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.

Hakushu Peated Malt Spanish Oak Kogei Collection / Kimono Edition

Hakushu was the third distillery built by Suntory, established in 1973 to shoulder some of the malt production burden for Yamazaki. The latter’s grain production had moved entirely to the new Chita distillery the year prior as well. Hakushu was built at the foot of the Southern Japan Alps, a location deliberately chosen by Suntory to provide a contrast to the style of spirit produced at Yamazaki. Interestingly, a second distillery was built in 1981 (referred to as Hakushu East) which has stills of varying shapes and sizes which are able to produce a wide range of distillate character. This is in contrast to the now-dormant old site (referred to as Hakushu West) which had 24 large stills identical in shape and size, but only capable of producing one particular style of distillate. The first Hakushu single malt was bottled in 1994.

Released in 2024 alongside a similar Yamazaki expression, this Hakushu marks the launch of the Kogei Collection, a travel retail exclusive range from Suntory. Both expressions were distilled using peated malt sourced from distilleries on Islay, and matured in Spanish oak casks.

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 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.

Hine Triomphe Grand Champagne Cognac

A well-presented cognac from Hine in Jarnac, France.

In 1791 and at the age of 16, an Englishman from Dorset named Thomas Hine travelled to France to pursue his passion for cognac. His sense of historical timing however was disastrous, and after trying to flee the French Revolution he was imprisoned at the Château de Jarnac where he remained sequestered for several months. Fortunes turned in his favour however, and he later married Françoise-Elisabeth, the daughter of his hosts, subsequently taking over the running of the cognac production at the Château. With his product slowly gaining a positive reputation, he then renamed the brand after himself in 1817. Today Château de Jarnac remains the headquarters Hine, and it is one of the oldest buildings in the commune. In 1962 royalty came calling, with Queen Elizabeth II approving a royal warrant for Hine to supply the British royal household. To this day they are the only cognac house entrusted with such an honour.

Hine Family Reserve Grande Champagne Cognac

A well-aged cognac from the house of Hine, produced using grapes from the Grande Champagne region.

In 1791 and at the age of 16, an Englishman from Dorset named Thomas Hine travelled to France to pursue his passion for cognac. His sense of historical timing however was disastrous, and after trying to flee the French Revolution he was imprisoned at the Château de Jarnac where he remained sequestered for several months. Fortunes turned in his favour however, and he later married Françoise-Elisabeth, the daughter of his hosts, subsequently taking over the running of the cognac production at the Château. With his product slowly gaining a positive reputation, he then renamed the brand after himself in 1817. Today Château de Jarnac remains the headquarters Hine, and it is one of the oldest buildings in the commune. In 1962 royalty came calling, with Queen Elizabeth II approving a royal warrant for Hine to supply the British royal household. To this day they are the only cognac house entrusted with such an honour.

Hine Old Vintage Très Vieille Grand Champagne Cognac

In 1791 and at the age of 16, an Englishman from Dorset named Thomas Hine travelled to France to pursue his passion for cognac. His sense of historical timing however was disastrous, and after trying to flee the French Revolution he was imprisoned at the Château de Jarnac where he remained sequestered for several months. Fortunes turned in his favour however, and he later married Françoise-Elisabeth, the daughter of his hosts, subsequently taking over the running of the cognac production at the Château. With his product slowly gaining a positive reputation, he then renamed the brand after himself in 1817. Today Château de Jarnac remains the headquarters Hine, and it is one of the oldest buildings in the commune. In 1962 royalty came calling, with Queen Elizabeth II approving a royal warrant for Hine to supply the British royal household. To this day they are the only cognac house entrusted with such an honour.

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.

Highland Park 1989 Gordon and MacPhail 32 Year Old Batch #22/004

Highland Park was built by David Robertson all the way back in 1798. The distillery's relationship with blenders, Robertson & Baxter, saw it acquired by Highland Distillers in 1937, who were subsequently bought by Edrington in 1999, who run it today. The modern Highland Park single malt brand was first officially bottled in the 1970s, with the release of an 8 year old age statement, but distillery bottlings first appeared around the 1950s. The look of the brand has changed many times over the years, but its cult following and popularity has never diminished. It remains one of the most recognisable single malts in the world to this day.

Despite having produced occasional distillery bottlings for many years, Highland Park was one of several single malts that Highland Distillers licensed to Gordon & MacPhail, who produced semi-official bottlings as of the 1960s. This long-standing relationship with the distillery has furnished the company with a supply of high-quality casks, and subsequently, high quality releases over the years.

Distilled in 1989, this was matured in a refill sherry butt and bottled in December 2021.

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.

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.

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.

Hennessy VS Cognac NBA Collector Edition

When the Irish Jacobite, Richard Hennessy, founded a distillery in 1765, he could not have possibly foreseen the scale to which his fledgling business would grow. Hennessy found himself in the right place at the right time as trade in alcoholic spirits was booming, extremely popular not only with the French but also with many people within the British Empire. In addition, Hennessy and the other cognac producers at the time also benefitted from rum shortages due to the Seven Years War. Fast forward to the 1970s and Kilian Hennessy, a fifth-generation descendant of Richard became the CEO of the family business. In 1971 she oversaw the merger of the business with French wine giant, Moët & Chandon, which created one of the biggest drinks companies in the world. The business was further strengthened in 1987 by the merger with fashion house, Louis Vuitton to create LVMH, however due to a managerial crisis the following year, Guinness (now Diageo) also came on board by securing a 34% share. Today Hennessy sell around 50 million bottles of cognac per year and account for more than 40% of the world’s supply.

