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Sees a healthy jumble of diverse expressions, from a never ending streamĬAOL ILA DISTILLERY: ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKYĬaol Ila's distillery character manages to combine aįresh pear note, grassiness, a hint of juniper and distinct notes of the
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Perhaps these ultra-lean modern examples aren’t as majestic as theirġ960s counterparts, but then again, few spirits on this whole planet are. What’s more, it’s one of thoseĮxtremely rare names that have always sheltered quality from the first knownīottled examples hailing from the old distillery, right through to the presentĭay make. Love its punchy, distillate-forward style. Seems to manage to hit the perfect balance between maturity and distilleryĬharacter, no matter whether it is in official or independent bottlings.Ĭaol Ila is an interesting phenomena where a ‘brand’ isĪ victim of the twin forces of its own ubiquity and quality. The largest distillery on Islay in terms of volume, Caol Ila always
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What ever you say, the fine, smoky whisky produced by generations of islanders is worth exploring.Ĭaol Ila is often termed 'Mr Consistent'. For some, the distillery’s pronunciation is as remote as its location, sitting as it does on the rugged eastern coast, where it has remained hidden from view since 1846. Richard Campbell leases the distillery to Norman Buchananīuchanan goes bankrupt, and J&K.Caol Ila, pronounced “ Cul-EE-lah” is the Gaelic name for the Sound of Islay, which separates the island from Jura. Small Isles Distillery is founded on the Isle of Jura by Archibald Campbell Further expressions, including Jura Time and Jura Tide, have been launched into travel retail.
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In 2018, Jura underwent a radical revamp, introducing a completely new range of whiskies with a lightly smoky character, from the entry-level NAS expression Jura Journey through 10-, 12- and 18-year-old malts, plus Jura Seven Wood. The start of peating saw some smoky whisky being included in the no-age Superstition brand, launched in 2002, while a 100% smoked Prophecy was released in 2009. It began being sold as single malt in 1974, and the range has grown steadily since. In 1985, Invergordon Distillers bought Mackinlay and from there the firms were folded into Whyte & Mackay. With financial backing from Leith-based blender Charles Mackinlay & Co, the famous designer William Delme-Evans was hired and a large, modern distillery was built which was further expanded in 1978 to its current size. Then, in 1963, two of the island’s landowners, Robin Fletcher and Tony Riley-Smith, decided to start whisky-making once more – predominantly as an incentive to stop any further decline in the island’s population.
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It was these economics which ruled Jura out of the distilling equation for over six decades. The cost in running a remote island site is always expensive, and a lack of direct transport to the mainland (all ferry traffic still has to go via Islay) also counted against its survival. The distillery went through a number of names: Craighouse, Small Isles, Caol nan Eilean, Jura, and various owners without garnering any great fame until 1901 when it was among many to close in whisky’s first great sales slump. There is debate as to whether there was a legal distillery in Lagg. Illicit distillation took place, but there was a legal site in the island’s only settlement, Craighouse, in 1810 licensed to the island’s owner Archibald Campbell. In the 18th century, it was reported that islanders made spirit from rowan berries, as well as using the bitter fruit to acidulate their whisky punch. Although the large southern Hebridean island of Jura has always been sparsely populated, it has a fascinating distilling heritage.
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