The Perfect Collection Part Two

Johnnie Walker '1805' Celebration Blend 75cl / US Import

Johnnie Walker is arguably the most popular and recognisable blended Scotch on the market. Its core range includes the standard Red Label and Black Label, introduced in 1909 and named, quite simply, after their packaging. The iconic “striding man” motif was first drawn by Tom Browne the year prior. The premium Blue Label brand was introduced in 1992, and is composed using malt whisky from some of the most sought after distilleries in Diageo’s extensive portfolio. Today, many of these distilleries are only still with us due to their importance to the Johnnie Walker blends during the difficult 1980s period for the industry. A true champion of the whisky world. 

The 1805 is a near mythical bottle of Johnnie Walker, created by Jim Beveridge as one of the rarest and exclusive whiskies to mark the 200th anniversary of John Walker's birthday.

This was never intended for public sale as all of the bottles were gifted to people who (in the company's opinion) ‘made a significant contribution to modern life,’ the company has never divulged this list.

This very limited whisky was produced from only 9 casks, all aged between 45 and 70 years old and limited to only 200 bottles.  

Jura 1966 Signatory Vintage 32 Year Old / 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 1966 vintage Jura was bottled to mark the company's 10th anniversary in 1998. It is one of 248 bottles drawn from cask #1485.

The Isle of Jura is one of the most isolated in the Hebridean archipelago, and by all logical accounts an unusual place to build a distillery. However, the historic site was re-opened in the 1960s, in part to provide jobs to what was a declining population at the time. The rebuilding of the distillery was back by blenders, Charles Mackinlay & Co, so like Bruichladdich, despite the island being covered in peat, it produced an un-peated spirit to meet the needs of their blends. This continued into the 1990s when Whyte & Mackay became its owners, although they did eventually introduce some peated malt to their distilling, launching the Jura Superstition in 2003. 

Jameson's Bow Street 1963 Cadenhead's 27 Year Old 75cl / 150th Anniversary

Mis-spelled on the label at \"Jamieson's,\" this is an Irish whiskey from the Jameson Bow Street distillery.

This was distilled in 1963, just three years before the amalgamation of Jameson with fellow Dublin firm, Powers, and Cork Distillers to form the Irish Distillers group. Part of the plan for this new company was to consolidate all distilling operations at a new distillery in Midleton, adjacent to Cork Distillers' Old Midleton. This site opened in 1975, with Bow Street closing in preparation for it in 1971. It has developed a legendary status in Irish history since.

This was bottled in 1991 as a commemoration for the 150th anniversary of Wm. Cadenhead, which would be marked the following year.

This and a number of releases from other closed distilleries are the first incarnations of Cadenhead's Authentic Collection, now its flagship brand.

John Jameson 1949 Averys 37 Year Old

Averys of Bristol are a historic English wine-merchant and distributor, always famed for their forward-thinking outlook on wine and spirits. They were early champions of new world wines, and the first to import what are now recognised household names like Wolf Blass and Penfolds Grange. Similarly, they were also ahead of the curve with whisky, bottling single malts as early as the 1930s. There has been little output from the firm since the 1980s, but in their heydey they produced some incredibly sought after whisky and rum, including Macallan, Highland Park, and an elegantly labelled series for the Corti Brothers of Sacramento.

This single cask is from a batch of John Jameson whisky purchased by the company in 1949. At this time the only way to acquire Jameson whisky was to buy it in cask and bottle it under license from the Dublin company. It was not until the 1960s when it became part of the Irish Distillers group that Jameson was first sold by the bottle by the distillery.

This will have been produced at the historic Bow Street in Dublin, the last distillery to close there in 1971 after Ireland's three great distillers (Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers) amalgamated their operations in 1966, eventually consolidting production at the New Midleton distillery in 1975.

