April 2025 Auction

Dalmore Aurora 1964 Oloroso Cask 45 Year Old

Dalmore is undoubtedly the prize single malt in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio. This was not always the case though. The blenders purchased it from the Mackenzie family in 1960, having been long-standing customers. Due to the long-running importance of it to their blends, their distillery bottlings of its single malt were limited to a 12 year old expression. Nowadays however, it is positioned as a luxury brand, rubbing shoulder with the likes of Macallan, and is globally recognised.

This is the Dalmore Aurora, which draws its name from the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, which can occasionally be seen from the distillery. It was distilled in April 1964 and matured in a single Oloroso sherry cask for an incredible 45 years. Presented in a beutiful Glencairn crystal decanter and carbon fibre presentation box.

One of only 200 decanters.

Ardbeg 1967 Signatory Vintage 28 Year Old / Dark Oloroso Butt #574

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

This Ardbeg was distilled on 15th February 1967 and matured in single dark Oloroso sherry butt #574 for 28 years. The whisky was then bottled by Signatory Vintage in November 1995. A legendary vintage of Ardbeg, this bottling was awarded a stunning 96 points by WhiskyFun, one of the highest marks ever given to an Ardbeg!

Signatory Vintage were established in 1988 by Andrew Symington and are one of Scotland's most prolific independent bottlers. Their offices and bottling facility are located next to Edradour distillery, which they have also owned since 2002.

One of 488 bottles.

Dalmore 1967 Sirius 44 Year Old

Dalmore is undoubtedly the prize single malt in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio. This was not always the case though. The blenders purchased it from the Mackenzie family in 1960, having been long-standing customers. Due to the long-running importance of it to their blends, their distillery bottlings of its single malt were limited to a 12 year old expression. Nowadays however, it is positioned as a luxury brand, rubbing shoulder with the likes of Macallan, and is globally recognised. Independent releases like this are hard to come by.

A single cask, this was bottled by Sirius Whisky Purveyors. It was distilled in 1967 and then filled into cask number #2055 on February 24th. 

One of only 89 bottles produced. 

Ardbeg 1973 Kingsbury 27 Year Old

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

The rising demand for its product in the 1970s meant that Ardbeg was forced to stop using its own malted barley, instead buying it in from the neighbouring Port Ellen maltings. The result was a change in the style and profile of the distillery's whisky, and pre-1974 vintages such as this are incredibly sought after by connoisseurs and collectors alike.

Kingsbury are Japan's most sought after independent bottler. They were founded in 1989 by Eaglesome, the high-end deli in Campbeltown that was purchased by J & A Mitchell & Co of Springbank distillery, and turned into one of the region's finest whisky merchants. They initially bottled Kingsbury's exclusively for the Japanese market, before the label was acquired by native firm, the Japanese Import System. They have released a number of some of the most collectible whiskies, including some classic vintages from Bowmore, and two dark sherry casked Ardbeg.

One of only 228 bottles.

Ardbeg 1967 Signatory Vintage 30 Year Old / Dark Oloroso Butt #1138

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

The rising demand for its product in the 1970s meant that Ardbeg was forced to stop using its own malted barley, instead buying it in from the neighbouring Port Ellen maltings. The result was a change in the style and profile of the distillery's whisky, and pre-1974 vintages such as this are incredibly sought after by connoisseurs and collectors alike.

This legendary Ardbeg was distilled in March 1967 and matured in single dark Oloroso butt #1138 for 30 years. It was bottled by Signatory Vintage in March 1997.

Signatory Vintage were established in 1988 by Andrew Symington and are one of Scotland's most prolific independent bottlers. Their offices and bottling facility are located next to Edradour distillery, which they have also owned since 2002.

One of 580 bottles.

Ardbeg 1973 Samaroli 20th Anniversary

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest in blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

A 1973 vintage Ardbeg, bottled by R.W. Duthie for Samaroli in 1988 as part of a series celebrating their 20th anniversary.

Samaroli is perhaps Italy's most revered independent bottler of Scotch whisky. With an impeccable taste in single cask whiskies, and an eye for aesthetics (if not English spelling at times!), he is regarded by many as a visionary. Many of his bottles now occupy deserved sports on the pantheon of whisky greats.

