April 2025 Auction

Bowmore Legend pre-2007

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

Legend was a youthful non-age statement release, added to the core range in 1994 and produced until 2015 when it was replaced by the Small Batch Reserve.

Ben Nevis 10 Year Old pre-2016

Ben Nevis distillery was built by \"Long\" John MacDonald in 1825, and was so popular by the end of the 19th century that at one point the estate employed over 200 people. After a series of closure and re-openings at the beginning of the 20th, it was eventually bought by former Canadian bootlegger, Joseph Hobbs. He installed a coffey still there in 1955, making Ben Nevis Scotland's first dual-operation distillery, and began to blend its malt and grain before filling it to cask. Sporadic closures again followed Hobb's death, with stability finally ensured in 1989 when it was bought by long-term customers, Nikka Whisky of Japan. Its turbulent history means there were few distillery bottlings until the launch of this 10 year old single malt in 1996.

This was the longest serving version of the 10 year old expression. It was updated and repackaged in 2016 and again 2021.

Ichiro's Malt and Grain Symphony Allegro Single Cask #14915 / Spirits Of Salud

The Ichiro's Malt brand is produced by Japanese firm, Venture Whisky, and is named after their founder, Ichiro Akuto. Venture Whisky was established in 2004 after Ichiro acquired the remaining unblended stocks of single malt from his grandfather's Hanyu distillery. Ichiro's Malt was born the following year, with the release of the original 'Card' series single casks of Hanyu. The company then opened its own distillery in 2008, the increasingly sought-after Chichibu. In addition to bottling these two single malts, the Ichiro's Malt brand has also produced a number of sought after blended whiskies like this over the years.

This blended single cask whisky was matured in single cask #12132 and finished in a first-fill sherry hogshead. It was bottled exclusively for Spirits of Salud in 2024 as part of the Symphony series.

One of only 270 bottles.

Benriach Peated Quarter Casks

Benriach is a distillery with long-standing transatlantic connections. It was procured by Seagram in 1978, the former Canadian drinks empire, and is now in the hands of the Brown-Forman corporation, via Billy Walker who rescued it from a brief mothballing in 2002. Walker bottled some of the peated whisky that Seagram had begun producing there for its blends in 1983, and the positive reaction to these means the distillery now produces both a peated and unpeated single malt. Benriach is one of only seven distilleries in Scotland to still operate its own in-house floor maltings.

This is a peated Benriach matured exclusively in quarter casks.

Bowmore 22 Year Old Masters Selection Edition #3 / Aston Martin

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1995. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year prior (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

This 2022 edition was bottled in collaboration with high-end British car manufacturer Aston Martin, overseen by Master Blender Ron Welsh and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman.

The whisky itself has been matured for 22 years in a combination of Oloroso and first-fill Pedro Ximénez casks.

Ichiro's Malt and Grain Symphony Allegro Single Cask #14915 / Spirits Of Salud

The Ichiro's Malt brand is produced by Japanese firm, Venture Whisky, and is named after their founder, Ichiro Akuto. Venture Whisky was established in 2004 after Ichiro acquired the remaining unblended stocks of single malt from his grandfather's Hanyu distillery. Ichiro's Malt was born the following year, with the release of the original 'Card' series single casks of Hanyu. The company then opened its own distillery in 2008, the increasingly sought-after Chichibu. In addition to bottling these two single malts, the Ichiro's Malt brand has also produced a number of sought after blended whiskies like this over the years.

This blended single cask whisky was matured in third-fill bourbon barrel #14915 and finished in an ex-peated cask. It was bottled exclusively for Spirits of Salud in 2024 as part of the Symphony series.

One of only 240 bottles.

Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask

Balvenie was built by William Grant in 1892 and remains part of his family's company to this day. In the early part of its history, its purpose was primarily for the provision of malt for Grant's blends, however following the global success of Glenfiddich, the Balvenie single malt brand was launched in 1973. It remained a rarity though, and it was not until the opening of Kininvie in 1990, and later Ailsa Bay in Girvan, that the distillery was given the freedom to focus on its single malt. Today it is one of the best recognised brands in the world. In 1993 they launched the 12 year old \"DoubleWood,\" an expression credited with pioneering the use of cask-finishing, and this has become a key motif for the distillery's output in recent times.