This is the last cask of this parcel of 1949 vintage casks to be bottled by Averys, in 1987. By this point the Jameson brand had become a blend of Irish malt and grain whiskies. This therefore was an opportunity to sample the historic single pot still style produced at Bow Street.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label 100 Year of the Striding Man 75cl / US Import

Johnnie Walker is arguably the most popular and recognisable blended Scotch on the market. Its core range includes the standard Red Label and Black Label, introduced in 1909 and named, quite simply, after their packaging. The iconic “striding man” motif was first drawn by Tom Browne the year prior. The premium Blue Label brand was introduced in 1992, and is composed using malt whisky from some of the most sought after distilleries in Diageo’s extensive portfolio. Today, many of these distilleries are only still with us due to their importance to the Johnnie Walker blends during the difficult 1980s period for the industry. A true champion of the whisky world. 

This is a 2008 special release of the Blue Label blend, bottled to commemorate the centery of the \"striding man\" logo. The instantly-recognisable motif underwent several design iterations over those years, most notably in 1999 when his direction of travel was changed from striding right-to-left, to left-to-right, part of their \"Keep Walking\" advertising campaign, and emblematic of a feeling of positivity heading into the new millennium.

John Jameson and Son Redbreast 12 Year Old 1980s

Redbreast is a single pot still whiskey, for which a combination of malted and un-malted barley are triple distilled in copper pot stills. The brand was created by W.A. Gilbey & Co, and bottled using whiskey sourced from Jameson's Bow Street distillery in Dublin. When Jameson amalgamated with Powers and Cork Distillers to form the Irish Distillers group, the Dublin distilleries were closed down, with all production moved to New Midleton distillery in Cork in 1975. Gilbey's discontinued the brand ten years later, but agreed to sell it to Irish Distillers who relaunched it in 1991.

This is an old early 1980s version of the Gilbey's product, one of the last to bear their name and will contain whiskey produced int he last years of production at Jameson's Bow Street.

Jefferson's Reserve 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon

A bourbon brand inspired by former US president and founder father, Thomas Jefferson's curiosity, experimental spirit and good taste.

Jefferson's Reserve is a blend produced by Castle Brands, historically from whisky sourced from various distilleries. The company now owns the Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood though, and is increasingly warehousing more of its own stock.

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve 2007 Edition 75cl / US Import

The Jameson brand is named for its founder, John Jameson, a Scot who was married into the famous Haig distilling dynasty. Jameson was one of the original Dublin whiskies, and is synonymous with its spiritual ex-home, the Bow Street distillery in Ireland's capital. The Irish Wars of Independence, subsequent trade war with Britain, and US Prohibition, all hit the whiskey industry there hard in the mid-20th century. The solution was the creation of the Irish Distillers group, a merger between Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers in 1966. Now a Pernod Ricard subsidiary, Irish Distillers continue to produce Jameson at the New Midleton distillery in Cork, built in 1975. Today it is best-selling Irish whiskey in the world.

A very well respected and rare Jameson, including some of their oldest and rarest vintages. Some of which is pot-still whisky matured in a Port Pipe. 

Jura 1967 Stillman's Dram 27 Year Old

The Isle of Jura is one of the most isolated in the Hebridean archipelago, and by all logical accounts an unusual place to build a distillery. However, the historic site was re-opened in the 1960s, in part to provide jobs to what was a declining population at the time. The rebuilding of the distillery was back by blenders, Charles Mackinlay & Co, so like Bruichladdich, despite the island being covered in peat, it produced an un-peated spirit to meet the needs of their blends. This continued into the 1990s when Whyte & Mackay became its owners, although they did eventually introduce some peated malt to their distilling, launching the Jura Superstition in 2003. 

