The Perfect Collection Part One

Aultmore 1990 Hart Brothers 10 Year Old

Aultmore distillery was procured by John Dewar & Sons in 1925. So key is it to their blends, that it has been part of their outfit ever since, and has rarely been bottled as an official single malt. United Distillers included in the Flora & Fauna range of the 1990s, but it was not until after Bacardi acquired Dewar's in 1998 that the distillery's excellent spirit was rewarded with its own fully fledged single malt brand. Thankfully, casks have always been made available for independent bottlings like this

This is an independent bottling however, distilled in 1990 and bottled by Hart Brothers as a 10 year old.

The Hart Brothers bottling company was founded in 1964 when Iain and Donald Hart incorporated as a wine and spirit merchant and Scotch whisky blenders. They have been bottling independent single malts since the 1980s.

Aberlour 1989 Scottish Millennium Celebrations 

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, owned nowadays by Pernod Ricard. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after.

The Scottish Millennium Celebrations releases were bottled from a series of specially reserved 1989 vintage hogsheads, for a variety of private individuals and companies. They were all bottled in 1999 to commemorate the turn of the century.

Aberlour 1989 Scottish Millennium Celebrations 75cl / US Import

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, owned nowadays by Pernod Ricard. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after.

The Scottish Millennium Celebrations releases were bottled from a series of specially reserved 1989 vintage hogsheads, for a variety of private individuals and companies. They were all bottled in 1999 to commemorate the turn of the century.

Aberlour 1989 Scottish Millennium Celebrations 75cl / US Import

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, owned nowadays by Pernod Ricard. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after.

The Scottish Millennium Celebrations releases were bottled from a series of specially reserved 1989 vintage hogsheads, for a variety of private individuals and companies. They were all bottled in 1999 to commemorate the turn of the century.

Arran Single Malt 75cl / US Import

Although the Isle of Arran was once a hot-bed of distilling activity, there were no distilleries on the island for the majority of the 19th and 20th centuries. Arran distillery opened in 1995, and quickly became a firm favourite. They bottled their first single malt in 1998, a limited edition 3 year old in a glass decanter. Today the distillery also produces a peated single malt called Machrie Moor, and their parent company have opened a second distillery called Lagg on the other side of the island.

The Arran Founder's Reserve was released in 2001, with this no-age statement single malt following shortly afterwards. Both are a fine examples of single malt from what was then a very young distillery.

Arran Single Malt

Although the Isle of Arran was once a hot-bed of distilling activity, there were no distilleries on the island for the majority of the 19th and 20th centuries. Arran distillery opened in 1995, and quickly became a firm favourite. They bottled their first single malt in 1998, a limited edition 3 year old in a glass decanter. Today the distillery also produces a peated single malt called Machrie Moor, and their parent company have opened a second distillery called Lagg on the other side of the island.

The Arran Founder's Reserve was released in 2001, with this no-age statement single malt following shortly afterwards. Both are a fine examples of single malt from what was then a very young distillery.

Aultmore 12 Year Old John and Robert Harvey 1980s

Built in 1896 by Alexander Edward, Aultmore distillery was procured by John Dewar & Sons in 1923. They joined DCL two years later. So key is it to the Dewar's blends, that it has been part of their outfit ever since, and has rarely been bottled as an official single malt. United Distillers included it in the Flora & Fauna range of the 1990s, but it was not until after Bacardi acquired the Dewar's brand and associated distilleries in 1998 that Aultmore's excellent spirit was rewarded with a permanent range. 

Despite being synonymous with Dewar's, DCL actually licesned the distillery to John and Robert Harvey, another of the blendersin their portfolio. They produced these occasional bottlings in the 1970s and 1980s, and they are very rare. This is from the latter decade. The Flora & Fauna was the fisrt distillery bottling, when the license was returned in 1991.

Aberlour 1989 Scottish Millennium Celebrations

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, owned nowadays by Pernod Ricard. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after.

The Scottish Millennium Celebrations releases were bottled from a series of specially reserved 1989 vintage hogsheads, for a variety of private individuals and companies. They were all bottled in 1999 to commemorate the turn of the century.

Waitrose 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt

A mystery Islay single malt, aged 12 years and bottled for upmarket UK supermarket chain, Waitrose.

Waitrose 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt

A mystery Islay single malt, aged 12 years and bottled for upmarket UK supermarket chain, Waitrose.

Waitrose 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt

A mystery Islay single malt, aged 12 years and bottled for upmarket UK supermarket chain, Waitrose.

Waitrose 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt

A mystery Islay single malt, aged 12 years and bottled for upmarket UK supermarket chain, Waitrose.

Aberlour 5 Year Old 1980s / Ramazzoti Import

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, owned nowadays by Pernod Ricard. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after. 

This is a bottling for the Italian market, in the form of a youthful 5 year old age-statement that was the market preference. The Italian love of younger single malt was the discovery of Armando Giovinetti, the agent for Glen Grant in the 1960s. He, correctly, hypothesised that the lighter flavours of a 5 year old malt would be better suited to the grappa-loving palate of his countrymen, and the contined success of the Glen Grant 5 year old there today is testament to his foresight.

Auchentoshan 12 Year Old 1980s

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 is a Morrison Bowmore era bottling of the 12 year old.

Auchentoshan Select 75cl / US Import

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. 

Prior to the launch of the Three Wood, this was the introductory single malt from Authentoshan. The Select was moved to their duty free range in 2008 before it was eventually discontinued.

Whitfield's Highland Malt 75cl / US Import

Whitfield's is a single malt brand produced by the Charles H. Julian company using whisky from undisclosed sources.

Charles H. Julian is one of the most important figures in the history of Scotch whisky, having composed the Cutty Sark blend for Berry Brothers & Rudd, the J&B blend, and later the Chivas Regal 12 year old for Seagram. He eventually struck out on his own, starting the Charles H. Julian company. It is best known for its Excalibur blend, and was eventually incorporated by his successors in 1995, seeing it later sold to the Lockwood family in Essex. 

Aberlour 10 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, owned nowadays by Pernod Ricard. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after. 

The Aberlour 10 year old has been a staple of the distillery's core range since the 1980s.

Aberlour 10 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, owned nowadays by Pernod Ricard. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after. 

The Aberlour 10 year old has been a staple of the distillery's core range since the 1980s.