Scotland, Isle of Islay. Distillery operational. Owner: Diageo

Fully modernized between 1972 and 1974, Caol Ila escaped the wave of closures sweeping through the Scotch whisky industry in the early 1980s. A key component in numerous blends, including Johnnie Walker, Bulloch Lade and Black Bottle, Caol Ila remained for a long time overshadowed by its illustrious sister Lagavulin. Up until the late 1980s, its malt was available in 12 and 15 year old versions bottled by Bulloch Lade & Co. In the early 1990s, United Distilleries launched two ranges showcasing all of its distilleries, The Rare Malts Selection and Flora & Fauna. Four versions of Caol Ila would be bottled first (vintage and cask strength limited editions), followed by a 43% 14 year old. Note that a 1983 cask strength in the very short-lived Fauna & Flora Cask Strength range and, more importantly, a classic 15 year old sherry cask - The Manager's Dram - were also released. In order to relieve Lagavulin of the pressure on its stocks in the early 2000s, Caol Ila was officially released on the market in 2002 in the Hidden Malt range, alongside three versions of its malt, a no-age-statement cask strength (55%), a 12 year old, and an 18 year old, followed by a 1978 25 year old in 2004.

A single malt distilled in 1974 at the Caol Ila distillery in the north-east of Islay, owned by Bulloch Lade & Co. A distillation from Caol Ila’’s modern era, following the distillery’’s closure between 1972 and 1974 for major upgrading work. Bottled by the Elgin independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail in 1989 for the Italian importer Ferdinando Fiori. Neck topped with a gold screw cap and Italian tax strip. Note that this is broken due to the need to regularly tighten the cap, which comes loose with time, allowing the spirit to evaporate.