This was bottled within The Stillman's Dram series of whiskies, a premium range of limited editions which showcased impressive age-statements from the Whyte & Mackay distillery portfolio, which also includes Dalmore, Tamnavulin and at the time, Bruichladdich.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label 100 Year of the Striding Man 75cl / US Import

Johnnie Walker is arguably the most popular and recognisable blended Scotch on the market. Its core range includes the standard Red Label and Black Label, introduced in 1909 and named, quite simply, after their packaging. The iconic “striding man” motif was first drawn by Tom Browne the year prior. The premium Blue Label brand was introduced in 1992, and is composed using malt whisky from some of the most sought after distilleries in Diageo’s extensive portfolio. Today, many of these distilleries are only still with us due to their importance to the Johnnie Walker blends during the difficult 1980s period for the industry. A true champion of the whisky world. 

This is a 2008 special release of the Blue Label blend, bottled to commemorate the centery of the \"striding man\" logo. The instantly-recognisable motif underwent several design iterations over those years, most notably in 1999 when his direction of travel was changed from striding right-to-left, to left-to-right, part of their \"Keep Walking\" advertising campaign, and emblematic of a feeling of positivity heading into the new millennium.

Jameson 15 Year Old Limited Edition

The Jameson brand is named for its founder, John Jameson, a Scot who was married into the famous Haig distilling dynasty. Jameson was one of the original Dublin whiskies, and is synonymous with its spiritual ex-home, the Bow Street distillery in Ireland's capital. The Irish Wars of Independence, subsequent trade war with Britain, and US Prohibition, all hit the whiskey industry there hard in the mid-20th century. The solution was the creation of the Irish Distillers group, a merger between Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers in 1966. Now a Pernod Ricard subsidiary, Irish Distillers continue to produce Jameson at the New Midleton distillery in Cork, built in 1975. Today it is best-selling Irish whiskey in the world.

This is a pure pot still whiskey in the style historically produced by John Jameson & Son at Bow Street. Aged 15 years and bottled at the turn of the millennium.

John Begg's Gold Cap circa 1920s

Gold Cap was a premium blend produced by John Begg, the founder and at this time, proprietor of Royal Lochnagar distillery. This was bottled around the 1920s, and bears the royal warrant of King George V, and a Betts & Co foil capsule, patented the decade previously. Lochnagar distillery's royal connections date back as far as Queen Victoria, who awarded it its first Royal Warrant after just three years of operation, in 1848.

John Begg has been acquired by John Dewar & Sons by the time this was produced, and was shortly to becoe part of the DCL fold, who's modern iteratiom, Diageo, still run Royal Lochnagar to this day.

Jack Daniel's '1914' Gold Medal Series 2001

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

This is a limited bottle of Jack Daniel's, released in 2001 as the fourth part of the Gold Medal Series, which celebrated each of those won buy the distillery.

This is the 1914 version, celebrating the medal won at the Anglo-American Exposition that year. Despite the state of Tennessee being an early adopter of Prohibition, Lem Motlow (Jack Daniel's nephew) still had high hopes for the distillery. His faith was rewarded by the batch he sent to competition in London that year.

Jameson 18 Year Old Master Selection 75cl / US Import

The Jameson brand is named for its founder, John Jameson, a Scot who was married into the famous Haig distilling dynasty. Jameson was one of the original Dublin whiskies, and is synonymous with its spiritual ex-home, the Bow Street distillery in Ireland's capital. The Irish Wars of Independence, subsequent trade war with Britain, and US Prohibition, all hit the whiskey industry there hard in the mid-20th century. The solution was the creation of the Irish Distillers group, a merger between Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers in 1966. Now a Pernod Ricard subsidiary, Irish Distillers continue to produce Jameson at the New Midleton distillery in Cork, built in 1975. Today it is best-selling Irish whiskey in the world.

This is the 18 year old Master Selection, bottled prior to its replacement by the Limited Reserve.

John Jameson 12 Year Old 1970s / Soffiantino Import

With one eye on warehouses full of ageing stock, and another across the Atlantic to a United States of America set to repeal the Prohibition Act, a 12 Year Old Jameson was first bottled in 1932. This premium expression was distilled in the quintessential Irish style, from a mash of malted and unmalted cereals in traditional copper pots.

