The Perfect Collection Part One

Glenesk 1971 Signatory Vintage 29 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Known as Glenesk from 1980-85, and prior to that as Hillside since 1964, this distillery produced both malt and grain at different stages in its history. It is not often seen officially bottled, but has contributed to several Rare Malt releases. Distilling ceased there entirely in 1985, and the site operates exclusively as a maltings now. 

This is a Hillside era single malt, although labelled here by Signatory Vintage under the more recent name, Glenesk. Distilled in 1971 and bottled from a single cask after 29 years.

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.

Glen Moray 1960 26 Year Old

A lovely old Glen Moray, distilled in 1960 while the distillery was operated by MacDonald & Muir, and undertook its own in-house malting using a Saladin box. The distillery's maltings were decommissioned in 1978, and the Glenmorangie company (the new face of MacDonald & Mair) relegated Glen Moray to its budget single malt in the 1990s, a reputation it is now beginning to recover from under new ownership.

These old 1960s vintages however, have always been regarded as exceptional single malts.

Glen Grant 1970 Hallmark of St James 75cl / US Import

Glen Grant is one of Speyside's most recognised distilleries. It was built in 1839 by James and John Grant, and was a huge facility for its time. Its size increased exponentially over time, in the hands of John's son, John \"The Major\" Grant (who also built the short-lived Caperdonich next-door), and twice in the 1970s following the merger with The Glenlivet Distillers and its subsequent takeover by Seagram. Glen Grant was bottled as a single malt as early as the late-19th century, and developed a global export market. None perhaps as important as in Italy, where their agent in the 1960s, Armando Giovinetti, turned it into the nation's favourite whisky, after discovering the palate preferences of his countrymen for very young single malts. So loved is Glen Grant in Italy, that the distillery is now owned by Gruppo Campari, who bought it from Pernod Ricard in 2006. 

This was bottled for Vintage Hallmark Collection, the US distribution arm of the Vintage Hallmark of St James wine shop in London. This independent whisky label is named after the eponymous store. Distilled in February 1970 and bottled in April 2000.

Bottled at cask strength and featuring tasting notes from the legendary Wallace Milroy.

Caol Ila 20 Year Old 150th Anniversary

Caol Ila distillery was built in 1846 by Hector Henderson, who was bought out from the venture a little over 10 year later by Bulloch Lade. The blending firm merged with DCL (now Diageo) in 1927, who still run the distillery today. In 1972 the original site was demolished and replaced by a new one. When distilling resumed in 1974, Caol Ila was the largest producer of single malt on the Isle of Islay. Despite this, due to its importance in popular blends such as Johnnie Walker, its single malt brand disappeared under United Distillers, and it was not until 2002 that it would return, when the 12 year old was revived by Diageo. 

This sought after limited edition was released in 1996 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the distillery, which opened in 1846.

A very rare bottling only ever originally released to employees within Diageo.

Glenmorangie 1975 Cote de Nuits Wood Finish 75cl / US Import

Despite being owned by blenders, MacDonald & Muir, for most of the 20th century, Glenmorangie had an early focus on bottling its single malt. Some records show that its single malt was being sold as early as the late 19th century. This became the distillery's main output in 1959, and with the unique flavours derived from Scotland's tallest stills, coupled with their pioneering use of wood finishing, Glenmorangie is now one of the world's biggest selling malts. As a result, the distillery portfolio over the years has been extensive, and little has been spared for independent bottlers. 

The forward-thinking Glenmorangie approach to wood finishes is in full display here. Considered to be an exceptional whisky, this legendary malt was matured in bourbon casks prior to being finished in Cote de Nuit Burgundy Grand Cru casks.

Glen Moray 1962 24 Year Old​

A lovely old Glen Moray, distilled in 1962 while the distillery was operated by MacDonald & Muir, and undertook its own in-house malting using a Saladin box. The distillery's maltings were decommissioned in 1978, and the Glenmorangie company (the new face of MacDonald & Mair) relegated Glen Moray to its budget single malt in the 1990s, a reputation it is now beginning to recover from under new ownership.

These old 1960s vintages however, have always been regarded as exceptional single malts.