The labels on this 20th anniversary series have been lovingly reappropriated from Samaroli's first ever series, his 1979/1980 collaboration with Cadenhead's. The image on this Ardbeg was first used on the 14 year old Glen Elgin from that set.

One of 375 bottles.

Ardbeg 1976 Single Sherry Butt #2397 

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997.

This whisky was filled into single ex-Sherry Butt #2397 on 4th November 1976 and bottled on10th June 2008.

One of only 519 bottles.

Ardbeg 1976 Single Sherry Cask #2398 / Feis Ile 2004

You wouldn't think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979, closing many of their other distilleries a few years later. Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era of oversupply when interest in blended Scotch was waning, resulting in the distillery closing down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. 

This Ardbeg was distilled in November 1976 and matured in single sherry butt #2398. It was bottled in May 2004 and made available to revellers at the Feis Ile festival on Islay that year.

Feis Ile, also known as the Islay Festival of Music and Malt had humble beginnings. It traces it origins back to 1985 and the establishment of The Islay Festival Association after it was realised that an event celebrating Gaelic, music and culture would drive tourism to the island. The inaugural event was two weeks of music, drama and workshops with ceilidhs, concerts and dances in the evening. The first whisky tasting took place as a festival event in 1990, and ten years later the island's distilleries began to be directly involved, organising their annual open days to coincide with it. Today it is one of the biggest events on the whisky calendar, annually drawing hundreds of revellers, and turning out an increasingly sought-after batch of limited edition whiskies like this.

One of 504 bottles.

Ardbeg 1975 Cadenhead's Single Cask #77/74-2

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

Wm. Cadenhead is Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, founded in 1842 by George Duncan. His brother William Cadenhead joined the company in 1852, taking over after George’s death in 1858. The company got into the whisky bottling business after 1904, when his nephew Robert Duthie took over, and since its sale to J&A Mitchell in 1972, Wm. Cadenhead has become on of the most sought after names in whisky.

These white-labelled Cask Strength releases are rare and sought-after single cask bottlings.

Ardbeg 1975 Single Oloroso Cask #4704 / Feis Ile 2005

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997.

This Ardbeg was distilled in December 1975 and matured in single Oloroso cask #4704. It was bottled in April 2005 and made available to distillery visitors during the Feis Ile festival on Islay that year.

Feis Ile, also known as the Islay Festival of Music and Malt had humble beginnings. It traces it origins back to 1985 and the establishment of The Islay Festival Association after it was realised that an event celebrating Gaelic, music and culture would drive tourism to the island. The inaugural event was rwo weeks of music, drama and workshops with ceilidhs, concerts and dances in the evening. The first whisky tasting took place as a festival event in 1990, and ten years later the island's distilleries began to be directly involved, organising their annual open days to coincide with it. Today it is one of the biggest events on the whisky calendar, annually drawing hundreds of revellers, and turning out an increasingly sought-after batch of limited edition whiskies like this.

One of 270 bottles.

Dalmore 1974 32 Year Old

Dalmore is undoubtedly the prize single malt in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio. This was not always the case though. The blenders purchased it from the Mackenzie family in 1960, having been long-standing customers. Due to the long-running importance of it to their blends, their distillery bottlings of its single malt were limited to a 12 year old expression. Nowadays however, it is positioned as a luxury brand, rubbing shoulder with the likes of Macallan, and is globally recognised.

An impressive limited edition, this was distilled in 1974 and matured for 32 years in a sherry butt. One of 780 bottles. 

Aberlour 44 Year Old Cellar Collection / Distillery Exclusive

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, built in 1879 by James Fleming after the original distillery of the same name was lost in a fire. It became the first distillery in the S. Campbell & Son portfolio when they acquired it in 1945, and produced fillings for their popular Clan Campell and White Heather blends. Production capacity was increased to meet rising demand for its spirit in 1973, and the following year the company was bought over by Pernod-Ricard who operated it under the Campbell Distillers before merging it with Chivas Brothers, which they acquired from Seagram in 2001. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, has greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after.

