The Perfect Collection Part Two

Caol Ila 1981 Gordon and MacPhail 15 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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 1981 vintage was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail 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.

Clynelish 1990 Cadenhead's 12 Year Old 75cl / US Import

The Original Collection was launched by Wm. Cadenhead in the early 1990s, and was the natural successor to replace their famous \"dumpy\" bottlings. They were generally produced at 46% ABV or lower, but eventually their cask strength alternative, The Authentic Collection, was preferred as the flagship Cadenhead brand. It is now one of the most recognisable independent labels on the market, and these lower strength releases are increasingly collectible rarities.

This Clynelish was distilled in 1990 and bottled in June 2002 from a bourbon barrel.

Clynelish distillery as it is recognised today, was built in 1967 to replace the smaller distillery next-door, which was the original site of that name. The first distillery was closed, but later re-opened, changing its name to Brora (but that’s another story). Clynelish is part of the Diageo stable, having been taken over by DCL in 1912. Despite being an important part of the Johnnie Walker blends, it has long been bottled as a single malt.

Caol Ila 1981 Cooper's Choice 14 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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. 

A 1981 vintage bottling, this is part of the premium Cooper's Choice series from The Vintage Malt Whisky Co.

The Vintage Malt Whisky Company is a family-owned firm in Glasgow, founded in 1992 by Brian Crook. In addition to their Cooper's Choice series, they also bottle number of their own single malt brands, such as Finlaggan (an Islay) and Tantallan (a Highland), using whisky sourced from unspecified distilleries.

Highland Park 1979 Murray McDavid 17 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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.  

This is a Murray McDavid bottling, distilled in 1979 and aged for 17 years in refill sherry wood.

Murray McDavid were founded in 1996 by Mark Reynier, Simon Coughlin and ex-Springbank distillery Director, Gordon Wright. The company bought re-opened Bruichladdich distillery in December 2000, hiring Jim McEwan as Master Distiller. The company was purchased by Remy Cointreau in 2012, with the Murray McDavid brand eventually returning to Scottish hands the following year. Murray McDavid is famed for coining the term \"ACE-ing\" (additional cask enhancement) in relation to their cask finishing process, something they continue to use to great effect to this day.

In keeping with the tone of these at the time, the label goes to great pains to crow-bar in a tenuous joke about the scuttling of German ships at Scapa at the end of the Great War. You can decide for yourself if it was worth the effort.

Cragganmore 1984 Distillers Edition 1 Litre / Inaugural Release

Cragganmore distillery was built by John Smith at the end of the 19th century. An astute businessman, he selected the location of his distillery to facilitate easy trade with his customers, and produced spirit geared fully towards the needs of the blending companies. It was not long before it was considered one of the finest for such a purpose, and the distillery was eventually acquired by White Horse Distillers. When White Horse were bought by DCL (now Diageo), they selected it as part of their Classic Malts series in 1988, officially launching its single malt brand. Despite this, its importance to Diageo's blends means that distillery bottlings like this are scarce, with only the 12 year old and these Distillers Editions making up a permanent range. 

This is the first ever Distillers Edition, which was distilled in 1984 and bottled in 1997. The range is a twist on the standard Classic Malts series, with each finished in a variety of different casks. For Cragganmore, the second maturation is in Port casks.

Clynelish 1989 Douglas Laing 10 Year Old

Douglas Laing & Co was established in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, affectionately known as “FDL.” The company started out as a blending business, but over time their focus shifted towards independently bottlings single malts. Fred died in 1982, leaving the business to his two sons, Stewart and Fred Jr, who eventually carved it up in 2013, with Stewart leaving to establish Hunter Laing. Fred Jr and his daughter Cara now run Douglas Laing, which continues to bottle single malt and has also revived its blending business. Additionally, the company has recently moved into distilling as well, announcing plans to construct the new Clutha distillery in Glasgow, and taking over Strathearn in Perthshire in 2019.

The Old Malt Cask series is one of the most established independent labels on the market. It was launched by Douglas Laing in 1998 and bottled by them until 2013 when the brand became part of the Hunter Laing portfolio instead. 

This 1989 vintage Clynlish was bottled by Douglas Laing in August 1999, one of the earliest Old Malt Cask releases.

Clynelish distillery as it is recognised today, was built in 1967 to replace the smaller distillery next-door, which was the original site of that name. The first distillery was closed, but later re-opened, changing its name to Brora (and the rest is history). Clynelish is part of the Diageo stable, having been taken over by DCL in 1912. Despite being an important part of the Johnnie Walker blends, it has long been bottled as a single malt. 