Glenfarclas 1978 Cask Strength Edition No.4 / Arthur Conan Doyle

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 is a special release cask strength bottling of vintage Glenfarclas for the German market. Distilled in 1978 and it was bottled in 2002, this is the first in an exclusive series and features the image of Sherlock Holmes creator, Arthur Conan Doyle.

One of 1200.

Glen Moray 1962 24 Year Old​

A lovely old Glen Moray, distilled in 1962 while the distillery was operated by MacDonald & Muir, and undertook its own in-house malting using a Saladin box. The distillery's maltings were decommissioned in 1978, and the Glenmorangie company (the new face of MacDonald & Mair) relegated Glen Moray to its budget single malt in the 1990s, a reputation it is now beginning to recover from under new ownership.

These old 1960s vintages however, have always been regarded as exceptional single malts.

Cardhu 1974 Signatory Vintage 26 Year Old 75cl / US Import

A legendary sherry cask bottling of Cardhu from Signatory Vintage. Cardhu is the Speyside home of Johnnie Walker, and the distillery contributes much of its production to the world famous blend. So much so in fact that the distillery bottling was changed to a vatted \"pure malt\" for a brief period in 2002 to ease pressure on its stock, but quickly reverted back to a single malt in 2004 following widespread criticism. The incident saw the rewriting of the rulebook for single malt whisky, and the birth of the term \"blended malt,\" adding some infamy to the Cardhu history books in the process.

This was distilled in April 1974 and bottled in August 2001 from sherry butt #3614. 

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.

Bottle number 306 of 420.

Glen Albyn 1965 Signatory Vintage 31 Year Old / Silent Stills

One of three closed distilleries in Inverness, Glen Albyn was rarely seen as a single malt with the majority of its output being used in blends. The distillery was one of many which closed its doors in 1983. Its owners in the very early 1970s, Mackinlay’s, were early fans of single malt bottlings and produced a handful of official releases. Little was to follow when DCL (now Diageo) took control in 1972, with the next distillery bottling not appearing until the Rare Malts Selection was released over 20 years later. Most of the opportunities to sample this lost distillery therefore come in the form of independent labels like this. 

Distilled on 16th December 1965, this was bottled within Signatory Vintage's Silent Stills range, which at the time showcased Scotland's finest discontinued single malts (some, such as Glenglassaugh, have since returned).

Bottled on 15th May 1997 at 31 years of age. Cask #3835 yielded 530 bottles and this is bottle number 373.

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.

Cardhu 1974 Signatory Vintage 26 Year Old 75cl / US Import

A legendary sherry cask bottling of Cardhu from Signatory Vintage. Cardhu is the Speyside home of Johnnie Walker, and the distillery contributes much of its production to the world famous blend. So much so in fact that the distillery bottling was changed to a vatted \"pure malt\" for a brief period in 2002 to ease pressure on its stock, but quickly reverted back to a single malt in 2004 following widespread criticism. The incident saw the rewriting of the rulebook for single malt whisky, and the birth of the term \"blended malt,\" adding some infamy to the Cardhu history books in the process.

This was distilled in April 1974 and bottled in August 2001 from sherry butt #3614. 

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.

Bottle number 114 of 420.

Caol Ila 1978 Turatello 13 Year Old

This is a Nadi Fiori bottling of Caol Ila. Fiori was the owner of the Taverna degli Artisti bar in Italy, and a contemporary of his fellow connoisseur countrymen, Silvano Samaroli and Ernesto Mainardi. Fiori established an import company in the 1980s, along with beer distributors the Turatello brothers, and the firm was named Intertrade. Thier bottles are legendary and some of the most sought after on the market. The Intertrade name disappears around 1989, however Fiori continued to import bottles under the Turatello Imports name, like this one. Fiori would later go on to found his own company, called High Spirits.

This is a bottling of 1978 vintage Caol Ila. It was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, as all of Fiori's releases were, in April 1992.