The whisky was aged for 44 years and is displayed in a classic wooden box.

One of just 42 bottles.

A.H. Hirsch Reserve 1974 16 Year Old Bourbon / 2003 Release

A legendary bottle of bourbon that has had a whole book written about itself: The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste by Charles K Cowdery.

Distilled in Spring 1974, this bourbon is bottled from a single 400 barrel batch commissioned by Adolph Hirsch and distilled under contract at Michter's distillery (then known as Pennco), just outside Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. Hirsch was a former Schenley executive who had briefly worked at Michter's during his time there, and it is believed he commissioned the whisky as financial favour to the distillery, and actually had little plans for its use. So, it lay ageing in the warehouses for much longer than generally expected for a bourbon at the time. 

With the closure of Michter's distillery, the bourbon was sold by Hirsch to Gordon Hue in 1989, who set about bottling it immediately.

Responsibility for the early bottling was entrusted to Julian Van Winkle III at his Old Commonwealth site in Lawrenceburg. However, his partnership with the Sazerac Company and creation of the Pappy Van Winkle brand in 2002, also saw bottling of the Hirsch Reserve moved briefly to Buffalo Trace. This is one of the Buffalo Trace bottles, filled in 2003 for the new owners of the Hirsch Reserve, Preiss Imports, who purchased it from Gordon Hue that year.

Preiss Imports moved the subsequent and final bottling (technically re-bottling) to Kentucky Bourbon Distillers' Willett facility.

In his book Cowdery refers to the bourbon as one of the \"best whiskeys I've ever tasted.\"

Mash bill contains 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley.

A. Hardy Perfection Cognac 75cl

A super premium cognac from A. Hardy presented in a beautiful decanter. 

The Hardy cognac house was founded in 1863 by an English cognac broker, Antoine Hardy.

1 of 300 bottles.

Ardbeg 1973 Douglas Laing 30 Year Old / Old and Rare - 51.9%

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

The rising demand for its product in the 1970s meant that Ardbeg was forced to stop using its own malted barley, instead buying it in from the neighbouring Port Ellen maltings. The result was a change in the style and profile of the distillery's whisky, and pre-1974 vintages such as this are incredibly sought after by connoisseurs and collectors alike.

This rare Ardbeg was distilled in 1973 and matured in a single cask for 30 years. It was bottled at natural cask strength in 2003.

Douglas Laing & Co was established in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, affectionately known as “FDL.” The company started out as a blending business, but over time their focus shifted towards independently bottlings single malts. Fred died in 1982, leaving the business to his two sons, Stewart and Fred Jr, who eventually carved it up in 2013, with Stewart leaving to establish Hunter Laing. Fred Jr and his daughter Cara now run Douglas Laing, which continues to bottle single malt and has also revived its blending business. Additionally, the company has recently moved into distilling as well, announcing plans to construct the new Clutha distillery in Glasgow, and taking over Strathearn in Perthshire in 2019.

This is part of the premium Old & Rare series. Launched in 2001, it was bottled by Douglas Laing until 2013 when the brand became part of the Hunter Laing portfolio instead.

One of only 94 bottles.

Ardbeg 1973 Douglas Laing 30 Year Old / Old and Rare - 51.9%

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

The rising demand for its product in the 1970s meant that Ardbeg was forced to stop using its own malted barley, instead buying it in from the neighbouring Port Ellen maltings. The result was a change in the style and profile of the distillery's whisky, and pre-1974 vintages such as this are incredibly sought after by connoisseurs and collectors alike.

This rare Ardbeg was distilled in 1973 and matured in a single cask for 30 years. It was bottled at natural cask strength in 2003.

Douglas Laing & Co was established in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, affectionately known as “FDL.” The company started out as a blending business, but over time their focus shifted towards independently bottlings single malts. Fred died in 1982, leaving the business to his two sons, Stewart and Fred Jr, who eventually carved it up in 2013, with Stewart leaving to establish Hunter Laing. Fred Jr and his daughter Cara now run Douglas Laing, which continues to bottle single malt and has also revived its blending business. Additionally, the company has recently moved into distilling as well, announcing plans to construct the new Clutha distillery in Glasgow, and taking over Strathearn in Perthshire in 2019.

