The Perfect Collection Part One

O.O. Old Orkney Real Liqueur Whisky circa 1930s

Despite being one of the remotest Scottish outposts, the Orkney isles have a long distilling tradition dating back to the 18th century. Of its distilleries, only two now survive, Highland Park and Scapa, but one of its ghosts from the not too distant past still holds something of an allure, Stromness. The distillery was built in the town of the same name in 1817 by John Crookshanks, and was unusual for its time in that it bottled its whisky as a single malt, with the brand name Man o' Hoy. It was later acquired by John Sinclair before falling into disuse in the 1860s. Sinclair then sold it on to Roderick and Duncan MacPherson in 1878, who had been running it for him under his proprietorship. They renamed the distillery after its single malt brand, Man o'Hoy, restored it and returned it to operation. 

The MacPherson's then began to market a new single malt brand called Old Orkney, generally abbreviated to \"O.O.\" which proved to be a huge success. So much so that it caught the eye of Belfast-based distillery company, J&J McConnell, who purchased it in the early 20th century. Its fortunes were to turn however, and the distillery sadly closed down again around 1927. McConnell's Distillery Company, the J&J MCConnell subsidiary that held its license, continued to bottled the \"O.O\" single malt with the last remaining stocks, turning out the last bottles in the mid-1930s. By this point the company had also reverted the distillery name back to its historic Stromness title, which appeared for the last time on bottles like this one.

Linkwood 1898 Ian Grant and Co

A spectacularly rare old bottle of Linkwood single malt, not just for its age, but for the provenance of the liquid. Even now, Linkwood is a rare single malt, its only core range product being the 12 year old Flora & Fauna bottling. This is not to do it a discredit however, as malt from the distillery is regarded by many to be an essential contribution to the body and flavour of several top blends, including Johnnie Walker and White Horse. For this reason, much of the output at Linkwood is reserved for such purposes.

To see a 19th century vintage Linkwood in single malt form then, is a near-impossible feat. This was distilled in 1898, a year subsequent to the the distillery's take-over by the Linkwood Glenlivet Distillery Company from the family of its founder, Peter Brown.

This was bottled by Ian Grant & Co, a small Glasgow based blending firm that were presumably Linkwood customers, and began bottling its Ian Grant's Liqueur Scotch Whisky in 1920, marketing it as \"pre-war excellence maintained in every way.\" This is certainly that. The firm operated until the 1950s when it became the Old Grantian Company, and appears in several trademark dispute cases with William Grant & Sons into the 1960s, and very little mention is made of them since. This bottling likely dates from around the early 1920s therefore, and is a spectacular time-capsule from a bygone era of whisky production.

The authentication of this bottle has been informed by using two separate practices. Firstly, the age of the liquid was confirmed by radiocarbon dating. A subsequent test by a different lab then confirmed the categorisation of this as a malt whisky through an analysis of the major volatile congeners. 

Linkwood 1898 Ian Grant and Co

A spectacularly rare old bottle of Linkwood single malt, not just for its age, but for the provenance of the liquid. Even now, Linkwood is a rare single malt, its only core range product being the 12 year old Flora & Fauna bottling. This is not to do it a discredit however, as malt from the distillery is regarded by many to be an essential contribution to the body and flavour of several top blends, including Johnnie Walker and White Horse. For this reason, much of the output at Linkwood is reserved for such purposes.

To see a 19th century vintage Linkwood in single malt form then, is a near-impossible feat. This was distilled in 1898, a year subsequent to the the distillery's take-over by the Linkwood Glenlivet Distillery Company from the family of its founder, Peter Brown.

This was bottled by Ian Grant & Co, a small Glasgow based blending firm that were presumably Linkwood customers, and began bottling its Ian Grant's Liqueur Scotch Whisky in 1920, marketing it as \"pre-war excellence maintained in every way.\" This is certainly that. The firm operated until the 1950s when it became the Old Grantian Company, and appears in several trademark dispute cases with William Grant & Sons into the 1960s, and very little mention is made of them since. This bottling likely dates from around the early 1920s therefore, and is a spectacular time-capsule from a bygone era of whisky production.