Hancock's President's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon

Introduced in early 1991, Hancock's President's Reserve is a single barrel bourbon brand from the portfolio of Age International, the company formed by former Fleischmann's Distilling director's, Bob Baranaskas and Ferdie Falke. They had approached Schenley in the early 1980s with a view to purchasing its Old Charter label, but were instead offered Ancient Age and the George T. Stagg distillery where it was produced. The deal was completed in 1983, two years before the retirement of George T. Stagg master distiller, Elmer T. Lee, who had served there for 36 years, working his way from the bottom up. One of his final pioneering triumphs before doing so was the introduction of mass produced single barrel bourbon through the creation of the Blanton's brand in 1984. In a fitting tribute, the following year saw the distillery launch the Elmer T. Lee single barrel in his honour. At the time of his death in 2013, Elmer was one of only two living master distillers with a bourbon named after them.

The popularity of these products was particularly high in Japan, coinciding with a market boom for American whiskey there in the 1980s. Later in 1991, with Age International in some financial trouble, a Japanese company called Takaro Shuzo stepped in and acquired a 22.5% stake in the company. In an unusual series of events, they then scuppered a deal the following year that was to see the remaining shares sold to Heublein (a subsidiary of Grand Metropolitan). Their deal the year before had included a 30 day right of refusal to purchase the shares for themselves should they be put up for sale. With the deal all but done, the Japanese company stepped in on the final day of the window to acquire full control of the company. As it turned out, their only interest was in the brands, and they had used the 30 days to negotiate a deal with the Sazerac Company of  New Orleans. This saw the American company take ownership of the distillery (which they renamed Buffalo Trace in 1999), as well as the exclusive production and US distribution rights for the Age International labels. This is an arrangement that is still in place today.

Named after Hancock Lee, the early American who settled the Leestown area around Buffalo Trace distillery, this is one of the Age International brands still produced there. Distilled from the high-rye \"mashbill #2,\" it is joined by sister-brands, Blanton's. Elmer T. Lee, Ancient Age and Rock Hill Farms.

Highland Park 1984 Glenhaven 10 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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.  

This is a particularly rare bottling, produced by the Glenhaven Scotch Whisky Co. for the US market.

Glenhaven was a short-lived independent bottler, mostly exporting their releases to America. Their bottlings appeared between 1994 and 1997, when their founder Bill Thompson sadly passed away, halting operations at the firm.

Craigellachie 1983 Hart Brothers 15 Year Old Cask Strength 75cl / US Import

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.

This 1983 vintage Craigellachie was bottled for their US customers in 1999.

The town of Craigellachie is synonymous with Speyside whisky, but its eponymous distillery has only recently come into its own as a single malt brand. For the majority of the 20th century it was owned by White Horse Distillers, who became part of DCL (now Diageo) in 1927. Its malt was important to many of their blends, and as a result, the first official distillery bottlings did not appear until the 1990s as part of the Flora & Fauna and Rare Malt Selection series. Diageo eventually offloaded the distillery to John Dewar & Sons who, under the ownership of Bacardi, created a well-respected permanent range for Craigellachie in 2014. Despite the limited availability of official releases prior to then, there were a number of independent bottlings like this that allowed connoisseurs to sample the distillery's famously sulphuric spirit. 

Chivas Royal Salute 21 Year Old Brown Flagon 1980s / US Import

The first Chivas Regal blend was launched by Chivas Brothers in 1909, a premium brand that quickly developed a big market in the US. While Prohibition put a temporary halt to its success ten years later, it also allowed Canadian distillers, Seagram, to become the biggest drinks company in North America, and they targeted Chivas Brothers straight away when buying into the Scotch market. They acquired the firm in 1949, adding Strathisla to its portfolio, and building a further three more distilleries. Over the years they also acquired the assets of Campbell Distillers and The Glenlivet Distillers, positioning it as one of the largest whisky companies in Scotland. The Seagram empire eventually collapsed in the early 2000s, with its Chivas Brothers arm picked up by Pernod-Ricard, along with Allied Domecq in a separate acquisition, bringing over the Ballantine's brand. Chivas now produces two of the top three selling blends in the world, and its distillery portfolio, with Glenlivet as its flagship brand, is rivalled only by that of Diageo.

Created by master blender, Charles H Julian, the Royal Salute was launched in 1953 as a tribute to the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II.

This is the now discontinued light brown edition of this well-aged and popular blend.

Caol Ila 1984 D&M 13 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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 an independent single cask, bottled for the Aficionados' Club of D&M Wine & Spirits in California.