This is part of the premium Old & Rare series. Launched in 2001, it was bottled by Douglas Laing until 2013 when the brand became part of the Hunter Laing portfolio instead.

One of only 94 bottles.

Dalmore 1981 Matusalem Sherry Finesse

Dalmore is undoubtedly the prize single malt in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio. This was not always the case though. The blenders purchased it from the Mackenzie family in 1960, having been long-standing customers. Due to the long-running importance of it to their blends, their distillery bottlings of its single malt were limited to a 12 year old expression. Nowadays however, it is positioned as a luxury brand, rubbing shoulder with the likes of Macallan, and is globally recognised.

Distilled on the 24th November 1981, this Dalmore was initially matured in American white oak bourbon barrels for 22 years, then finished for 6 years in Matusalem oloroso sherry casks from Gonzalez Byass.

A certificate of authenticity accompanies the bottle, signed by Richard Paterson.

One of 497 bottles.

Dalmore 1974 Matusalem Sherry Finesse

Dalmore is undoubtedly the prize single malt in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio. This was not always the case though. The blenders purchased it from the Mackenzie family in 1960, having been long-standing customers. Due to the long-running importance of it to their blends, their distillery bottlings of its single malt were limited to a 12 year old expression. Nowadays however, it is positioned as a luxury brand, rubbing shoulder with the likes of Macallan, and is globally recognised.

This addition to Dalmore's Rare and Prestigious series was distilled on the 15th April 1974 and bottled in 2008. It was matured exclusively in a Matusalem sherry butts from Jerez De La Frontera.

One of 948 bottles.

Ardbeg 1972 Douglas Laing 36 Year Old / 60th Anniversary

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

The rising demand for its product in the 1970s meant that Ardbeg was forced to stop using its own malted barley, instead buying it in from the neighbouring Port Ellen maltings. The result was a change in the style and profile of the distillery's whisky, and pre-1974 vintages such as this are incredibly sought after by connoisseurs and collectors alike.

This is a special edition Ardbeg, distilled in 1972 and matured for 36 years in a single hogshead. It was bottled by Douglas Laing in 2009 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the company. Released in June that year, the range also included a Port Ellen and two Macallans.

Douglas Laing & Co was established in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, affectionately known as “FDL.” The company started out as a blending business, but over time their focus shifted towards independently bottlings single malts. Fred died in 1982, leaving the business to his two sons, Stewart and Fred Jr, who eventually carved it up in 2013, with Stewart leaving to establish Hunter Laing. Fred Jr and his daughter Cara now run Douglas Laing, which continues to bottle single malt and has also revived its blending business. Additionally, the company has recently moved into distilling as well, announcing plans to construct the new Clutha distillery in Glasgow, and taking over Strathearn in Perthshire in 2019.

The Old Malt Cask series is one of the most established independent labels on the market. It was launched by Douglas Laing in 1998 and bottled by them until 2013 when the brand became part of the Hunter Laing portfolio instead.

One of only 94 bottles.

Dailuaine 1966 Cadenhead's 31 Year Old 75cl / US Import

The Authentic Collection was launched by Wm. Cadenhead in 1991, and included whiskies from several rare closed Scottish and Irish distilleries, bottled for the company's 150th anniversary. It would later go on to become a mainstay of their portfolio, as the cask strength alternative to the Original Collection, which replaced their famous \"dumpy\" bottlings in the early 1990s. The Authentic Collection is now the flagship Cadenhead brand, and one of the most recognisable independent labels on the market.

This 1966 vintage Dailuaine was bottled for the US in 1997.

Dailuaine was at a time in the 19th century, Speyside's largest distillery, and it was home to Scotland's first pagoda roofed kiln. That distillery perished in a fire however, in 1917. The newly rebuilt distillery was acquired by DCL (now Diageo) who used its \"meaty\" spirit as a filler for their many blends. As with most of the single malt operations in the Diageo portfolio, the Flora & Fauna release was Dailuaine's first ever distillery bottling. Its single malt had been available in the form of independent releases like this in the preceding years though.

