Caol Ila 28 year old (The Single Cask) 1981

Distillery: Caol Ila

Region: Islay

Age: 28 years

Maturation Cask: not specified

Strength: 49.1%

Volume: 70cl

Bottler: Edition Spirits

Distillation Date: 1981

Bottling Date: 2009

Cask Number: 3537

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light golden.

Aroma: Strong, with bonfire smoke, oysters and clams.

Taste: Seaweed and leather with hints of apple.

Finish: Smoky with lingering leather.

The Single Cask is a new range by independent bottlers Edition Spirits Ltd. specialising in old and rare whisky. The range deals primarily with exclusive bottlings for private collectors and specialist retailers, with few brands and expressions made available to the wider public.

Hidden away on the north-east shore of Islay, facing the Paps of Jura, Caol Ila is known for being lighter than most Islay malts. A turbulent history of closures throughout the 20th century was resolved with demolition and rebuilding of a larger distillery in the 1970's, and since then expressions from Caol Ila have regularly rated highly in competition. The distillery also produces spirit that is used heavily in certain blends, in particular Johnnie Walker.

Caol Ila 9 year old (Wealth of a Nation) 2000

Distillery: Caol Ila

Region: Islay

Age: 9 years

Maturation Cask: not specified

Strength: 46%

Volume: 70cl

Bottler: Scottish Liqueur Centre

Distillation Date: 19/10/2000

Bottling Date: 17/7/2009

Cask Number: 309535

Tasting Notes

Colour: Light, slightly hazy.

Aroma: Peaty and floral, with apples.

Taste: Fruity, cooked apples and a kipper-like combination of smoke and sea.

Finish: Fruit gives way to lingering sea-smoke.

Hidden away on the north-east shore of Islay, facing the Paps of Jura, Caol Ila is known for being lighter than most Islay malts. A turbulent history of closures throughout the 20th century was resolved with demolition and rebuilding of a larger distillery in the 1970's, and since then expressions from Caol Ila have regularly rated highly in competition. The distillery also produces spirit that is used heavily in certain blends, in particular Johnnie Walker.

Bowmore 10 year old (NC2) 1998

Distillery: Bowmore

Region: Islay

Age: 10 years

Maturation Cask: Sherry

Strength: 46%

Volume: 70cl

Bottler: Duncan Taylor

Distillation Date: 1998

Bottling Date: 2008

Cask Number: tbc

Tasting Notes

Colour: Golden.

Aroma: Peaty with seaweed and a hint of vanilla.

Taste: Salty and peaty, again with traces of vanilla.

Finish: Medium finish of peat and seabreeze with continued vanilla presence.

NC2 stands for "non-coloured" and "non-chill-filtered" and as such bottlers Duncan Taylor proudly proclaim this range as "completely natural". Each cask in the NC2 range is matured at it's original distillery and hand-picked for bottling by Duncan Taylor.

Bowmore is the "capital" of the Isle of Islay, located on the shore of Loch Indaal, and it's distillery, established in 1779, is reputed to be one of the oldest in Scotland and the first (legal) one on the island. As with other Islay malts Bowmore displays the character of the famous whisky-producing island through it's peatiness and aroma of sea-spray.

Bowmore 13 year old (Wealth of a Nation) 1996

Distillery: Bowmore

Region: Islay

Age: 13 years

Maturation Cask: not specified

Strength: 46%

Volume: 70cl

Bottler: Scottish Liqueur Centre

Distillation Date: 1996

Bottling Date: 2009

Cask Number: tbc

Tasting Notes

Colour: Rich, dark copper.

Aroma: Fragrant peat mixed with sea air.

Taste: Sweetly peaty with hint of iodine.

Finish: Slightly smoky, very long and complex.

Bowmore is the "capital" of the Isle of Islay, located on the shore of Loch Indaal, and it's distillery, established in 1779, is reputed to be one of the oldest in Scotland and the first (legal) one on the island. As with other Islay malts Bowmore displays the character of the famous whisky-producing island through it's peatiness and aroma of sea-spray.