Caol Ila distillery was built in 1846 by Hector Henderson, who was bought out from the venture a little over 10 year later by Bulloch Lade. The blending firm merged with DCL (now Diageo) in 1927, who still run the distillery today. In 1972 the original site was demolished and replaced by a new one. When distilling resumed in 1974, Caol Ila was the largest producer of single malt on the Isle of Islay. Despite this, due to its importance in popular blends such as Johnnie Walker, its single malt brand disappeared under United Distillers, and it was not until 2002 that it would return, when the 12 year old was revived by Diageo. The Flora & Fauna release was well-regarded in the meantime, but it was independent releases like this that gave the best opportunity to sample this much-loved single malt. 

Glen Moray 1964 27 Year Old 75cl / US Import

A lovely old Glen Moray, distilled in 1964 while the distillery was operated by MacDonald & Muir, and undertook its own in-house malting using a Saladin box. The distillery's maltings were decommissioned in 1978, and the Glenmorangie company (the new face of MacDonald & Mair) relegated Glen Moray to its budget single malt in the 1990s, a reputation it is now beginning to recover from under new ownership.

These old 1960s vintages however, have always been regarded as exceptional single malts.

Glenburgie 1962 Signatory Vintage 36 Year Old Decanter / 10th Anniversary

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.

This 1962 vintage Glenburgoe was bottled to commemorate the company's 10th anniversary in 1998.

First established as Kilnflat distillery in 1829, the plant became known as Glenburgie in 1871 when it was bought by Charles Hay. After closing down in 1925, it was eventually acquired by Hiram Walker, alongside Miltonduff distillery, as the firm sought to build a portfolio to supply its newly acquired Ballantine's blend. Today the distillery and Ballantine's are still closely linked, so much so that there have been very few distillery bottlings, the most recent being a 15 year old under the George Ballantine & Sons banner, released in 2017. Prior to this, the majority of the rare examples of Glenburgie on the market came in the form of independent releases like this. 

Caperdonich 1977 Cadenhead's 16 Year Old Sherry Wood 75cl / US Import

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 1977 vintage Caperdonich was bottled from sherry wood in July 1994.

Caperdonich distillery was built next-door to Glen Grant in 1892, and for much of its history was known simply as Glen Grant 2. Expansion via additional distillery was a method used by several producers over the years, but Glen Grant was the first. Glen Grant 2 was only open for 4 years after being built, and remained closed until 1965 when demand in Italy for Glen Grant single malt meant the second distillery was once again required to meet the needs of the blenders. Now legally required to have a different name, the site was christened Caperdonich. Glen Grant sold it on to Seagram in 1977, who continued to use it for blending purposes until they were wound up in the early 2000s. Pernod-Ricard acquired many of their assets in the Scotch industry in 2001, including Caperdonich which they shut down the following year. Its single malt was only briefly officially bottled while in operation, with further distillery bottlings only appearing from Pernod-Ricard in recent years. Production in its later years was high however, and many independent bottlings of this hidden Speyside gem have been produced. 

Glen Garioch 37 Year Old Bicentenary 75cl / US Import

Glen Garioch is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. For most of the 20th century it was self-sufficient, malting its own barley using peat from Pitsligo, giving it a unique smoky character. In fact, in 1968 it was short-listed by then-owners DCL, to convert to heavily peated production in order to make up for a shortfall on Islay caused by a drought. In an odd twist of fate, the decision was instead made to re-open Brora for the job, and close Glen Garioch down. Morrison Bowmore then spring to its rescue, restarting production in 1973. The maltings and distillery were closed down again by Beam Suntory in 1995, and only the latter resumed operations two years later, with contemporary Glen Garioch becoming an un-peated single malt. These pre-1995 vintages are worth investigating while you can. 

This 37 year old was released to commemorate the 200th anniversary the Highland distillery. Bottled in 1997 meaning this was likely distilled around 1960.

One of 200 bottles. 

Convalmore 1977 Cadenhead's 21 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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 1977 vintage Convalmore was bottled for the US market in March 1998.

Convalmore was fourth of the \"Seven Stills\" of Dufftown, built in the late 19th century and later acquired by the blender, James Buchanan. After the merger of Buchanan's with DCL (now Diageo) in 1925, Convalmore continued to supply blends, and as a result was never officially bottled as a single malt in its own time. The distillery was shut down in 1985, and while there have been occasional Diageo special releases over the years, its single malt output is mostly limited to very sought after independent bottlings like this. 