This brilliant Balvenie was matured for 14 years prior to a finishing period in Caribbean rum casks.

Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask

Balvenie was built by William Grant in 1892 and remains part of his family's company to this day. In the early part of its history, its purpose was primarily for the provision of malt for Grant's blends, however following the global success of Glenfiddich, the Balvenie single malt brand was launched in 1973. It remained a rarity though, and it was not until the opening of Kininvie in 1990, and later Ailsa Bay in Girvan, that the distillery was given the freedom to focus on its single malt. Today it is one of the best recognised brands in the world. In 1993 they launched the 12 year old \"DoubleWood,\" an expression credited with pioneering the use of cask-finishing, and this has become a key motif for the distillery's output in recent times.

This brilliant Balvenie was matured for 14 years prior to a finishing period in Caribbean rum casks.

Bosford Dry London Gin 1950s

A bottle of Bosford's Dry London gin which hails from the mid 20th century. The gin was produced in Italy by Martinni & Rossi according to the recipe of  Mr D Collins and Mr K V Bryant of London.

Inchgower 12 Year Old De Luxe 1980s

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 are rare.

This is an early 1980s bottling from the the Arthur Bell & Sons era.

Burnside 1996 Whisky Taste

Burnside is the name given to a certain blend of single malts distilled in Speyside by William Grant & Sons when sold in bulk, appearing occasionally on independent bottlings like this. The trademark for bottled whisky named Burnside is still owned by J&A Mitchell & Co, who’s Eaglesome subsidiary released several Springbank expressions labelled as such in the 1980s and early 1990s.

This 'Burnside' was distilled in 1996 and matured in single hogshead #1. It was bottled by Whisky Taste in January 2020.

One of 309 bottles.

Ballantine's 30 Year Old Scotch Whisky 1980s / Spirit Import

Currently produced by Pernod-Ricard as part of its Chivas Brothers arm, Ballantine's is one of the top three best-selling blends in the world. The brand's origins date back to 1827 when George Ballantine established a wine and spirits shop in Edinburgh, moving into the whisky blending business in 1865. The flagship Ballantine's Finest was first launched in 1910. Its popularity caught the eye of Canadian distilling giants, Hiram Walker, in 1936. They were cash-rich having capitalised on US prohibition in the previous decade and were looking to make a move into the Scotch industry, also acquiring the Miltonduff and Glenburgie distilleries. Today the Ballantine's name is still so strong that Chivas Brothers market both of their single malts under its brand.

Bunnahabhain 1991 The Whisky Cask 21 Year Old 

An austere piece of Victorian architecture on the north-east coast of Islay, Bunnahabhain is a relative outsider on the island, traditionally known for producing an un-peated single malt. The majority of this was used for blending, as was its initial intended purpose. The distillery was shut for 2 years in 1982 following the market downturn of the period, and despite being revived at low production, it was eventually officially bottled as a single malt later that decade, with the self-deprecating tag-line, \"the un-pronounceable malt.\"

Distilled in 1991 and matured for 21 years in bourbon cask. It was bottled in 2013.

Brora 1977 SMWS 19 Year Old 61.5

'An Islay by another name'

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) was founded in 1983 by a group of friends lead by tax accountant Phillip ‘Pip’ Hills as a private members club. The concept behind the society was to source casks from all over Scotland which would then be bottled and made available exclusively to its members. Perhaps the most famous feature of these bottles are the unique codes. Each distillery is represented by a different number and the following digits indicate that particular release. That same year, the SMWS set up its first location in Leith’s Vault buildings in Edinburgh where it still stands today.

This whisky was distilled in February 1977 and aged for 19 years.