Dalmore 1990 Single Pauillac Cask 31 Year Old #4 / Jacky & Leo

Dalmore is undoubtedly the prize single malt in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio. This was not always the case though. The blenders purchased it from the Mackenzie family in 1960, having been long-standing customers. Due to the long-running importance of it to their blends, their distillery bottlings of its single malt were limited to a 12 year old expression. Nowadays however, it is positioned as a luxury brand, rubbing shoulder with the likes of Macallan, and is globally recognised. 

This Dalmore was distilled in 1990 and initially matured in American white oak bourbon casks, then finished in single red wine barrique #4, sourced from a Premier Cru estate in Pauillac. It was bottled exclusively for Jacky & Leo. 

Daftmill 2005 Inaugural Release

Daftmill was granted a license to begin producing spirit in 2005, and has not bottled a single drop of that first distillate until now. This 12 year old expression is an unprecedentedly well-aged first release, and is a vatting of 3 casks, #02, #03 and #07, all filled in that first year of production.

Daftmill is a farm distillery, owned and run by the Cuthbert family, who grow all of the barley used in their whisky on-site. The distillery is only operational during the farm's quiet periods in mid-summer and mid-winter, sometimes producing as few as 100 casks per year. This first release is no heralding of an opening of the floodgates then, and future Daftmill releases should prove every bit as difficult to come by, and as sought after as this, the first. A true boutique product.

The Chariot barley used for this bottling was harvested in 2014 from the farm's Dam Park and Curling Pond fields. It was malted locally in Fife by Robert Kilgour & co, some of the last in fact, as that company has long since closed down.

One of just 629 bottles.

Ardbeg Lord of the Isles 25 Year Old

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997.

A highly sought after and iconic Ardbeg, released between 2002 and 2007. These are named after the 'Lord of the Isles' who ruled the Western Isles and parts of Argyll between the 12th and 15th Century. 

Ardbeg 1975 Douglas Laing 29 Year Old / Old and Rare

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

This whisky was distilled in 1975 and aged for 29 years.

Douglas Laing & Co was established in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, affectionately known as “FDL.” The company started out as a blending business, but over time their focus shifted towards independently bottlings single malts. Fred died in 1982, leaving the business to his two sons, Stewart and Fred Jr, who eventually carved it up in 2013, with Stewart leaving to establish Hunter Laing. Fred Jr and his daughter Cara now run Douglas Laing, which continues to bottle single malt and has also revived its blending business. Additionally, the company has recently moved into distilling as well, announcing plans to construct the new Clutha distillery in Glasgow, and taking over Strathearn in Perthshire in 2019.

This is part of the premium Old & Rare series. Launched in 2001, it was bottled by Douglas Laing until 2013 when the brand became part of the Hunter Laing portfolio instead.

One of 145 bottles.

Auchentoshan 1973 Sherry Cask 32 Year Old

Famed for its exclusive use of triple distillation, Auchentoshan is based on the outskirts of Glasgow and was owned for the duration of the 1960s by Tennents brewery. They sold it to Eadie Cairns at the end of the decade, who upgraded the site and began officially bottling it as a single malt. The distillery passed through the hands of Morrison Bowmore before becoming part of the Beam Suntory table today. Unusually, none of the Auchentoshan output is reserved for blends, meaning there has been a wealth of distillery bottled single casks and independent releases throughout the years.

This Auchentoshan was distilled in March 1973 and matured in a pair of sherry casks for 32 years. It was bottled in July 2005.

One of 480 bottles.

Ardbeg 2000 Single Oloroso Cask 21 Year Old #1565

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997.

This whisky was distilled on 23rd May 2000 and aged in single refill Oloroso sherry cask #1565. It was bottled in March 2022 and resulted in 555 bottles.

Eagle Rare 10 Year Old 101 Proof 1985

Eagle Rare is a historic bourbon brand, originally developed by Seagram's in an effort to capitalise on what it felt were the popular marketing motifs used by Wild Turkey. The produced these early bottlings at the Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, before the label was acquired by the Sazerac company in the 1980s.