The authentication of this bottle has been informed by using two separate practices. Firstly, the age of the liquid was confirmed by radiocarbon dating. A subsequent test by a different lab then confirmed the categorisation of this as a malt whisky through an analysis of the major volatile congeners. 

Longmorn 1939 Mayor, Sworder and Co

Longmorn is a popular Speyside distillery, and an essential component in many blends over the years. As such, much of its production is reserved for this purpose and although distillery bottlings first appeared in the 1980s, it was rarely seen before the 15 year old expression was relaunched in 1993. The distillery has long been prominent on the independent scene however, and has cult following in Japan, perhaps in no small part to its connection with Nikka founder Masataka Taketsuru, who modelled the stills at Yoichi on those at Longmorn.   

This was bottled by Mayor, Sworder & Co, a fine wine merchant from London. Up until the mid-1960s, the company also had many dealings in spirits, bottling whisky and gin. The firm contracted blends from Bulloch Lade, but also produced their own label called Red Monogram. They regularly received fillings of Glenlivet and Ardbeg for its production, and in earlier years, sought after Longmorn malt as well. These casks would occasionally be bottled as single malts for the company's more discerning customers, as was the case here. This was bottled at some point in the early 1950s, prior to their move from Budge Row to Southwark Street in 1955.

Laphroaig 1960 Vintage Reserve 40 Year Old

Laphroaig is the largest of the three heavyweight Islay distilleries in Kildalton, out-stripping the production capacity of neighbours, Ardbeg and Lagavulin, by over 1 million litres per annum. Despite its traditional appearance, Laphroaig was always a forward-thinking distillery. It was bottled as a single malt as early as the 1920s, an unfashionable option at the time, especially for a peated whisky. They were also shrewd in capitalising on post-Prohibition America to add trademark sweetness to their spirit through the use of imported ex-bourbon casks, and hired Scotland’s first ever female distillery manager, Bessie Williamson, in 1954. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland to still use in-house maltings, providing them with 20% of their annual requirements, and contributing to the distillery’s unique flavour profile.  

This is a vintage release, distilled in 1960 and bottled in 2001. Laphroaig of this age is incredibly rare!

Distilled under the care of Scotland's first female Distillery Manager, Bessie Williamson,  and presented here with a certificate from then-Distillery Manager, Iain Henderson. The casks were matured for 40 years in warehouse #1.

This is bottle 55 of 300. 

Glen Ord 1962 R.W.Duthie for Europvin 26 Year Old

Glen Ord is a well-respected distillery, sought after as a single malt and by blenders alike. The distillery operates its own in-house maltings, which supply all of Diageo's northern distilleries, as well as Talisker and occasionally heavily-peated malt for the Islay sites. Glen Ord was first officially bottled as a single malt in the 1980s, but has had a bounty of different names over the years; Glen Ord, Glenordie, Ordie, Ord, and Muir of Ord. It is currently part of the Singleton stable.  

R.W. Duthie & Co of Aberdeen are a subsidiary company of Wm. Cadenhead, and handle the majority of the physical bottling operations for the company. In addition to this, they also provided casks to a number of international distributors, including the sought after portfolios of the Corti Brothers in the US, and early Samaroli releases.

This is part of a several bottle series produced for Europvin in 1989, a French wine and spirits company based in Bordeaux. In the end, Europvin actually exported these bottles to Japan and the US, and they are incredibly rare as a result.

Distilled in 1962 and bottled at 26 years old. The sought after series also incudes a Bowmore, Glenlivet and a Rosebank.