Brora distillery (originally known as Clynelish) was built by the Duke of Sutherland in 1819. Prized by blenders, the distillery found itself in the hands of DCL in 1925 when they acquired shareholders, Ainslie & Heilbron and John Walker & Sons. DCL closed the distillery in 1967 after opening a new, larger Clynelish next-door, but re-opened the first site, now renamed as Brora the following year. Bottlings of the whisky it produced between then and its second closure in 1983 are now increasingly sought after. Official bottlings of Brora did not appear until 1995, long after its closure, but independent bottlings like this were produced from the late 1980s. In 2017 it was announced that Diageo planned to re-open this formerly lost gem, and the revived distillery filled its first casks on 19th May 2021.

Black and White Scotch Whisky circa 1950s / Amerigo Sagna Import

James Buchanan was born in Ontario, Canada in 1849, eventually moving to Scotland to work for blending agent, Charles Mackinlay & Co. In 1884 he struck out on his own, and the rest is history. Working with W.P. Lowrie, he created the inaugural Buchanan Blend, using Dalwhinnie, Clynelish and Glendullan, which was specifically designed to appeal to the English palate. It was such a success that it became the drink of choice in the House of Commons bar, and Buchanan renamed it after the institution. Better known by its distinctive monochrome packaging however, the affectionately referred to Black & White whisky became the brands official title in 1902. The company merged with John Dewar & Sons in 1915 to become Buchanan-Dewar, which in turn became part of DCL in 1925. It modern iteration, Diageo, still produce its blends today.

We estimate that this particular bottle dates from the 1950s.

Benriach 22 Year Old Dark Rum Wood Finish

Benriach is a distillery with long-standing transatlantic connections. It was procured by Seagram in 1978, the former Canadian drinks empire, and is now in the hands of the Brown-Forman corporation, via Billy Walker who rescued it from a brief mothballing in 2002. Walker bottled some of the peated whisky that Seagram had begun producing there for its blends in 1983, and the positive reaction to these means the distillery now produces both a peated and unpeated single malt. Benriach is one of only seven distilleries in Scotland to still operate its own in-house floor maltings.

This Benriach has been matured for 22 years and finished in dark rum casks. It was bottled in 2014.

Benriach 22 Year Old Dark Rum Wood Finish

Benriach is a distillery with long-standing transatlantic connections. It was procured by Seagram in 1978, the former Canadian drinks empire, and is now in the hands of the Brown-Forman corporation, via Billy Walker who rescued it from a brief mothballing in 2002. Walker bottled some of the peated whisky that Seagram had begun producing there for its blends in 1983, and the positive reaction to these means the distillery now produces both a peated and unpeated single malt. Benriach is one of only seven distilleries in Scotland to still operate its own in-house floor maltings.

This Benriach has been matured for 22 years and finished in dark rum casks. It was bottled in 2014.

Bowmore Bourbon Cask Matured / Feis Ile 2014

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1995. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year prior (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

This bourbon cask matured Bowmore was released at the 2014 Feis Ile, and was only available at the distillery. Matured predominantly in first fill bourbon casks, bottled on 16th May 2014. The bag interestingly suggest that this whisky was also matured first fill American oak bourbon barrels and French wine barriques.

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 1,000 bottles.  

Balblair 1993 Gordon and MacPhail 30 Year Old Batch #24/021

Balblair distillery is situated in the northern Highland region, currently under the ownership of Inver House Distillers and previously part of the Hiram Walker empire before it became Allied Distillers. Allied sold it to Inver House in 1996, who introduced this much-loved vintage-dated core range in 2007. They were produced for over ten years before being replaced by an age-stated core range in 2018.

This whisky was distilled in 1993 and aged in single Refill Sherry puncheon #1963 for 30 years. It was bottled in April2024 by Gordon & MacPhail as part of the Connisseurs Choice series.

The Connoisseurs Choice label is one of the most recognisable independent bottlings on the market, and this release follows the 2018 rejuvenation of the brand, which saw it reimagined as a premium single casks range.

One of 481 bottles.