Caol Ila 1972 Gordon and MacPhail 16 Year Old

Caol Ila distillery was built in 1846 by Hector Henderson, who was bought out from the venture a little over 10 year later by Bulloch Lade. The blending firm merged with DCL (now Diageo) in 1927, who still run the distillery today. In 1972 the original site was demolished and replaced by a new one. When distilling resumed in 1974, Caol Ila was the largest producer of single malt on the Isle of Islay. Despite this, due to its importance in popular blends such as Johnnie Walker, its single malt brand disappeared under United Distillers, and it was not until 2002 that it would return, when the 12 year old was revived by Diageo. The Flora & Fauna release was well-regarded in the meantime, but it was independent releases like this that gave the best opportunity to sample this much-loved single malt. 

This is the last pre-expansion vintage, distilled in 1972 when the direct-fired stills gave the Caol Ila spirit a heavier quality. This was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail as a 16 year old.

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.

Glen Mhor 1977 Caledonian Selection 23 Year Old 75cl / US Import

An elegant decanter from the Caledonian Selection series, a range of independently bottled single malts for various export markets.

Glen Mhor was one of three distilleries based in Inverness along with Millburn and Glen Albyn, all of which closed within two years of each other. Glen Mhor was one of the earlier, in 1983, and it was demolished just three years later. A historically significant malt, this was just a small two still operation, but was bottled both as a single malt in the late 19th and early 20th century, as well as making its way into high profile blends such as the one discovered in ice under Ernest Shackleton's hut. The owners for the majority of its history were Mackinlays, who produced several official releases for the emerging Italian single malt market in the late 1960s, but this stopped when DCL took over 1972. They licensed the brand to Gordon & MacPhail until its closure, and Diageo later included it in the Rare Malts Selection series, all of which remain rare and increasingly sought after. Bottlings from independent labels like this are equally so.

Distilled in 1977, this was bottled in 2000 from a single hogshead.

Glen Grant 1959/1960 Gordon and MacPhail Royal Marriage 1986

Glen Grant is one of Speyside's most recognised distilleries. It was built in 1839 by James and John Grant, and was a huge facility for its time. Its size increased exponentially over time, in the hands of John's son, John \"The Major\" Grant (who also built the short-lived Caperdonich next-door), and twice in the 1970s following the merger with The Glenlivet Distillers and its subsequent takeover by Seagram. Glen Grant was bottled as a single malt as early as the late-19th century, and developed a global export market. None perhaps as important as in Italy, where their agent in the 1960s, Armando Giovinetti, turned it into the nation's favourite whisky, after discovering the palate preferences of his countrymen for very young single malts. So loved is Glen Grant in Italy, that the distillery is now owned by Gruppo Campari, who bought it from Pernod Ricard in 2006. 

Glen Grant licensed its brand to a number of bottlers in the mid to late 20th century, the most prominent of which was Gordon & MacPhail. This good standing with the distillery furnished the Elgin-based independent firm with a steady supply of high quality casks, and subsequently, high quality releases. The preference of the Italian parent firm at the distillery today for its younger output, often means that Gordon & MacPhail are given access to some impressively aged casks. 

This is a special vatting, produced to honour the 1986 royal marriage between Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.

The bottle contains whisky of 1959 and 1960 vintages, the birth years of the couple.

Glen Grant 15 Year Old Moray Bonding Co Decanter 1970s

Glen Grant is one of Speyside's most recognised distilleries. It was built in 1839 by James and John Grant, and was a huge facility for its time. Its size increased exponentially over time, in the hands of John's son, John \"The Major\" Grant (who also built the short-lived Caperdonich next-door), and twice in the 1970s following the merger with The Glenlivet Distillers and its subsequent takeover by Seagram. Glen Grant was bottled as a single malt as early as the late-19th century, and developed a global export market. None perhaps as important as in Italy, where their agent in the 1960s, Armando Giovinetti, turned it into the nation's favourite whisky, after discovering the palate preferences of his countrymen for very young single malts. So loved is Glen Grant in Italy, that the distillery is now owned by Gruppo Campari, who bought it from Pernod Ricard in 2006. 