The Four Roses distillery was built in Lawrenceburg in 1910 by JTS Brown & Sons. Known back then as the Old Prentice, it is one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive Spanish mission style architecture. It was re-opened in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition, passing into the hands of Seagram in 1946, who moved the production of their Four Roses brand there and eventually renamed the distillery after it. When Seagram was wound up in the early 2000s, the distillery and its brands were bought by Japanese firm, Kirin, who continue to produce Four Roses to great acclaim, as well as contract distilling for a number of other bourbon brands.

The Sazerac company moved production of th the Eagle Rare brand to what is now Buffalo Trace in 1992.

Domaine de la Romanee-Conti 1994 Marc de Bourgogne

From the internationally-acclaimed Burgundian winery, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, we present this Fine Bourgogne Brandy.

Marc de Bourgogne is a type of aged pomance Brandy from Burgundy, France. Using wine grapes as the base for distillation, the spirit (at this stage, a Marc or eaux-di-vie) is then matured in oak barrels for a minimum period of 3 years before bottling.

This brandy was distilled from grapes grown during the 1994 vintage, the spirit matured in oak barrels until being estate-bottled in December 2014.

Domhayn 2010 Cask DLNABK Spirit Drink / Inaugural Release

This is the inaugural release from maturation innovators Domhayn, an unprecedented single cask spirit drink hydrostatically-diffused in a cask submerged at the depths of Loch Ness.

Cask DLNABK, a small European oak cask seasoned for 12 months with a blend of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries, was filled with a 15 year old natural strength, unpeated, single malt whisky from the North East of Scotland. ​​​​​The cask was then lowered to the depths of Scotland's iconic landmark on Valentines Day 2025, sitting an incredible 214 meters (702 feet) below the surface. Under more than 280 PSI of pressure, the extreme conditions alter the spirit as the cask compresses - a phenomenon unseen in traditional maturation.

Samples of the spirit before and after submersion have been analysed using mass spectometry by the University of Oxford, demonstrating a decrease in sulphur molecules and an increase of those attributed to the cask itself.

The bottle itself features the exact coordinates where the cask lay on the loch floor, and is presented in a handmade, leather-lined, wax-cotton bag, produced in collaboration with Canadian fashion designer Charlotte McKeough.

This is one of only six bottles, and the first bottle of spirit drink made available from the brand's first submerged cask.

Ardbeg 1965 Gordon and MacPhail 17 Year Old / Mario Rossi Import

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest in blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997.

A very old vintage of Ardbeg bottled by Gordon & MacPhail as part of their Connoisseurs Choice series.

Distilled in 1965, matured for 17 years and imported to Italy by Mario Rossi Jr.

The Connoisseurs Choice label is one of the most recognisable independent bottlings on the market. It was initially created for renowned Italian importer, Edoardo Giaccone in the early 1970s, but became a mainstay of the core Gordon & MacPhail portfolio in 1979.

Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Fall 2024

Eagle Rare is a historic bourbon brand, originally developed by Seagram in 1975 in an effort to capitalise on what it felt were the popular marketing motifs used by Wild Turkey. Distilled at their Four Roses distillery, the recipe was devised by Charles L. Beam and was sold as a 10 year old with both a 90 and 101 proof version available. Seagram held ambitions beyond the drinks industry however, and in an effort to diversify their portfolio in the 1980s, they sold Eagle Rare along with the Benchmark brand to the Sazerac Company. They initially bottled it using barrels sourced from Heaven Hill, but later moved production to Buffalo Trace in 1992.

The 17 year old Eagle Rare was introduced in 2000, using bourbon distilled at George T. Stagg in the early 1980s. It has been released annually every year as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, a selection of whiskies collated and in some cases created to pay homage to the history of the company and its brands.

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years, eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

This is the 2024 release, distilled in the Spring of 2007.

Domaine De La Romanee-Conti Marc de Bourgogne 1960s-70s

From the internationally-acclaimed Burgundian winery, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti,​​​​​​ Marc de Bourgogne is a type of aged pomance Brandy from Burgundy, France. Using wine grapes as the base for distillation, the spirit (at this stage, a Marc or eaux-di-vie) is then matured in oak barrels for a minimum period of 3 years before bottling.