Balvenie Classic 1980s

Balvenie was built by William Grant in 1892 and remains part of his family's company to this day. In the early part of its history, its purpose was primarily for the provision of malt for Grant's blends, however following the global success of Glenfiddich, the Balvenie single malt brand was launched in 1973. It remained a rarity though, and it was not until the opening of Kininvie in 1990, and later Ailsa Bay in Girvan, that the distillery was given the freedom to focus on its single malt. Today it is one of the best recognised brands in the world. In 1993 they launched the 12 year old \"DoubleWood,\" an expression credited with pioneering the use of cask-finishing, and this has become a key motif for the distillery's output in recent times.  

This is a non-age statement iteration of the Balvenie Classic. Like the Founder's Reserve bottlings from the same era, these were produced using now iconic cognac-style bottles, and are increasingly collectible.

First released in 1983, the Classic was one of the world's first whiskies to have undergone a secondary maturation, or \"finishing.\" In this case it was sherry wood. The expression was rebranded as the \"DoubleWood\" and switched to a 12 year old age statement in 1993.

Benriach 1986 Peated Single Cask 23 Year Old #3182 75cl / Binny's

Benriach is a distillery with long-standing transatlantic connections. It was procured by Seagram in 1978, the former Canadian drinks empire, and is now in the hands of the Brown-Forman corporation, via Billy Walker who rescued it from a brief mothballing in 2002. Walker bottled some of the peated whisky that Seagram had begun producing there for its blends in 1983, and the positive reaction to these means the distillery now produces both a peated and unpeated single malt. Benriach is one of only seven distilleries in Scotland to still operate its own in-house floor maltings.

Distilled in March 1986 and then bottled in October 2009 after finishing in Pedro Ximenez hogshead #3182. The cask was specially selected by The Plowed Society for Binny's Beverage Depot in Chicago.

One of 314 bottles.

Inchgower 2011 Auld Goonsy 13 Year Old

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 are rare, and it is with independent releases like this where it enjoys the prominence it deserves.

This Inchgower was distilled in May 2011 and matured for 13 years, initially in an American oak hogshead, then in single second-fill Oloroso cask #805697 for a further 12 months. It was bottled by Global Whisky in November 2024 under their Auld Goonsy label.

One of 302 bottles.

Benrinnes 2011 Auld Goonsy 13 Year Old

Until 2007, Benrinnes had a unique triple distillation process that resulted in a single malt highly prized by blenders for its distinct \"meaty\" quality. So much so in fact, that none was spared for an official distillery bottling until United Distillers introduced the 15 year old Flora & Fauna release. Thankfully, the distillery has always featured in the catalogues of independent bottlers, giving ample opportunity to experience this sought after single malt.

This Benrinnes was distilled in February 2011 and matured for 13 years, initially in an American oak hogshead, then in single second-fill Oloroso cask #300858 for a further 12 months. It was bottled by Global Whisky in November 2024 under their Auld Goonsy label.

One of 268 bottles.

Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year prior (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

Launched in 2015, this was the first ever single malt Scotch whisky to be finished in rare Japanese Miunara oak.

One of 2,000 bottles. 

Blanton's Straight from the Barrel dumped 2006 #548 / Suddeutsche Zeitung Magazin

Blanton's is a bourbon brand from the portfolio of Age International, the company formed by former Fleischmann's Distilling director's, Bob Baranaskas and Ferdie Falke. They had approached Schenley in the early 1980s with a view to purchasing its Old Charter brand, but were instead offered Ancient Age and the George T. Stagg distillery where it was produced. The deal was completed in 1983, two years before the retirement of George T. Stagg master distiller, Elmer T. Lee, who had served there for 36 years, working his way from the bottom up. One of his final pioneering triumphs before doing so was the introduction of mass produced single barrel bourbon, specifically through the creation of the Blanton's brand in 1984.

Normally a 6 to 8 year old bourbon, it is aged in Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace, which is the only metal-clad warehouse at the distillery, commissioned for construction by Albert B. Blanton, after whom the whiskey is named. The warehouse was built shortly after prohibition and, being metal, transfers heat quicker than brick warehouses, allowing for more rapid ageing.