Glen Grant licensed its brand to a number of bottlers in the mid to late 20th century, the most prominent of which was Gordon & MacPhail, but rarer examples by Wm. Cadenhead, Justerini & Brooks and this one exist.

This is a 15 year old, bottled in an elegant decanter in the 1970s.

Glenrothes 1961 Gordon and MacPhail 34 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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 Brothers & 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.

Glenrothes was one of the single malts that Highland Distillers licensed its brand to Gordon & MacPhail to produce official releases in the 1970s and 1980s, not having the capacity to do so itself at the time. This good standing with the distillery furnished the Elgin-based independent firm with a steady supply of high quality casks, and subsequently, high quality releases.  

This is a 1961 vintage, bottled after 34 years in what is now known as the Distillery Labels range from Gordon & MacPhail.

Glenburgie 1948/1961 Gordon & MacPhail Royal Marriage 1981

First established as Kilnflat distillery in 1829, the plant became known as Glenburgie in 1871 when it was bought by Charles Hay. After closing down in 1925, it was eventually acquired by Hiram Walker, alongside Miltonduff distillery, as the firm sought to build a portfolio to supply its newly acquired Ballantine's blend. Today the distillery and Ballantine's are still closely linked, so much so that there have been very few distillery bottlings, the most recent being a 15 year old under the George Ballantine & Sons banner, released in 2017. Prior to this, the majority of the rare examples of Glenburgie on the market came in the form of independent releases like this. 

Gordon & MacPhail bottlings are the most common of these independents. This is a specially vatted whisky to commemorate the wedding of Price Charles and Diana Spencer in 1981.

Produced with malt distilled in 1948 and 1961, the years of couples' births. 

Convalmore 1976 Signatory Vintage 23 Year Old / Silent Stills

Convalmore was fourth of the \"Seven Stills\" of Dufftown, built in the late 19th century and later acquired by the blender, James Buchanan. After the merger of Buchanan's with DCL (now Diageo) in 1925, Convalmore continued to supply blends, and as a result was never officially bottled as a single malt in its own time. The distillery was shut down in 1985, and while there have been occasional Diageo special releases over the years, its single malt output is mostly limited to very sought after independent bottlings like this. 

Distilled on 14th October 1976, this was bottled within Signatory Vintage's Silent Stills range, which at the time showcased Scotland's finest discontinued single malts (some, such as Glenglassaugh, have since returned).

Cask #4470 produced 314 bottles.

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 1966 / German Exclusive

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 impressive cask stock in the Glenfarclas warehouses means there has been a great output of vintage distillery bottlings in addition to their core range age statements. This was distilled in 1966, bottled in 1997 and was limited to only 1,200 bottles for the German market.

Glen Grant 1972 Hart Brothers 26 Year Old Sherry Wood 75cl / US Import

Glen Grant is one of Speyside's most recognised distilleries. It was built in 1839 by James and John Grant, and was a huge facility for its time. Its size increased exponentially over time, in the hands of John's son, John \"The Major\" Grant (who also built the short-lived Caperdonich next-door), and twice in the 1970s following the merger with The Glenlivet Distillers and its subsequent takeover by Seagram. Glen Grant was bottled as a single malt as early as the late-19th century, and developed a global export market. None perhaps as important as in Italy, where their agent in the 1960s, Armando Giovinetti, turned it into the nation's favourite whisky, after discovering the palate preferences of his countrymen for very young single malts. So loved is Glen Grant in Italy, that the distillery is now owned by Gruppo Campari, who bought it from Pernod Ricard in 2006. 

This independent releases was bottled at cask strength, from sherry wood, by Hart Brothers in 1999.

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.

Glenmorangie 18 Year Old Maltman's Special Reserve Decanter

Despite being owned by blenders, MacDonald & Muir, for most of the 20th century, Glenmorangie had an early focus on bottling its single malt. Some records show that its single malt was being sold as early as the late 19th century. This became the distillery's main output in 1959, and with the unique flavours derived from Scotland's tallest stills, coupled with their pioneering use of wood finishing, Glenmorangie is now one of the world's biggest selling malts. As a result, the distillery portfolio over the years has been extensive, and little has been spared for independent bottlers. 