Cragganmore 14 Year Old Friends of the Classic Malts / Millennium Bottling

Cragganmore distillery was built by John Smith at the end of the 19th century. An astute businessman, he selected the location of his distillery to facilitate easy trade with his customers, and produced spirit geared fully towards the needs of the blending companies. It was not long before it was considered one of the finest for such a purpose, and the distillery was eventually acquired by White Horse Distillers. When White Horse were bought by DCL (now Diageo), they selected in as part of their Classic Malts series in 1988, officially launching its single malt brand. Despite this, its importance to Diageo's blends means that distillery bottlings like this are scarce, with only the 12 year old and Distillers Edition making up a permanent range.

This limited release 14 year old was bottled for the Friends of the Classic Malts fan club.

Chivas Royal Salute 21 Year Old Sapphire Flagon 1980s / US Import

The first Chivas Regal blend was launched by Chivas Brothers in 1909, a premium brand that quickly developed a big market in the US. While Prohibition put a temporary halt to its success ten years later, it also allowed Canadian distillers, Seagram, to become the biggest drinks company in North America, and they targeted Chivas Brothers straight away when buying into the Scotch market. They acquired the firm in 1949, adding Strathisla to its portfolio, and building a further three more distilleries. Over the years they also acquired the assets of Campbell Distillers and The Glenlivet Distillers, positioning it as one of the largest whisky companies in Scotland. The Seagram empire eventually collapsed in the early 2000s, with its Chivas Brothers arm picked up by Pernod-Ricard, along with Allied Domecq in a separate acquisition, bringing over the Ballantine's brand. Chivas now produces two of the top three selling blends in the world, and its distillery portfolio, with Glenlivet as its flagship brand, is rivalled only by that of Diageo.

Created by master blender, Charles H Julian, the Royal Salute was launched in 1953 as a tribute to the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II.

Cambus 15 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain

Cambus distillery was built in 1806 by John Moubray, on the site of an old mill in Alloa, and initially distilled whisky from malt barley. Production swapped to grain thirty years later, which was fully modernised in 1851 by the installation of a coffey still. Cambus became a founding member of DCL in 1877, who bottled its single grian for the first time in 1906 during a battle with malt distillers over the use of the term \"whisky.\" Occassional runs of distillery bottlings continued to appear during the 20th century, but the distillery was sadly closed down in 1993 during a mass reorgsanition of their portfolio effort by its owners, United Distillers. The site now houses a Diageo cooperage, opened in 2011.

This is a 1990s distillery bottling of 15 year old single grain. This was produced in addition to a 13 year old and a non-age statement release.

Chivas Royal Salute 21 Year Old Sapphire Flagon 1980s / US Import

The first Chivas Regal blend was launched by Chivas Brothers in 1909, a premium brand that quickly developed a big market in the US. While Prohibition put a temporary halt to its success ten years later, it also allowed Canadian distillers, Seagram, to become the biggest drinks company in North America, and they targeted Chivas Brothers straight away when buying into the Scotch market. They acquired the firm in 1949, adding Strathisla to its portfolio, and building a further three more distilleries. Over the years they also acquired the assets of Campbell Distillers and The Glenlivet Distillers, positioning it as one of the largest whisky companies in Scotland. The Seagram empire eventually collapsed in the early 2000s, with its Chivas Brothers arm picked up by Pernod-Ricard, along with Allied Domecq in a separate acquisition, bringing over the Ballantine's brand. Chivas now produces two of the top three selling blends in the world, and its distillery portfolio, with Glenlivet as its flagship brand, is rivalled only by that of Diageo.

Created by master blender, Charles H Julian, the Royal Salute was launched in 1953 as a tribute to the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II.

Cambus 13 Year Old Single Grain

Cambus distillery was built in 1806 by John Moubray, on the site of an old mill in Alloa, and initially distilled whisky from malt barley. Production swapped to grain thirty years later, which was fully modernised in 1851 by the installation of a coffey still. Cambus became a founding member of DCL in 1877, who bottled its single grian for the first time in 1906 during a battle with malt distillers over the use of the term \"whisky.\" Occassional runs of distillery bottlings continued to appear during the 20th century, but the distillery was sadly closed down in 1993 during a mass reorgsanition of their portfolio effort by its owners, United Distillers. The site now houses a Diageo cooperage, opened in 2011.

This is a 1990s distillery bottling of 13 year old single grain. This was produced in addition to a 15 year old and a non-age statement release.

Campbeltown Single Malt 8 Year Old Signatory Vintage 75cl / US Import

A mystery Campbeltown single malt, bottled at 8 years old by Signatory Vintage.

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 12 Year Old John Walker and Sons 1980s 

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 Cardhu brand was turned into 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 is a 1980s bottling of the 12 year old age-statement. Cardhu was one of a number of DCL distilleries that were licensed to John Walker & Sons in the 1980s due to its importance to their blends, along with high profile names like Talisker and Mortlach. This was common practice at the time, and continued until the company's subsequent iteration, United Distillers, began to restructure by withradwing these licenses and reclaiming control over the distribution of its single malt portfolio.