The popularity of these products was particularly high in Japan, coinciding with a market boom for American whiskey there in the 1980s. In 1991, with Age International in some financial trouble, a Japanese company called Takaro Shuzo stepped in and acquired a 22.5% stake in the company. In an unusual series of events, they then scuppered a deal the following year that was to see the remaining shares sold to Heublein (a subsidiary of Grand Metropolitan). Their deal the year before had included a 30 day right of refusal to purchase the shares for themselves should they be put up for sale. With the deal all but done, the Japanese company stepped in on the final day of the window to acquire full control of the company. As it turned out, their only interest was in the brands, and they had used the 30 days to negotiate a deal with the Sazerac Company of  New Orleans. This saw the American company take ownership of the distillery (which they renamed Buffalo Trace in 1999), as well as the exclusive production and US distribution rights for the Age International labels. This is an arrangement that is still in place today.

This is a 2006 bottling of the cask strength Straight from the Barrel. Cask #548 was produced for Suddeutsche Zeitung Magazin.

Since 1999, every bottle of Blanton's has one of 8 different stoppers, each depicting a horse and jockey at a different stage of finishing a race. The designs are all lettered so that a complete set laid out side by side will spell \"BLANTONS.\" 

Please note due to the fragility of Blanton’s bottle seal and packaging, Whisky Auctioneer cannot accept responsibility for any damage and/or leakage during transit.

Bowmore 1971 Sestante 18 Year Old / 57.3%

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements. The unique microclimate in their iconic No.1 vaults shares very little with the angels, meaning casks are readily available for independent labels like this, many of which are spectacular.

A spectacular 1971 bottling of Bowmore which appears to have been matured in sherry casks, bottled by the renowned Italian importer, Sestante.

The Sestante import company was founded in the 1970s by Ernesto Mainardi, and he bottled his first single casks under the name in 1985. Alongside his contemporary, Silvano Samaroli, Mainardi pioneered giving his customers a choice of both standard 40-46% bottlings, and cask strength releases from the same casks. Along with his other brand, Silver Seal, Mainardi's bottlings are incredibly sought after.

This is one of two cask strength 18 year olds with this label, the other bottled at 57.1% ABV. This one was well reviewed by Serge at WhiskyFun, scoring an impressive 94 points.

Bladnoch 10 Year Old Flora and Fauna / Wooden Box

Following on from the successful introduction of the Classic Malts range in 1988 (at the time only six expressions), Diageo sought to build on this by releasing a further 26 single malts. These became affectionately known as the Flora & Fauna series, a term coined by whisky writer, Michael Jackson, in reference to their labels, and the range showcased the lesser-seen distilleries from the extensive Diageo portfolio at the time. A handful of these have become permanent distillery bottlings, but the majority are increasingly rare limited releases from this highly collectible series. 

Another short-lived Flora & Fauna, this was the final standard United Distillers release of Bladnoch before the distillery was decommissioned in 1993. Despite selling the distillery the following year, Diageo bottled some stock from the distillery as late as 2001. When they had sold the distillery to Raymond Armstrong in 1994, it was as a property, not a distillery, and had not included the warehoused stock or brands. Armstrong did not resume distilling there until 2000.

Bladnoch is a Lowland distillery with a turbulent history. For the majority of which it struggled to remain open, changing hands on many occasions. Among the its former owners were Inver House and Bell's, who changed the style of the distillery's production to meet their needs, meaning there is a great variety in the flavours of both the distillery bottlings and independent releases that have appeared over the years.

Bowmore Sherriff's 1970s / Emmepi Import

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

This is an incredibly rare Bowmore from the 1960s, still bearing the name of JB Sherriff & Co, who were proprietors from 1925-1950. This is an early 1970s bottling from the Stanley P. Morrison era, and one of several sought after releases bearing the Sherriff's name.

Balmenach 12 Year Old Flora and Fauna 

Following on from the successful introduction of the Classic Malts range in 1988 (at the time only six expressions), Diageo sought to build on this by releasing a further 22 single malts in 1991. These became affectionately known as the Flora & Fauna series, a term coined by whisky writer, Michael Jackson, in reference to their labels, and the range showcased the lesser-seen distilleries from the extensive Diageo portfolio at the time. Despite four further additions in 2001, only a handful of these are still permanent distillery bottlings, making this a highly collectible series.

