Caol Ila 22 Years Old 1996 Cask #795 (Kingsbury)

A 22 year old Caol Ila from the bottler Kingsbury, from cask 795, bottled at 55.3%, one of 191 bottles. Caol Ila is the quiet giant of Islay, vast yet refined. Long fermentations build the fruity, citrus notes that sit beneath the smoke.

It was made from medium phenol malt on soft Loch nam Ban water, for a smoke more elegant than heavy. A sherry cask gave dried fruit and a dark, nutty sweetness. At this oxidative, evaporative stage ellagitannins lend a polished, drying structure while slow oxidation brings waxy tropical fruit over a ghost of peat. The tall stills and a high cut give a lighter, cleaner spirit than the southern Islays. A gentle vanillin sweetness from the oak balances the coastal phenols. Its spirit also feeds blends such as Bell's and Black Bottle. A slow maturation in the cool island air keeps the spirit fresh and oily.

At a hearty 55.3% it carries real weight. Sea spray, smoke and a citrus lift, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Soft smoke and citrus sit behind the cask. A long, briny finish ends on lemon and soft smoke. This is an Islay malt that wears its smoke lightly.