This is an elegant decanter, designed to evoke the long, slender necked stills of Glenmorangie distillery.

Caol Ila 12 Year Old Bulloch Lade 1980s

Caol Ila distillery was built in 1846 by Hector Henderson, who was bought out from the venture a little over 10 year later by Bulloch Lade. The blending firm merged with DCL (now Diageo) in 1927, who still run the distillery today. In 1972 the original site was demolished and replaced by a new one. When distilling resumed in 1974, Caol Ila was the largest producer of single malt on the Isle of Islay. Despite this, due to its importance in popular blends such as Johnnie Walker, its single malt brand disappeared under United Distillers, and it was not until 2002 that it would return, when the 12 year old was revived by Diageo. 

This is the old version of the 12 year old, introduced by DCL in the 1970s. This is from the dying days of the Caol Ila single malt brand under United Distillers, who opted to bottle it under the Flora & Fauna banner in 1991 instead. Interestingly, the capsule artwork appears to be an early precursor to the style that would be used the labels for that series.

Glen Elgin 16 Year Old Manager's Dram 1993

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.

This is a 16 year old Glen Elgin, sherry cask matured and chosen by distillery manager Harry Fox. It was bottled on 31st October 1993.

Glen Elgin was built in at the very end of the 19th century, with distilling commencing in 1900. Its success was sporadic in the early days, but it eventually joined DCL in 1930 as part of their White Horse Distillers arm. Unusually, the distillery had no electricity until 1950, and was entirely powered by paraffin until then. Although a key component in their blends, the fruity character of Glen Elgin was deemed worthy of being bottled as a single malt too, appearing as a 12 year old under White Horse branding from as early as the 1970s. Today the 12 year old remains the only permanent release, with limited edition distillery bottlings like this increasingly sought after.

Glenburgie 1948 Gordon & MacPhail Centenary Reserve

First established as Kilnflat distillery in 1829, the plant became known as Glenburgie in 1871 when it was bought by Charles Hay. After closing down in 1925, it was eventually acquired by Hiram Walker, alongside Miltonduff distillery, as the firm sought to build a portfolio to supply its newly acquired Ballantine's blend. Today the distillery and Ballantine's are still closely linked, so much so that there have been very few distillery bottlings, the most recent being a 15 year old under the George Ballantine & Sons banner, released in 2017. Prior to this, the majority of the rare examples of Glenburgie on the market came in the form of independent releases like this.

Of these independent bottlings, most are from Gordon & MacPhail. This is part of their Centenary Reserve collection, bottled in 1995 to celebrate 100 years of the Elgin-based bottler and distiller.

Glen Grant 1974 Cadenhead's 23 Year Old Sherry Wood 75cl / US Import

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 1974 vintage Glen Grant was bottled for the US market from sherry wood in March 1998.

Glen Grant is one of Speyside's most recognised distilleries. It was built in 1839 by James and John Grant, and was a huge facility for its time. Its size increased exponentially over time, in the hands of John's son, John \"The Major\" Grant (who also built the short-lived Caperdonich next-door), and twice in the 1970s following the merger with The Glenlivet Distillers and its subsequent takeover by Seagram. Glen Grant was bottled as a single malt as early as the late-19th century, and developed a global export market. None perhaps as important as in Italy, where their agent in the 1960s, Armando Giovinetti, turned it into the nation's favourite whisky, after discovering the palate preferences of his countrymen for very young single malts. So loved is Glen Grant in Italy, that the distillery is now owned by Gruppo Campari, who bought it from Pernod Ricard in 2006. 

Glenury Royal 1973 Signatory Vintage 24 Year Old / Silent Stills

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.

Distilled on 21st June 1973, this was bottled within Signatory Vintage's Silent Stills range, which at the time showcased Scotland's finest discontinued single malts (some, such as Glenglassaugh, have since returned).

Cask #6851 produced 364 bottles.

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.