Laphroaig 40 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Laphroaig is the largest of the three heavyweight Islay distilleries in Kildalton, out-stripping the production capacity of neighbours, Ardbeg and Lagavulin, by over 1 million litres per annum. Despite its traditional appearance, Laphroaig was always a forward-thinking distillery. It was bottled as a single malt as early as the 1920s, an unfashionable option at the time, especially for a peated whisky. They were also shrewd in capitalising on post-Prohibition America to add trademark sweetness to their spirit through the use of imported ex-bourbon casks, and hired Scotland’s first ever female distillery manager, Bessie Williamson, in 1954. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland to still use in-house maltings, providing them with 20% of their annual requirements, and contributing to the distillery’s unique flavour profile. 

Distilled in 1960 and matured in oak casks in Warehouse #1 for over 40 years, this is the oldest age statement that has been available from Laphroaig officially. Bottled on 29th May 2001.  

Laphroaig 40 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Laphroaig is the largest of the three heavyweight Islay distilleries in Kildalton, out-stripping the production capacity of neighbours, Ardbeg and Lagavulin, by over 1 million litres per annum. Despite its traditional appearance, Laphroaig was always a forward-thinking distillery. It was bottled as a single malt as early as the 1920s, an unfashionable option at the time, especially for a peated whisky. They were also shrewd in capitalising on post-Prohibition America to add trademark sweetness to their spirit through the use of imported ex-bourbon casks, and hired Scotland’s first ever female distillery manager, Bessie Williamson, in 1954. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland to still use in-house maltings, providing them with 20% of their annual requirements, and contributing to the distillery’s unique flavour profile. 

Distilled in 1960 and matured in oak casks in Warehouse #1 for over 40 years, this is the oldest age statement that has been available from Laphroaig officially. Bottled on 29th May 2001.  

Laphroaig 40 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Laphroaig is the largest of the three heavyweight Islay distilleries in Kildalton, out-stripping the production capacity of neighbours, Ardbeg and Lagavulin, by over 1 million litres per annum. Despite its traditional appearance, Laphroaig was always a forward-thinking distillery. It was bottled as a single malt as early as the 1920s, an unfashionable option at the time, especially for a peated whisky. They were also shrewd in capitalising on post-Prohibition America to add trademark sweetness to their spirit through the use of imported ex-bourbon casks, and hired Scotland’s first ever female distillery manager, Bessie Williamson, in 1954. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland to still use in-house maltings, providing them with 20% of their annual requirements, and contributing to the distillery’s unique flavour profile. 

Distilled in 1960 and matured in oak casks in Warehouse #1 for over 40 years, this is the oldest age statement that has been available from Laphroaig officially. Bottled on 29th May 2001.  

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 501 and is labelled with an illustration of \"Tam getting drunk in the Inn\" from Robert Burns' Tam o'Shanter, illustrated by Bruce Thomson. 

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 525 and is labelled with an illustration of \"Fin escaping from the pirates\" from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, illustrated by Charles Hynes.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 528 and is labelled with an illustration of \"Alan Breck\" from Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped, illustrated by Charles Hynes.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 529 and is labelled with an illustration of The Bonny Lass from Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped, illustrated by Charles Hynes.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 530 and is labelled with an illustration of The Red Fox from Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped, illustrated by Charles Hynes.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 512 and is labelled with the illustration \"Rob Roy at the village feast\" from Sir Walter Scott's Rob Roy, illustrated by Stephen Shankland.

Glenrothes 1932 Pure Malt 42 Year Old

Earmarked from an early stage an ideal component in blended Scotch whiskies, Glenrothes has long been a key part of big brands such as Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse. Its relationship with the former, lead to a two decade-long association with London wine-merchants, Berry Brother's & Rudd, when they traded their famous blend for the rights to the Glenrothes single malt brand in 2010. The distillery itself remained with Edrington through, and the two were reunited when the now hugely successful brand was returned in 2017.

Before a mass reorganisation by Edrington in 1999, Glenrothes was run by its subsidiary, Highland Distillers, who were the proprietors that produced this extremely rare bottling of its single malt. They had run the distillery since 1887, distilling this all the way back 1932. Pre-war vintages of all single malt is incredibly rare, particularly from producers with such a focus on the provision for blends. Thankfully, this whisky remained untouched, and was bottled in 1974 as the single malt market was beginning to take off.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 527 and is labelled with an illustration of Ebeneezer Shaw from Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped, illustrated by Charles Hynes.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 511 and is labelled with the illustration \"Rob Roy tracking down cattle rustlers\" from Sir Walter Scott's Rob Roy, illustrated by Stephen Shankland.