The first Jameson 12 year old blend, like this one, represents a significant change in Irish distilling at the time, one that likely saved the industry. The Jameson, Powers and Cork distilling companies had banded together as Irish Distillers in an effort to pool resources and capitalise on what was about to become a hugely expanded export market. Jameson was pushed as the poster boy and in an effort to appeal to international tastes at the time, the old Irish pot still whiskeys would henceforth become the modern blends that we recognise today.

This particular blend is a marriage of both of Irelands great closed distilleries, Jameson's Bow Street, and Powers' John's Lane. The pure pot still content is from Bow Street, and the grain, since Jameson's did not have a patent still, came from John's Lane. There is some serious Irish distilling history captured in this bottle. We hear it doesn't taste too bad either!

Based on the glass stamp, this bottles dates to sometime in or just after 1977.

John Jameson 15 Year Old 1970s

The Jameson brand is named for its founder, John Jameson, a Scot who was married into the famous Haig distilling dynasty. Jameson was one of the original Dublin whiskies, and is synonymous with its spiritual ex-home, the Bow Street distillery in Ireland's capital. The Irish Wars of Independence, subsequent trade war with Britain, and US Prohibition, all hit the whiskey industry there hard in the mid-20th century. The solution was the creation of the Irish Distillers group, a merger between Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers in 1966. Now a Pernod-Ricard subsidiary, Irish Distillers continue to produce Jameson at the New Midleton distillery in Cork, built in 1975. Today it is best-selling Irish whiskey in the world.

These first Jameson blended Irish whiskies represented a significant change in Irish distilling at the time, one that likely saved the industry. When the Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers companies had banded together as Irish Distillers in an effort to pool resources and capitalise on what was about to become a hugely expanded export market, Jameson was pushed as the poster boy and in an effort to appeal to international tastes at the time. The old Irish pot still whiskeys would henceforth become the modern blends that we recognise today.

This particular 15 year old blend is a marriage of both of Irelands great closed distilleries, Jameson's Bow Street, and Powers' John's Lane. The pure pot still content is from Bow Street, and the grain, since Jameson's did not have a patent still, came from John's Lane. There is some serious Irish distilling history captured in this bottle. 

1970s import by Soffiantino for the Italian market.

Jura 26 Year Old Stillman's Dram

The Isle of Jura is one of the most isolated in the Hebridean archipelago, and by all logical accounts an unusual place to build a distillery. However, the historic site was re-opened in the 1960s, in part to provide jobs to what was a declining population at the time. The rebuilding of the distillery was back by blenders, Charles Mackinlay & Co, so like Bruichladdich, despite the island being covered in peat, it produced an un-peated spirit to meet the needs of their blends. This continued into the 1990s when Whyte & Mackay became its owners, although they did eventually introduce some peated malt to their distilling, launching the Jura Superstition in 2003. 

This was bottled within The Stillman's Dram series of whiskies, a premium range of limited editions which showcased impressive age-statements from the Whyte & Mackay distillery portfolio, which also includes Dalmore, Tamnavulin and at the time, Bruichladdich.

Jura 26 Year Old Stillman's Dram

The Isle of Jura is one of the most isolated in the Hebridean archipelago, and by all logical accounts an unusual place to build a distillery. However, the historic site was re-opened in the 1960s, in part to provide jobs to what was a declining population at the time. The rebuilding of the distillery was back by blenders, Charles Mackinlay & Co, so like Bruichladdich, despite the island being covered in peat, it produced an un-peated spirit to meet the needs of their blends. This continued into the 1990s when Whyte & Mackay became its owners, although they did eventually introduce some peated malt to their distilling, launching the Jura Superstition in 2003. 

