The Perfect Collection Part One

Aberfeldy 19 Year Old Manager's Dram 1991

The Manager’s Dram series of whiskies were bottled exclusively for employees of what is now known as Diageo. These whiskies were selected by the respective distillery managers within Diageo malt distilling and bottled at natural cask strength. The selections were taken very seriously by each distillery, a point of principle, and the result has become a series of rare, sought after and highly regarded single malts.

The 1991 was release was turn of Aberfeldy distillery, and this was bottled on 20th October that year.

Aberfeldy distillery was built in 1896 by John Dewar & Sons to provide whisky for their famous blends. Although the capacity of the distillery was doubled in 1973, it was still rarely seen as a single malt, appearing only occasionally in limited releases like this while part of what is now the Diageo stable. It was only in 1999 that it was marketed under its own single malt brand, when a 12 year old was released by new distillery owners, Bacardi.  

Auchentoshan 1966 Single Cask 37 Year Old #1007 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.

This is a single cask bottling, distilled in the era of brewery ownership and bottled by Morrison Bowmore.

Hogshead #1007 was a 1966 vintage, bottled at 37 years old for the US market.

Old Elgin 1947 Gordon and MacPhail

Gordon & MacPhail is an Elgin-based family run business, established in 1895 and owned by the Urquhart family. They are perhaps best known for their independent bottlings of single malt, such as the instantly recognisable Connoisseurs Choice brand, and increasingly as distillers in their own right, having acquired Benromach distillery in 1993. The company also has a stake in the blending business though, and has produced a number of well-regarded products over the years. 

Old Elgin is a blended malt, named after the home of Gordon & macPahil, and the largest town in Speyside.

This was produced from a vatting of 1947 vintages, and bottled in the 1980s.

Auchentoshan 1966 

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 1966 vintage bottling, distilled in the era of brewery ownership and bottled by Morrison Bowmore in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

Aberlour 1963 Cadenhead's 27 Year Old 

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 27 year old Aberlour is one of a handful of bottlings that predate the original 150th anniversary releases. 

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. 

Aberlour 1964 25 Year Old

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 25 year old distillery bottling, distilled in 1964 and bottled in 1989. As with many vintage Aberlour from this period, the back label gives an interesting insight into what was happening in the world when this spirit was casked.

One of 10,000 bottles.

Auchentoshan 1966 Single Cask 31 Year Old #799 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.

This is a single cask bottling, distilled in the era of brewery ownership in 1966 and bottled at 31 years old.

Auchentoshan 1965 Single Cask 31 Year Old #2495 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.

This is a single cask bottling, distilled in the era of brewery ownership and bottled by Morrison Bowmore.

Hogshead #2495 was a 1965 vintage, bottled at 31 years old for the US market.

Auchentoshan 1965 Single Cask 31 Year Old #2495 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.

This is a single cask bottling, distilled in the era of brewery ownership and bottled by Morrison Bowmore.

Hogshead #2495 was a 1965 vintage, bottled at 31 years old for the US market.

Ardbeg Supernova Committee Release 75cl / US 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.  

Released in 2009 to members of the Ardbeg Committee, this original Ardbeg Supernova was peated to 100 ppm, at the time the peatiest Ardbeg yet.

This was an advance release for the Ardbeg Committee, a fan club that was officially launched in January 2000, loosely tasked with safeguarding the distillery from a return to its darker days of the previous century.

Ardbeg 1974 Gordon and MacPhail

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.  

This is a 1974 vintage from Gordon & MacPhail, bottled in 1997.

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.

Old Pulteney 1968 Gordon and MacPhail Single Cask #3251

The Pulteney distillery in Wick was built in 1826, and for a long time was the northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland. Acuired by John Dewar & Sons in 1924, the distillery was quickly forced to close down in 1930, as Prohibition in its hometown was enacted to attempt to curb drunkenness among its maritime society. When it re-opened in 1955, the majority of its output was reserved for blending, although Gordon & MacPhail were licensed to bottle a single malt by Allied Breweries (later Allied Domecq). Its single malt was known as \"Old Pulteney\" on their labels, and this tradition remained when Inver House, who acquired the distillery in 1995, released Pulteney's first distillery bottlings.

Although the standard licensed bottling of Old Pulteney from Gordon & MacPhail was an 8 year old, there have also been some spectacular vintage releases like this single cask, distilled in 1968 and bottled in 1999.

