Caol Ila 16 Years Old 2006 Cask #6441 (Alistair Walker Whisky Company)

From the bottler Alistair Walker Whisky Company, a 16 year old Caol Ila, distilled in 2006, from cask 6441, bottled at 56.6%, one of 317 bottles. Caol Ila is an east coast Islay distillery on the strait facing Jura. The distillery was expanded again in the 21st century to meet blend demand.

Distilled in tall stills that lend the smoke an oily lightness, giving a clean, lemony peat. A sherry cask gave dried fruit and a dark, nutty sweetness. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (pear and apple) and a waxiness, the phenols softening to a coastal whisper. The cool Islay air gives a slow, steady maturation by the shore. A slow maturation in the cool island air keeps the spirit fresh and oily. A ferry crosses the Sound from Port Askaig to Jura and the mainland. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types.

At 56.6%, undiluted, it is bold and clean. A clean ashy smoke with lime and brine, with grape, honey and a floral lift from the cask. It is clean and coastal, the peat and lemon to the fore. A long, briny finish ends on lemon and soft smoke. This is the elegant, lighter side of Islay.