Cragganmore 12 Year Old 75cl 1990s / US Import

Cragganmore distillery was built by John Smith at the end of the 19th century. An astute businessman, he selected the location of his distillery to facilitate easy trade with his customers, and produced spirit geared fully towards the needs of the blending companies. It was not long before it was considered one of the finest for such a purpose, and the distillery was eventually acquired by White Horse Distillers. When White Horse were bought by DCL (now Diageo), they selected in as part of their Classic Malts series in 1988, officially launching its single malt brand. Despite this, its importance to Diageo's blends means that distillery bottlings like this are scarce, with only this 12 year old and Distillers Edition making up a permanent range. 

This is an early release of the Classic Malts 12 year old. When United Distillers succeeded DCL, one of their first orders of business was to reclaim control of the distribution of their single malts. In the DCL days, the distillery's had been licensed to the blending company's in their portfolio, Cragganmore for example to D&J McCallum, and Talisker to John Walker & Sons. The process of cancelling these contracts was quicker for some distilleries than others, so some of the early Classic Malts still bear the names of these former licensees, most notably White Horse Distillers on the Lagavulin 16 year old, but also as shown here.

Clynelish 12 Year Old Ainslie and Heilbron Miniature 1980s

Clynelish distillery as it is recognised today, was built in 1967 to replace the smaller distillery next-door, which was the original site of that name. The first distillery was closed, but later re-opened, changing its name to Brora (but that’s another story). Clynelish is part of the Diageo stable, having been taken over by DCL in 1912. Despite being an important part of the Johnnie Walker blends, it has long been bottled as a single malt.

As was often the case with the distilleries in the DCL portfolio, Clynelish was licensed to one of the blening company's within its portfolio. In this case it was Ainslie & Heilbron, a constituent of whom, James Ainslie & Co, had owned the distillery until 1912. When DCL were succeeded by United Distillers, one of the new company's first orders of business was to regain control of the distribution of its single malts, taking the licenses back from the blending houses. Clynelish single malt was not bottled again until 1991 when it became part of the Flora & Fauna range, and it would not be until 2002 that it was bottled with its own unique brand again.

This 12 year old is presented here with the classic brown and orange label, first used on a special Edward & Edward bottling for the legendary Edoardo Giaccone in 1973, before becoming the official livery in 1977.

Ainslie & Heilbron was gradually wound down by DCL in the 1980s, with their blends discontinued. As a result, their bottling facilities were closed and Gordon & MacPhail became the official licensed bottlers for Clynelish in 1984. Ainslie & Heilbron would remain as named proprietors on the label however.

Cardhu 12 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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 version contains malt whisky that was completely produced at Cardhu distillery, unlike the controversial 'Pure Malt' version which included whiskies from other distilleries. 

Cardhu 12 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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 version contains malt whisky that was completely produced at Cardhu distillery, unlike the controversial 'Pure Malt' version which included whiskies from other distilleries. 

Craignure 10 Year Old Island Single Malt

A 10 year old Island single malt bottled by Invergordon Distillers.

Craignure is a village on Mull, a potential clue as to which distillery this Whisky hails from. Having said that, the Island region distillery in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio is located due south of there.

Cardhu 12 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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 version contains malt whisky that was completely produced at Cardhu distillery, unlike the controversial 'Pure Malt' version which included whiskies from other distilleries. 

Cardhu 12 Year Old 

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 version contains malt whisky that was completely produced at Cardhu distillery, unlike the controversial 'Pure Malt' version which included whiskies from other distilleries. 

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. 

Caol Ila 1978 Gordon and MacPhail Cask Strength Miniature 

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 part of the Cask Strength range, a more recent version of the Original 'Cask' series, which represented Gordon & MacPhail’s first foray into natural strength bottlings in order to keep up with the market trend in preference for these in the late 1980s.

This was distilled in 1978 and bottled in February 1992 from a vatting of four casks.

Cardhu 12 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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 version contains malt whisky that was completely produced at Cardhu distillery, unlike the controversial 'Pure Malt' version which included whiskies from other distilleries. 

Highland Park 1983 Gordon and MacPhail Cask Strength 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.

This is part of the Cask Strength range, a more recent version of the Original 'Cask' series, which represented Gordon & MacPhail’s first foray into natural strength bottlings in order to keep up with the market trend in preference for these in the late 1980s.

Caperdonich 1968 Gordon and MacPhail Miniature

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 has been 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.

This is a 1968 vintage from Gordon & MacPhail.

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.