Glenfarclas 1959 Whyte and Whyte 34 Year Old Sherry Cask 75cl / Spirits Library

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

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.

Glenfiddich Special Pure Malt circa 1940s

Glenfiddich was an early advocate of the single malt Scotch category, and their faith is rewarded today by being one of the best-selling Scotch brands in the world. The distillery was built by William Grant in 1886, distilling its first spirit on Christmas day the following year. Today it is still part of the family-owned, William Grant & Sons. They became the first distillery to actively market their single malt brand in 1963, and were the first to open their facility to visitors. Glenfiddich was an important trailblazer in the whisky industry, who's contribution cannot be forgotten. The scale of their operation today is a testament to this. 

A spectacular old example of Glenfiddich single malt whisky. This dates from a period when whisky was rarely bottled in this way, with the market favouring and dominated by blended Scotch. Efforts to market Glenfiddich as a single malt were intensified in the 1950s and 1960s, but they had been bottling it as such since the turn of the 20th century. The Glenfiddich label has change several time over the years, with the style presented here used in the period between around 1910 up until the 1950s. 

This example dates from around the 1940s into the 1950s, and is sealed with a driven stopper in William Grant & Sons embossed glass bottle. The bottle was indirectly acquired by the consignee from an Estate in the Aberdeenshire area, neighbouring the famous Speyside distillery.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 523 and is labelled with an illustration of \"Defending the stockade\" from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, illustrated by Charles Hynes.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 516 and is labelled with the illustration \"IVanhoe prepares for the crusades\" from Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, illustrated by Stephen Shankland.

Laphroaig 1966 Signatory Vintage 30 Year Old

Laphroaig is the largest of the three heavyweight Islay distilleries in Kildalton, out-stripping the production capacity of neighbours, Ardbeg and Lagavulin, by over 1 million litres per annum. Despite its traditional appearance, Laphroaig was always a forward-thinking distillery. It was bottled as a single malt as early as the 1920s, an unfashionable option at the time, especially for a peated whisky. They were also shrewd in capitalising on post-Prohibition America to add trademark sweetness to their spirit through the use of imported ex-bourbon casks, and hired Scotland’s first ever female distillery manager, Bessie Williamson, in 1954. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland to still use in-house maltings, providing them with 20% of their annual requirements, and contributing to the distillery’s unique flavour profile. 

This is a spectacular Signatory Vintage bottling, distilled on 18th February 1966 and bottled 30 years later on 18th June 1996. The 1960s was a truly golden era for the distillery and these vintages are increasingly sought after.

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.

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 567 and is labelled with an illustration of \"The old Soldier's tale of war\" in Robert Burns' The Jolly Beggars, illustrated by Bruce Thomson. 

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 502 and is labelled with the illustration \"Tam frightening himself in the street\" from Robert Burns' Tam o'Shanter, illustrated by Bruce Thomson.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 513 and is labelled with the illustration \"Fighting the Marquis of Montrose's champion\" from Sir Walter Scott's Rob Roy, illustrated by Stephen Shankland.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 524 and is labelled with an illustration of \"Pieces of Eight\" from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, illustrated by Charles Hynes.

Glenfarclas 40 Year Old Scottish Classic 75cl / US Import

Glenfarclas is considered by many to be one of the finest distilleries in Speyside. Its direct-fired stills produce a heavy single malt that is almost exclusively matured in Jerez sherry casks. The distillery focuses on single malt over blends, and a cool microclimate around the distillery that means that their casks are particularly stingy to the \"angels,\" resulting in an incredible depth of stock. Glenfarclas also feel they share some credit for the modern day love of cask strength whisky, introducing their acclaimed 105 proof expressions back in 1968.  

