End Date : Mar 22 2023 08:00 PM
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Caol Ila 1983 - 2017. 33 Year Old. Bottled by Cadenhead's for their Gold Label series. Single Cask. One of 198 bottles matured in a Bourbon Hogshead. 70cl. 50.2%. In presentation box.
This whisky was one of over 150 bottlings released by Cadenhead’s during 2017, the year they celebrated the 175th anniversary of their founding in 1842, when George Duncan opened his original wine merchant and distillers agency business on Netherkirkgate in Aberdeen, and is part of an extensive collection of Cadenhead’s bottlings from a private vendor in this sale.
As you might expect for such a significant anniversary, all the stops were pulled out for the celebrations and some outstanding cask strength whiskies were bottled for the occasion over the course of 2017, the vast majority of which were single casks. These Cadenhead’s Gold Label Single Casks were issued with the tartan 175th Anniversary box and neck tag throughout 2017 before changing back to their original black boxes afterwards.

Founded in 1846, Caol Ila distillery was taken over by Diageo forerunner DCL in 1927. The distillery was completely rebuilt in 1972-74 and now produces over 6 million litres annually, much of which goes into Johnnie Walker. The widespread belief that Caol Ila is Islay’s most underrated distillery has become a truth so universally acknowledged that it may no longer be true, though it remains in the shadow of Bowmore and the south coast distilleries.
Official Caol Ilas were bottled sporadically before Diageo relaunched it as a single malt brand in 2002. A famous yellow label 12-year-old and a rare 15-year-old occasionally appeared under DCL’s Bulloch & Lade subsidiary from the 1960s onwards, and there was a short-lived Flora & Fauna 15-year-old in the late 1980s and a magnificent sherried 15-year-old Manager’s Dram bottled in 1990. Independent Caol Ila is abundant and always great value.

In 1842 George Duncan established a wine merchant and distillery agency business in Aberdeen. Duncan was joined in the early 1850s by his brother-in-law William Cadenhead, who took over the business after Duncan’s death in 1858, changing the company’s name to Wm. Cadenhead. When Cadenhead died in 1904 the company passed to his nephew Robert Duthie, who developed the spirits side of the business.
Duthie died suddenly in 1931, and employee Ann Oliver was put in charge of Cadenhead’s. Sadly, Oliver’s tenure ended in financial difficulty and on her retirement in 1972 the business was forced to sell its entire inventory. Cadenhead’s was acquired soon afterwards by J & A Mitchell, proprietors of Springbank distillery, who relocated the business to Campbeltown. Cadenhead’s has flourished under Mitchell’s stewardship, releasing many legendary single malt bottlings in the 1980s and 1990s and now has outlets in Edinburgh and London as well as Campbeltown.
BID | DATE | TIME | |
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£450.00 | 22nd March 2023 | 07:34 PM | |
