed by more brine and a long, peaty finish. An absolute laser beam for serious lovers of the high-intensity style but it also has plenty of sweet barrel and a deep rich texture to keep it balanced. Signatory is not officially offering top tier malt year after year at prices that outperform the market by larger margins.