The limited edition Scottish Classic was touted as a “celebration of the third millennium.\" The range of 600 individually numbered bottles commemorates three great Scottish literary heroes. Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert “Rabbie” Burns are all honoured by artwork produced by three different artists. Each bottle has an illustration of a scene from one of the authors’ magna opera, and there are 30 different variations.

This is bottle 504 and is labelled with an illustration of \"Cutty Sark\" from Robert Burns' Tam o'Shanter, illustrated by Bruce Thomson. 

Glenugie 1966 Samaroli Very Limited Edition

A well-regarded distillery in its time, Glenugie was primarily tasked with providing single malt for the Long John blends. Oversupply in the 1980s saw it close, along with many others, in 1983. The distillery has long since been dismantled, with its stock and brand name under ownership of Chivas Brothers. Despite this, there have been very few official bottlings, and those from independents like this are highly prized.  

This is a very rare bottling by Samaroli. This incredibly rare Glenugie is not often seen at auction, unsurprising as only 108 bottles were released in 1999 from single cask #5822. This is part of a series of Very Limited Editions that includes a sought after Bowmore and Port Ellen.

Samaroli is perhaps Italy's most revered independent bottler of Scotch whisky. With an impeccable taste in single cask whiskies, and an eye for aesthetics (if not English spelling at times!), he is regarded by many as a visionary. Many of his bottles now occupy deserved sports on the pantheon of whisky greats.

Glendronach 1968 25 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Glendronach was built in 1826 by James Allardice, and rebuilt following a fire in 1852 by an individual named Walter Scott (although not the one you might be thinking of). It eventually passed into the hands of perhaps Scotland's greatest distilling dynasty, the Grant's of Glenfiddich. Charles, the youngest son of William Grant procured the then-silent distillery from the government in 1920, and it remained in the family until they sold it to Wm. Teacher 40 years later. The Grant's and Teacher's were early champions of the single malt category, and distillery bottlings of Glendronach were produced for most of the 20th century until it was mothballed by Allied Distillers in 1996. The distillery was revived in 2002, and has since become one of the strongest single malt brands in the world. 

There are a number of famous Glendronach vintage releases from 1968 and this is no different. This one was originally bottled for the US market - although a few went missing and were eventually discovered in a warehouse and sold here in the UK. 

This is the original 1993 bottling, which Serge Valentin from WhiskyFun describes as, 'A tremendous sherry monster', scoring it 90 points. 

Laphroaig 40 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Laphroaig is the largest of the three heavyweight Islay distilleries in Kildalton, out-stripping the production capacity of neighbours, Ardbeg and Lagavulin, by over 1 million litres per annum. Despite its traditional appearance, Laphroaig was always a forward-thinking distillery. It was bottled as a single malt as early as the 1920s, an unfashionable option at the time, especially for a peated whisky. They were also shrewd in capitalising on post-Prohibition America to add trademark sweetness to their spirit through the use of imported ex-bourbon casks, and hired Scotland’s first ever female distillery manager, Bessie Williamson, in 1954. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland to still use in-house maltings, providing them with 20% of their annual requirements, and contributing to the distillery’s unique flavour profile. 

Distilled in 1960 and matured in oak casks in Warehouse #1 for over 40 years, this is the oldest age statement that has been available from Laphroaig officially. Bottled on 29th May 2001.  

Glenury Royal 1966 Cadenhead's 24 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 24 year old Glenury Royal is one of a handful of bottlings which actually predate the original 150th anniversary releases.

Glenury Royal is so-called due to its earliest proprietor, Captain James Barclay, being a close friend of King William IV. The distillery is one of many picked up by DCL (now Diageo) during an era of optimism in the mid-20th century, before being closed down in the early 1980s after a market downturn created an oversupply. Indeed, Glenury closed in 1985 and subsequently demolished. As such, official bottlings are rare, especially those under the Downie and Garron brand names. Bottlings from independent labels like this are increasingly so as well.