This was bottled within The Stillman's Dram series of whiskies, a premium range of limited editions which showcased impressive age-statements from the Whyte & Mackay distillery portfolio, which also includes Dalmore, Tamnavulin and at the time, Bruichladdich.

Jameson Crested Ten

The Jameson brand is named for its founder, John Jameson, a Scot who was married into the famous Haig distilling dynasty. Jameson was one of the original Dublin whiskies, and is synonymous with its spiritual ex-home, the Bow Street distillery in Ireland's capital. The Irish Wars of Independence, subsequent trade war with Britain, and US Prohibition, all hit the whiskey industry there hard in the mid-20th century. The solution was the creation of the Irish Distillers group, a merger between Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers in 1966. Now a Pernod Ricard subsidiary, Irish Distillers continue to produce Jameson at the New Midleton distillery in Cork, built in 1975. Today it is best-selling Irish whiskey in the world.

Crested Ten is an older Jameson, produced with a higher malt content. This expression has been revived recently, this time simply as Crested.

Jura 8 Year Old 1980s

The Isle of Jura is one of the most isolated in the Hebridean archipelago, and by all logical accounts an unusual place to build a distillery. However, the historic site was re-opened in the 1960s, in part to provide jobs to what was a declining population at the time. The rebuilding of the distillery was back by blenders, Charles Mackinlay & Co, so like Bruichladdich, despite the island being covered in peat, it produced an un-peated spirit to meet the needs of their blends. This continued into the 1990s when Whyte & Mackay became its owners, although they did eventually introduce some peated malt to their distilling, launching the Jura Superstition in 2003.

Although an important constituent of many blends, Jura has long been bottled as a single malt. This is a distillery bottling of the 8 year old expression which was produced through the 1970s and 1980s, eventually being replaced by the 10 year old in the core range by Whyte & Mackay.

Jaguar 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky 1980s

Jaguar 12 year old is a deluxe blend produced by Beinn Bhide under licence from Jaguar Cars UK.

Beinn Bhuide is a subsidiary company of Morrison Bowmore, and this more than likely contains single malt from Bowmore and Glen Garioch (no Auchentoshan is used for blending).

Johnnie Walker Pure Malt 15 Year Old / 'Green Label'

Johnnie Walker is arguably the most popular and recognisable blended Scotch on the market. Its core range includes the standard Red Label and Black Label, introduced in 1909 and named, quite simply, after their packaging. The iconic “striding man” motif was first drawn by Tom Browne the year prior. The premium Blue Label brand was introduced in 1992, and is composed using malt whisky from some of the most sought after distilleries in Diageo’s extensive portfolio. Today, many of these distilleries are only still with us due to their importance to the Johnnie Walker blends during the difficult 1980s period for the industry. A true champion of the whisky world. 

The Johnnie Walker Pure Malt was launched in 1997 as the blended malt member of the stable. It was officially rebranded as the Green Label (despite having always had one), to bring it into line with the rest of the range in 2004. This is the earlier version.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel 2003

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

When Jack Daniel's was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation, for many years it traded solely in its esteemed Old No.7 Brand. In recent decades it has been slowly widening its portfolio, including single barrel offerings such as this. The first Jack Daniel's single barrel was bottled in 1997.

Jura 1986 Cadenhead's 15 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 is a 1986 vintage Jura, bottled from a single butt in July 2001.

The Isle of Jura is one of the most isolated in the Hebridean archipelago, and by all logical accounts an unusual place to build a distillery. However, the historic site was re-opened in the 1960s, in part to provide jobs to what was a declining population at the time. The rebuilding of the distillery was back by blenders, Charles Mackinlay & Co, so like Bruichladdich, despite the island being covered in peat, it produced an un-peated spirit to meet the needs of their blends. This continued into the 1990s when Whyte & Mackay became its owners, although they did eventually introduce some peated malt to their distilling, launching the Jura Superstition in 2003.