Discontinued in 1997, this is one of the most desirable in the series.

Balmenach is a rarely seen single malt distillery in Speyside. It was built in the early 19th century and for the majority of the 20th it was owned by DCL (now Diageo). Its distinctive style made it highly prized by blenders, and little of it was spared for official distillery bottlings (only a Golden Jubilee decanter exists in addition to this), or independents for that matter. The distillery was closed in 1993 during the Scotch market downturn, but was revived in 1997 by Inver House who purchased it and resumed production. The focus today is still on provision for blends, and Inver House are yet to release a distillery bottling. It is however the source of the popular Carounn gin. 

Black Grouse Alpha Edition

Originally launched alongside The Grouse Brand in 1896, The Famous Grouse was the third blend registered by Matthew Gloag & Sons, following on from the Brig o' Perth the year earlier. Priced lowest, The Famous Grouse proved to be the most popular of the three, and was officially trademarked by the company in 1905. Today is has become one of the most recognisable brands in the whole Scotch whisky world, and under the ownership of Highland Distillers became the first blend to have its own visitor centre, formerly located at the Glenturret distillery. The brand passed from the Gloag family to Highland Distillers in 1970, and is now owned by Edrington. Despite having lost its spiritual home with the sale of Glenturret in 2019, The Famous Grouse remains as popular as ever.

The Black Grouse follows the original Famous Grouse recipe with the addition of more smokey, peatier malts. The Alpha Edition has even more of these - it's a turbo-charged Black Grouse.

Blair Athol 12 Year Old Flora and Fauna

Following on from the successful introduction of the Classic Malts range in 1988 (at the time only six expressions), United Distillers sought to build on this by releasing a further 22 single malts in 1991. These became affectionately known as the Flora & Fauna series, a term coined by whisky writer, Michael Jackson, in reference to their labels. The range showcased the lesser-seen distilleries from the company’s extensive portfolio at the time, with the intent of using collective branding to help them raise each other’s profiles. Despite four further additions in 2001, only a handful of these are still permanent distillery bottlings, making it a highly collectible series.

Blair Athol distillery is one of Scotland's oldest, dating back into the late 18th century. Its modern story begins when it was closed down by Peter Mackenzie in 1932, and was purchased by Arthur Bell & Sons the following year. Distilling recommenced in 1949, and with Blair Athol malt at its heart, Bell's became one of the world's best-selling whiskies. Despite its importance to the blend, Blair Athol was also bottled as a single malt under the Bell's banner in the 1970s and 1980s. New owners, Guinness, were less interested in this when they took over in 1985, but their subsequent iteration, United Distillers, brought a back distillery bottling with this Flora & Fauna release. Despite its popularity, Blair Athol has yet to be bottled under its own single malt brand. Other official bottlings from the Diageo era are very rare too.

Blair Athol 12 Year Old Flora and Fauna

Following on from the successful introduction of the Classic Malts range in 1988 (at the time only six expressions), United Distillers sought to build on this by releasing a further 22 single malts in 1991. These became affectionately known as the Flora & Fauna series, a term coined by whisky writer, Michael Jackson, in reference to their labels. The range showcased the lesser-seen distilleries from the company’s extensive portfolio at the time, with the intent of using collective branding to help them raise each other’s profiles. Despite four further additions in 2001, only a handful of these are still permanent distillery bottlings, making it a highly collectible series.

Blair Athol distillery is one of Scotland's oldest, dating back into the late 18th century. Its modern story begins when it was closed down by Peter Mackenzie in 1932, and was purchased by Arthur Bell & Sons the following year. Distilling recommenced in 1949, and with Blair Athol malt at its heart, Bell's became one of the world's best-selling whiskies. Despite its importance to the blend, Blair Athol was also bottled as a single malt under the Bell's banner in the 1970s and 1980s. New owners, Guinness, were less interested in this when they took over in 1985, but their subsequent iteration, United Distillers, brought a back distillery bottling with this Flora & Fauna release. Despite its popularity, Blair Athol has yet to be bottled under its own single malt brand. Other official bottlings from the Diageo era are very rare too.