The Perfect Collection Part Two

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.

Western Isles Single Malt 1993 LMDW Lands of Scotland

This is an undisclosed 1993 vintage single malt from the western isles of Scotland. It was bottled for La Maison du Whisky as part of their Lands of Scotland series.

La Maison du Whisky, aka LMDW, was founded in 1956 by Georges Benitah and is now one of the largest whisky and rum importers and distributors in France, and known the world over. They opened their first shop in Paris at the legendary 20 Rue d'Anjou in 1968, importing their first Scotch malt whiskies in the 1970s. They are known for their expertise in not only Scotch, but Japanese whisky and rum too, and their collaborative bottlings, as well as their own independent labels like this one, are highly prized.

World Pipe Band Championships 10 Year Old Single Malt

A mystery single malt bottled for the 2000 edition of The World Pipe Band Championships at Glasgow Green.

Waitrose 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt

A mystery Islay single malt, aged 12 years and bottled for upmarket UK supermarket chain, Waitrose.

Waitrose 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt

A mystery Islay single malt, aged 12 years and bottled for upmarket UK supermarket chain, Waitrose.

Whitfield's Lowland Malt 75cl / US Import

Whitfield's is a Scotch malt whisky brand produced by the Charles H. Julian company using whisky from undisclosed sources.

Charles H. Julian is one of the most important figures in the history of Scotch whisky, having composed the Cutty Sark blend for Berry Brothers & Rudd, the J&B blend, and later the Chivas Regal 12 year old for Seagram. He eventually struck out on his own, starting the Charles H. Julian company. It is best known for its Excalibur blend, and was eventually incorporated by his successors in 1995, seeing it later sold to the Lockwood family in Essex. 

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. 

Waitrose 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt

A mystery Islay single malt, aged 12 years and bottled for upmarket UK supermarket chain, Waitrose.

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.