Caol Ila 21 Years Old 1996 Cask #791 (Kingsbury)

A 21 year old Caol Ila from the bottler Kingsbury, from cask 791, bottled at 56%, one of 247 bottles. Caol Ila has been bottled at every age from young and fierce to old and waxy. The distillery was expanded again in the 21st century to meet blend demand.

Drawn off a high cut from peated barley, shaping the lighter side of Islay. Years in ex-Bourbon wood lent a soft vanilla and a coastal calm. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (pear and apple) and a waxiness, the phenols softening to a coastal whisper. Maturation by the sea gives the malt its mineral, sea spray character. The spirit's lightness lets sherry, wine and bourbon casks all show through. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types. Tall stills and a clean cut give the spirit its oily, lemony lightness. The peat here is medium rather than heavy, so fruit and smoke share the glass.

At a natural 56% it is full and oily. A smoky, briny coastal character, with a creamy oak note. Soft smoke and citrus sit behind the cask. A long, coastal finish carries a peaty warmth. This is one of the most versatile of the Islay malts.