Lot presentation

Caol Ila 29 years 1980 Bladnoch Forum Hogshead n°4939 - One of 251 - bottled 2009

The wine

A Caol Ila 29 year old single cask (hogshead #4939) distilled in 1980 and bottled in 2009 by the Bladnoch Forum. The Bladnoch Forum was founded in 2001 by Raymond Armstrong after he bought the Bladnoch distillery to keep fans up-to-date with any news. In 2005, he began sourcing and bottling single casks available to members of the forum. The last bottlings were released in 2012, two years before Bladnoch was sold on. A limited edition of 251 bottles.

About the Producer Caol Ila

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.