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.

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.

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.

Highland Park 12 Year Old early 2000s

Highland Park was built by David Robertson all the way back in 1798. The distillery's relationship with blenders, Robertson & Baxter, saw it acquired by Highland Distillers in 1937, who were subsequently bought by Edrington in 1999, who run it today. The modern Highland Park single malt brand was first officially bottled in the 1970s, with the release of an 8 year old age statement, but distillery bottlings first appeared around the 1950s. The look of the brand has changed many times over the years, but its cult following and popularity has never diminished. It remains one of the most recognisable single malts in the world to this day.

This classic bottling was whisky author Michael Jackson’s favourite tipple. Presented in the bottle style introduced by Edrington in 1999 and used until it was redesigned in 2006.

Bowmore 2002 Signatory Vintage 13 Year Old

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 whisky was distilled on 2nd October 2002 and aged in two refill ex-Sherry casks for 13 years before being bottled on 10th November 2015.

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.

Bruichladdich 1992 Signatory Vintage 22 Year Old

Like its island neighbour Bunnahabhain distillery, Bruichladdich has traditionally been an un-peated single malt, mostly owing to its requirements by the blenders who owned it. The last of these was Whyte & Mackay, who eventually shut it down in 1995, deeming it surplus to requirements. They sold the distillery to Murray McDavid in 2001, who launched the peated Port Charlotte and heavily-peated Octomore single malts in 2006 and 2008. A recommissioned Lomond still also now produces the popular Botanist gin there.

This Bruichladdich was distilled on 21st October 1992 and matured for 22 years in hogsheads #3085 + 3086 before being bottled on 25th September 2015.

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.

Bushmills Black Bush 1990s

The Old Bushmills distillery in Northern Ireland is the world's oldest licensed whiskey producer, granted a license to distil whisky in 1608. The modern iteration of the distillery was built in 1885, following a fire. Old Bushmills was bought by the Irish Distillers group in 1971, giving them a full monopoly on the production of whiskey on the island, lasting until 1987 when Cooley was opened by the Teeling family. Diageo later bought the site in 2005, before trading it 9 years later with Casa Cuervo in exchange for a stake in one of their Tequila brands.

Black Bush was originally the slang name for Bushmills Liqueur, which became so ubiquitous that it only made sense to rename the product. This is a blend containing 80% malt whiskey matured for up to seven years in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks and American bourbon barrels.

Hibiki Japanese Harmony Master's Select

Suntory are one of the founding fathers of Japanese whisky, established by Shinjirō Torii in 1899 as a wine store in Osaka. The venture was hugely successful, and the company was renamed Kotobukiya in 1921, which built its first distillery three years later, Yamazaki. The distillery produced both malt and grain whiskies which the company blended together, releasing its first Suntory White Label in 1929, the resulting popularity of which saw the firm renamed after it 1963. Expansion in the next decade saw the company move its grain production to a new Chita distillery in 1972, and open a second malt distillery, Hakushu, the following year. Suntory today has a large stake in both the bourbon and Scotch whisky industry, but remains at the forefront of its native whisky market too.

This is Suntory's most popular blend, the Hibiki. Launched in 1989, it contains malt whisky from Yamazaki and Hakushu, and grain from the Chita distillery. It was developed by fourth generation chief blender Shinji Fukuyo with production overseen by third generation master blender and great-grandson of the founder, Shingo Torii, and is presented in a bottle with 24 facets representing the 24 seasons of the Japanese lunar calendar. The non-age statement Japanese Harmony was introduced in 2015, following the discontinuation of the 12 year old as the entry level to the core range.

The Master's Select is a travel retail exclusive.

Blair Athol 1988 Artist Collection #4 25 Year Old Batch #2

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 the 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, however the distillery has regularly provided casks to independent companies, many of whom have bottled some exceptional releases.

This Blair Athol was distilled in 1988 and aged in single second-fill sherry butt #6857. It was bottled by Signatory Vintage in 2013 as part of the LMDW Artist Collection series. The label features artwork by Albane Simon.

La Maison du Whisky, aka LMDW, was founded in 1956 by Georges Benitah and is now one of the largest whisky and rum importers and distributors in France, and known the world over. They opened their first shop in Paris at the legendary 20 Rue d'Anjou in 1968, importing their first Scotch malt whiskies in the 1970s. They are known for their expertise in not only Scotch, but Japanese whisky and rum too, and their collaborative bottlings, as well as their own independent labels like this one, are highly prized.

One of only 459 bottles.

Braes of Glenlivet 1979 Signatory Vintage 18 Year Old

Braes of Glenlivet was built by Seagram in 1973, who reportedly were seeking to replicate the quality of the neighbouring Glenlivet distillery. So much so in fact, that the distillery name needed to be changed to Braeval in 1994 to avoid any confusion between the two. Pernod-Ricard acquired the distillery in 2001 after Seagram collapsed, and promptly mothballed it until 2008. Occasional distillery bottlings have appeared since, but there has never been a permanent range, and most of its single malt has been bottled by independent labels like this.

This whisky was distilled on 29th November 1979 and aged in single sherry cask #9293 for 18 years. It was bottled at cask strength in October 1998.

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 468 bottles.