Ulf Buxrud's Rare Malts Auction

Inchgower 1974 Rare Malts 22 Year Old 75cl / 55.7%

The Rare Malts Selection was a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005. As with the Flora & Fauna series, they were often from lesser-seen single malt distilleries.

Inchgower was built in 1871 by Alexander Wilson, using equipment rescued from the disused Tochineal distillery nearby. When his family went bankrupt, the distillery was bought by the town council, who sold it to Arthur Bell in 1937. As you would expect, it has been a key constituent in the Bell's blend ever since. As with Blair Athol and Dufftown, Arthur Bell & Sons took an early interest in bottling its single malt, with official releases appearing from the 1970s. These disappeared when Guinness bought Bell's in 1985 however, and it was not until United Distillers launched the Flora & Fauna brand in 1991 that the former Bell's stable would receive distillery bottlings again. Nowadays important to the Johnnie Walker blend too, other official releases of Inchgower like this are rare.

Distilled in 1974 and bottled in September 1997, there were only two releases of Inchgower under the Rare Malts Selection.

Glen Albyn 1975 Rare Malts 26 Year Old / 54.8%

One of three closed distilleries in Inverness, Glen Albyn was rarely seen as a single malt with the majority of output being used in blends. Its owners in the very early 1970s, Mackinlay’s, were early fans of single malt bottlings though, and did produce a handful of official releases. Little was to follow when DCL (now Diageo) took control in 1972, with the next distillery bottling not appearing until these Rare Malts Selection were released over 20 years later. The distillery was one of many which the company closed down in 1983 after finding themselves overprovisioned.

The Rare Malts Selection was a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005. As with the Flora & Fauna series, they were often from lesser-seen single malt distilleries.

This was distilled in 1975 and bottled in May 2002.

Glendullan 1974 Rare Malts 23 Year Old / 63.1%

Glendullan became part of DCL (now Diageo) in 1925, and continues to be an important producer for their blends to this day. Production there was increased in 1972 following the opening of \"Glendullan 2\" next-door. Both sites ran simultaneously until 1985 when the original plant was closed, and Glendullan 2 became simply, Glendullan. The key outcome of this was that more spirit could be reserved for bottling as a single malt, with a 12 year old distillery bottling appearing in the 1970s. Several Rare Malts Selection and a Flora & Fauna release increased its presence in the 1990s, before the distillery became the US exclusive side of The Singleton banner in 2007.

The Rare Malts Selection was a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005. As with the Flora & Fauna series, they were often from lesser-seen single malt distilleries.

This one was distilled in 1974 and bottled in May 1998.

Benromach 1978 Rare Malts 19 Year Old / 63.8%

The Rare Malts Selection was a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005. As with the Flora & Fauna series, they were often from lesser-seen single malt distilleries.

This Benromach was distilled in 1978 and bottled in May 1998.

Benromach distillery in Speyside was built at the end of the 19th century, and spent much of the next providing malt for the blends of its owners, who included Macdonald Greenlees, Joseph Hobbs and latterly, DCL (now Diageo), who were the first to produce a distillery bottling of its single malt as part of this Rare Malts Selection. DCL closed the distillery in 1983, selling it to current proprietors, Gordon & MacPhail, ten years later. They then had to spend the next five rebuilding it from scratch, as little remained other than the shell of the buildings. It has since become a well-regarded and widely distributed single malt.

Glendullan 1972 Rare Malts 23 Year Old 75cl / 62.43% - US Import

The Rare Malts Selection was a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005. As with the Flora & Fauna series, they were often from lesser-seen single malt distilleries.

This Glendullan was distilled in 1972 and aged for 23 years.

Glendullan became part of DCL (now Diageo) in 1925, and continues to be an important producer for their blends to this day. Production there was increased in 1972 following the opening of \"Glendullan 2\" next-door. Both sites ran simultaneously until 1985 when the original plant was closed, and Glendullan 2 became simply, Glendullan. The key outcome of this was that more spirit could be reserved for bottling as a single malt, with a 12 year old distillery bottling appearing in the 1970s. Several Rare Malts Selections and a Flora & Fauna release increased its presence in the 1990s, before the distillery became the US exclusive side of The Singleton banner in 2007.

Glen Mhor 1979 Rare Malts 22 Year Old / 61.0%

Glen Mhor was one of three distilleries based in Inverness along with Millburn and Glen Albyn, all of which closed within two years of each other. Glen Mhor was one of the earlier, in 1983, and it was demolished just three years later. A historically significant malt, this was just a small two still operation, but was bottled both as a single malt in the late 19th and early 20th century, as well as making its way into high profile blends such as the one discovered in ice under Ernest Shackleton's hut. The owners for the majority of its history were Charles Mackinlay & Co, who produced several official releases for the emerging Italian single malt market in the late 1960s, but this stopped when DCL took over 1972. They licensed the brand to Gordon & MacPhail until its closure, and Diageo later included it in this Rare Malts Selection series, all of which remain rare and increasingly sought after.

The Rare Malts Selection was a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005. As with the Flora & Fauna series, they were often from lesser-seen single malt distilleries.

This was distilled 1979 and bottled in October 2001.

North Port 1979 Rare Malts 20 Year Old / 61.2%

The Rare Malts Selection was a historic selection of single malt whiskies from operational and lost distilleries that were released by Diageo between 1995 and 2005. As with the Flora & Fauna series, they were often from lesser-seen single malt distilleries.

The Brechin distillery was built in 1820 by the Guthrie family, who changed its named to North Port at some point later that century. It was acquired by DCL (now Diageo) in 1922, who closed it down six years later. Production briefly resumed for two years before the war, but it was not until 1945 that regular distilling recommenced. North Port was one of the nine distilleries closed by DCL in 1983 after a market downturn meant their blends were oversupplied. It never re-opened and the site now houses a supermarket. Its single malt is very rare, and was never officially bottled in its lifetime. Diageo have produced only a handful of limited edition distillery bottlings, the first of which were in the Rare Malts Selection. 

Distilled in 1979, this is one of three North Port in the series.