The Perfect Collection Part One

Highland Park 8 Year Old Gordon and MacPhail

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. 

This is an 8 year old from the MacPhail's Collection range.

Highland Fusilier 8 Year Old 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.

This 8 year old blended malt is named after Scottish infantry regiment, The Royal Highland Fusiliers.

Highland Single Malt 1984 Oddbins 13 Year Old

A mystery single malt from a series of releases from Oddbins, all colour coded by their flavour profile. This Highland region single malt has been selected to represent \"salt,\" and is noted as having been distilled at a distillery on the northern Scottish coast...

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.

Highland Park 8 Year Old Gordon and MacPhail 57% Miniature 

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. 

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.

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.

Harrods 12 Year Old Single Malt

A 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky from an un-named distillery, bottled for famous London department store, Harrods. 

Highland Dew Single Malt 75cl / US Import

A Highland region single malt from an undisclosed distillery. This was bottled by Ewen & Company for their Highland Dew brand, part of their wider Dew Collection.

Highland & Speyside Miniatures x 3

• Craigellachie 1972 Signatory Vintage 17 year old 46% 5cl
• Glen Keith 10 year old 43% 5cl
• Blair Athol 70 proof