{"product_id":"caol-ila-14-year-old-2008-four-corners-of-scotland-collection-distillery-exclusive-islay-single-malt-scotch-whisky-2022-70cl","title":"Caol Ila 14 Year Old 2008 Four Corners of Scotland Collection Distillery Exclusive Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2022) 70cl","description":"\u003ch2\u003eCaol Ila 14 Year Old 2008 Four Corners of Scotland Collection Distillery Exclusive Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2022) 70cl\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLimited-edition Caol Ila here, released as part of the Four Corners of Scotland collection! This is of course highlighting the classic tastes of Islay. Originally a distillery exclusive, it was released at cask strength at 14 years old after a maturation in refill and freshly charred hogsheads.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTASTING NOTES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNose: \u003cspan\u003eMellow in feel, with light prickle. Clean and fresh throughout, with vaguely medicinal notes and the faint smokiness of an extinguished beach-bonfire always there behind them. The first impression is mildly medicinal, as with the aroma of an antiseptic cream. An elusive pastry note lies beneath on a base of freshly laundered linen. The medicinal notes increase in the development, then subside with water, which brings out a note of damp wool, like a freshly washed jumper.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePalate: \u003c\/span\u003eA smooth texture and a sweet start; clean, noticeably smoky and leaving a trail as clear as a lit gunpowder fuse. A shake of salt adds balance. The taste becomes sweeter with a splash of water, no more, when there is also light acidity and more salt. Surprisingly mild, compared to the taste at natural strength. And delicious.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinish: Long and pleasantly hot, while a last lightly charred, spicy note lingers in the aftertaste. With water, the heat subsides, and the spiciness lingers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout Caol Ila\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA perceptive whisky critic once called Caol Ila 'Mr Consistent'. It is a fair assessment. A powerhouse it might be in terms of volume, but Caol Ila always seems to manage to hit the perfect balance between maturity and distillery character, no matter whether it is in official or independent bottlings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaol Ila's distillery character manages to combine a fresh pear note, grassiness, a hint of juniper and distinct notes of the seashore – lobster shells, crab creels and gentle smoke. Although it receives the same spec of malt as sister distillery Lagavulin, Caol Ila’s distillation regime – longer fermentation, higher cut point, taller stills – helps to reduce the heavy phenols. Maturation for the single malt is in refill casks. The unpeated variant is equally delicate, with a fresh, estery and almost floral lift.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts importance for blends meant that, until 2002, when a 12-year-old was released, malt lovers had to seek out independent bottlings. Now there is a range including no-age-statement Moch, 18-year-old and 25-year-old, a finished Distiller’s Edition and annual special releases.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was in 1846 that Hector Henderson decided to build a small distillery in a tight bay next to Port Askaig, on Islay’s east coast. He named his venture Caol Ila, Gaelic for the Sound of Islay, the stretch of water which it overlooked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1857 Henderson was bought out by blender Bulloch Lade, which improved the site by building a substantial pier. It was absorbed into DCL (now\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/scotchwhisky.com\/whiskypedia\/2624\/diageo\/\"\u003eDiageo\u003c\/a\u003e) in 1927 and ran continuously until 1972, when the old distillery was demolished and a new, significantly larger one was built with six stills rather than two. This transformed Caol Ila into Islay’s largest producer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese were still the days before the single malt market had really taken off, and its make was destined for a huge array of blends across the whole whisky industry – most notably within its parent company, it filled requirements for Johnnie Walker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the downturn came in the 1980s, Caol Ila began running unpeated ‘Highland style’ for blends. Not only did it have capacity, but doing so allowed the distillery to stay open. Unpeated is still made every year, with volumes dependent on the forecasts of Diageo’s blending team.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2011, another major revamp took place with a new mash tun and more washbacks being installed, which resulted in capacity increasing to 6.5m litres per annum. During the silent period when contraction was taking place, Bunnahabhain made the peated requirements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2018, Diageo revealed plans to spend £150m on upgrading tourism facilities, including a new brand home for Johnnie Walker in Edinburgh, and improved visitor centres at Caol Ila, plus Clynelish, Cardhu and Glenkinchie, representing regional styles present in Walker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt Caol Ila, a new visitor centre will be created in the distillery warehouse, including a footbridge entry, new car parking and a bar with views across the Sound of Islay to Jura.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e53% ABV\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e70cl\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Caol Ila","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54227595493714,"sku":"CAOL14FOURCORNER2022","price":249.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1052\/9737\/9666\/files\/CaolIla14YearOld2008FourCornersofScotlandCollectionDistilleryExclusiveIslaySingleMaltScotchWhisky_2022_70cl.jpg?v=1786448635","url":"https:\/\/whiskysituation.co.uk\/products\/caol-ila-14-year-old-2008-four-corners-of-scotland-collection-distillery-exclusive-islay-single-malt-scotch-whisky-2022-70cl","provider":"Whisky Situation","version":"1.0","type":"link"}