Imperial 22 Years Old 1998 Cask #102829 (Elixir)

Imperial ceased distilling in 1998 and the buildings at Carron were demolished in 2013, so every remaining bottle draws on spirit laid down before that final silence. This single cask was filled in 1998 and bottled by Elixir Distillers at 22 years old, for its The Single Malts of Scotland range. Single cask number 102829 yielded 121 bottles.

Imperial's spirit was light and fruity, the Speyside character built for blending, which is part of why single malt releases stayed uncommon. This bottling matured in ex-Bourbon American oak. Across 22 years, the toasted staves released vanillin, which reads as vanilla, and oak lactones, which carry coconut, while the cask char filtered heavier sulphur notes from the spirit.

Bottled at 46%, the ex-Bourbon wood supplies furfural for toasted almond, eugenol for clove and warm spice, and maltol for a soft toffee sweetness. Recorded bottle notes run to citrus, honey, malt sweetness and vanilla. The long maturation draws tannins from the oak, drying the finish into clean wood.