Caol Ila Unpeated Style – Diageo Special Releases 2015 17 Years Old 1997

A 17 year old unpeated Caol Ila bottled by the distillery, from 1997, at 55.9%. Caol Ila looks out across the Sound to the Paps of Jura. Port Askaig is a tiny settlement on the rugged east coast of Islay.

It was distilled clean and oily in the distillery's unpeated season, giving the unpeated style its clean shape. A tired refill cask added little but time, the make speaking clearly. At oxidative maturity aldehydes and esters lend orchard fruit while ellagitannins add a drying, structured grip. The spirit's lightness lets sherry, wine and bourbon casks all show through. Much of the spirit leaves the island by sea to mature on the mainland. The tall stills and a high cut give a lighter, cleaner spirit than the southern Islays. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits so many wood types. The cool Islay air gives a slow, steady maturation by the shore.

Bottled at a cask strength 55.9%, it is intense. Pear, lemon and a soft mineral note, with a waxy oak note. The palate is oily and clean, with a green citrus lift. A clean, oily warmth lingers with lemon and oat. This is a rare unpeated malt from Islay's largest distillery.