Oban 19 Year Old Manager’s Dram 1995 / 59.24%

The Manager’s Dram series of whiskies were bottled exclusively for employees of what is now known as Diageo. These whiskies were selected by the respective distillery managers within Diageo malt distilling and bottled at natural cask strength. The selections were taken very seriously by each distillery, a point of principle, and the result has become a series of rare, sought after and highly regarded single malts.

1995 saw the turn of Oban distillery manager, John Williams, who bottled this 19 year old from specially selected refill casks.

This is an rare version with a slightly different ABV from the bottle more commonly seen.

Oban is a small distillery, situated in the heart of the high street in the town after which it is named. Although its output is deliberately low in order to retain its character, it was one of the earliest players on the single malt scene, introducing a regular 12 year old release back in 1979. That release was eventually replaced with a new 14 year old expression in 1988 when the distillery was selected by United Distillers to represent the Western Highlands in the Classic Malts range.

Oban 19 Year Old Manager’s Dram 1995 / 59.24%

The Manager’s Dram series of whiskies were bottled exclusively for employees of what is now known as Diageo. These whiskies were selected by the respective distillery managers within Diageo malt distilling and bottled at natural cask strength. The selections were taken very seriously by each distillery, a point of principle, and the result has become a series of rare, sought after and highly regarded single malts.

1995 saw the turn of Oban distillery manager, John Williams, who bottled this 19 year old from specially selected refill casks.

This is an rare version with a slightly different ABV from the bottle more commonly seen.

Oban is a small distillery, situated in the heart of the high street in the town after which it is named. Although its output is deliberately low in order to retain its character, it was one of the earliest players on the single malt scene, introducing a regular 12 year old release back in 1979. That release was eventually replaced with a new 14 year old expression in 1988 when the distillery was selected by United Distillers to represent the Western Highlands in the Classic Malts range.

Aultmore 1974 Rare Malt 21 Year Old / 60.90%

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. 

This was distilled in 1974 and bottled as part of the limited edition Rare Malts Selection range.

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

Aberlour Centenary Decanter 1979

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 very rare and spectacular decanter produced by Aberlour to commemorate the distillery's 100th birthday in 1979. This represents one of the earlier examples of the increased single malt output fro the distillery under the ownership of Pernod-Ricard, particularly in more premium bottlings like this.

Aberlour released various examples of these Edinurgh Crystal decanters, some containing much darker liquid than others. Hang-tags usually denoted the vintage and cask number, but there in not one present here.

Aberlour 1969 21 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 1969 vintage was a classic for Aberlour, and this is one of a number of bottlings they released from it. This 21 year old was drawn from sherry casks in 1991 for the US market.

One of 3600 bottles.

Old Pulteney 1974 Whyte and Whyte 19 Year Old Cask Strength 75cl / Spirits Library

The Pulteney distillery in Wick was built in 1826, and for a long time was the northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland. Acquired by John Dewar & Sons in 1924, the distillery was quickly forced to close down in 1930, as Prohibition in its hometown was enacted to attempt to curb drunkenness among its maritime society. When it re-opened in 1955, the majority of its output was reserved for blending, although Gordon & MacPhail were licensed to bottle a single malt by Allied Breweries (later Allied Domecq). Its single malt was known as \"Old Pulteney\" on their labels, and this tradition remained when Inver House, who acquired the distillery in 1995, released Pulteney's first distillery bottlings. 

This was bottled for Whyte and Whyte, a Chicago-based independent spirits distributor in the US. The company had a UK arm that sourced casks of single malt from a variety of specialist firms, including Signatory Vintage and Wm. Cadenhead. This bottle is part of a sought after series the company imported for the Spirits Library, a Scotch and Cognac retailer in the US. Whyte and Whyte ceased trading in 1998, and these bottles are an increasing rarity.

Auchentoshan 1966 Decanter

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 crystal decanter bottling, distilled in the era of brewery ownership in 1966 and bottled in the 1980s.

Aultmore 16 Year Old Centenary Edition

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. 

This limited edition 16 year old was one of the last to be bottled by Diageo, released in 1997 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the distillery.

This is a particularly rare Aultmore, bottled at cask strength and with a label which lists the employees working for the distillery at the time.

Bottle number 73. 

Aberlour 1976

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 1976 vintage, the first full year of production at the distillery following its purchase by Pernod-Ricard. The blenders had increased the production capacity at the distillery a few years earlier, meaning more of its casks could be set aside for releases like this down the line.

Aberlour 12 Year Old A'Bunadh Silver Label Millennium Bottle

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. 

A'Bunadh is bottled at cask strength in the tradition of 19th century single malts when villagers would come to the distillery to collect their dram straight from the cask, often in apothecary bottles obtained from the village chemist. These were the inspiration for the A'Bunadh bottle shape today.

The whisky is bottled exclusively from Spanish Oloroso sherry butts.

Usually a non-age statement expression, this is a special 12 year old A'Bunadh, released as a special edition with a sterling silver label, featuring legitimate silver hallmarks. 

Old Elgin 31 Year Old Gordon and MacPhail 1980s

Gordon & MacPhail is an Elgin-based family run business, established in 1895 and owned by the Urquhart family. They are perhaps best known for their independent bottlings of single malt, such as the instantly recognisable Connoisseurs Choice brand, and increasingly as distillers in their own right, having acquired Benromach distillery in 1993. The company also has a stake in the blending business though, and has produced a number of well-regarded products over the years. 

Old Elgin is a blended malt, named after the home of Gordon & macPahil, and the largest town in Speyside.

This 31 year old was bottled in the 1980s.

Old Pulteney 1974 Gordon and MacPhail 15 Year Old 75cl / US Import

The Pulteney distillery in Wick was built in 1826, and for a long time was the northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland. Acuired by John Dewar & Sons in 1924, the distillery was quickly forced to close down in 1930, as Prohibition in its hometown was enacted to attempt to curb drunkenness among its maritime society. When it re-opened in 1955, the majority of its output was reserved for blending, although Gordon & MacPhail were licensed to bottle a single malt by Allied Breweries (later Allied Domecq). Its single malt was known as \"Old Pulteney\" on their labels, and this tradition remained when Inver House, who acquired the distillery in 1995, released Pulteney's first distillery bottlings.

This is a late 1980s bottling by Gordon & MacPhail, on this occassion for their own Connoisseurs Choice brands, rather than under the official license.

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.

Ardbeg 17 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 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 Glenmorangie plc revival in 1997 saw Ardbeg receive its first official distillery bottlings. Due to the years of inactivity, this 17 year old was the first age-statement they could release. The classic 10 year old did not appear until 2000. The spirit used to make up this release would have been distilled and filled in to casks during the period when Hiram Walker owned the distillery, with production taking place between 1977 and 1981.

Now, years after being discontinued in 2004, it is still recognised as a sensational Ardbeg.

Ardbeg 17 Year Old 1 Litre

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 Glenmorangie plc revival in 1997 saw Ardbeg receive its first official distillery bottlings. Due to the years of inactivity, this 17 year old was the first age-statement they could release. The classic 10 year old did not appear until 2000. The spirit used to make up this release would have been distilled and filled in to casks during the period when Hiram Walker owned the distillery, with production taking place between 1977 and 1981.

Now, years after being discontinued in 2004, it is still recognised as a sensational Ardbeg.

Old Comber 30 Year Old

The Old Comber distillery was located in Comber, County Down in Northern Ireland.  Like the majority of Ireland's distilleries, operations ceased at Comber in the 1950s, which makes this an amazing piece of Irish Whiskey heritage.

A batch of Comber whiskey was discovered in the 1980s and bottled in small releases over several years. This 30 year old bottle was bottled during the early 1990s and is one of the last bottlings ever released from this long lost distillery.

Auchentoshan 25 Year Old Decanter

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 25 year old, bottled in an elegant ceramic decanter.

Aultmore 16 Year Old Centenary Edition

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. 

This limited edition 16 year old was one of the last to be bottled by Diageo, released in 1997 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the distillery.

This is a particularly rare Aultmore, bottled at cask strength and with a label which lists the employees working for the distillery at the time.

Bottle number 247. 

Ardbeg 17 Year Old 1 Litre

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 Glenmorangie plc revival in 1997 saw Ardbeg receive its first official distillery bottlings. Due to the years of inactivity, this 17 year old was the first age-statement they could release. The classic 10 year old did not appear until 2000. The spirit used to make up this release would have been distilled and filled in to casks during the period when Hiram Walker owned the distillery, with production taking place between 1977 and 1981.

Now, years after being discontinued in 2004, it is still recognised as a sensational Ardbeg.

Aberlour A'Bunadh Batch #6 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. 

A'Bunadh is bottled at cask strength in the tradition of 19th century single malts when villagers would come to the distillery to collect their dram straight from the cask, often in apothecary bottles obtained from the village chemist. These were the inspiration for the A'Bunadh bottle shape today.

The whisky is bottled exclusivley from Spanish Oloroso sherry butts, believed to age from 5-25 years old.

This is batch #6 released in 1999. This is the first of the releases to actually bear a batch number, with the first five being unmarked.