Jameson '1780' Special Reserve 12 Year Old 1 Litre 1980s

The Jameson brand is named for its founder, John Jameson, a Scot who was married into the famous Haig distilling dynasty. Jameson was one of the original Dublin whiskies, and is synonymous with its spiritual ex-home, the Bow Street distillery in Ireland's capital. The Irish Wars of Independence, subsequent trade war with Britain, and US Prohibition, all hit the whiskey industry there hard in the mid-20th century. The solution was the creation of the Irish Distillers group, a merger between Jameson, Powers and Cork Distillers in 1966. Now a Pernod Ricard subsidiary, Irish Distillers continue to produce Jameson at the New Midleton distillery in Cork, built in 1975. Today it is best-selling Irish whiskey in the world.

The 12 year old was originally called the 1780 in reference to the opening of Jameson's Bow Street distillery. 

This was bottled in the 1980s, by which time the production of Jameson had been re-located to the New Midleton distillery in Cork.

Jura 1983 Cadenhead's 10 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.

Distilled in 1983 and bottled in February 1994 from a single cask. 

The Isle of Jura is one of the most isolated in the Hebridean archipelago, and by all logical accounts an unusual place to build a distillery. However, the historic site was re-opened in the 1960s, in part to provide jobs to what was a declining population at the time. The rebuilding of the distillery was back by blenders, Charles Mackinlay & Co, so like Bruichladdich, despite the island being covered in peat, it produced an un-peated spirit to meet the needs of their blends. This continued into the 1990s when Whyte & Mackay became its owners, although they did eventually introduce some peated malt to their distilling, launching the Jura Superstition in 2003. 

Jura 1983 Cadenhead's 10 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 is a 1983 vintage Jura, bottled for the US market in February 1994.

The Isle of Jura is one of the most isolated in the Hebridean archipelago, and by all logical accounts an unusual place to build a distillery. However, the historic site was re-opened in the 1960s, in part to provide jobs to what was a declining population at the time. The rebuilding of the distillery was back by blenders, Charles Mackinlay & Co, so like Bruichladdich, despite the island being covered in peat, it produced an un-peated spirit to meet the needs of their blends. This continued into the 1990s when Whyte & Mackay became its owners, although they did eventually introduce some peated malt to their distilling, launching the Jura Superstition in 2003.  

James Martin's 12 Year Old De Luxe Scotch 1970s / US Import

James Martin's is a blended Scotch brand, introduced in the late 19th century and historically produced using malt from Glenmorangie. The blends were produced predominatly for export, and they dominated the US market in the early post-Prohibition landscape. Much of the whisky stock aboard the SS Politician (of Whisky Galore fame) when it ran aground in 1941 was James Martin's. The brand was discontinued by LVMH when they bought over Glenmorangie in 2004.

Many of the James Martin blends have been highly acclaimed by whisky authors such as Michael Jackson and Dave Broom.

J.T.S. Brown Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1 Litre 2004

This is a bourbon brand named after John Thomson Street Brown, who alongside his half-brother, George Garvin Brown, founded the now illustrious Brown-Forman company. John's involvement in that firm was short-lived however, and after a disagreement with George he struck out on his own  to form what would eventually become JTS Brown & Sons, after several of his progeny grew up to join him in business. It was actually the the JTS Brown & Sons company that built the Old Prentice distillery in Lawrenceburg, which is now better known as Four Roses, and one of the Kentucky distilleries on the National Register of Historic Buildings for its distinctive mission style architecture.

The JTS Brown company was eventually sold to the Ripy Brothers in 1955, who produced it at their distillery in Lawrenceburg (now Wild Turkey) before selling it on to Heaven Hill in the 1970s. It was Heaven Hill who distilled and bottled this version in 2004.

Jura 10 Year Old 75cl / US Import

The Isle of Jura is one of the most isolated in the Hebridean archipelago, and by all logical accounts an unusual place to build a distillery. However, the historic site was re-opened in the 1960s, in part to provide jobs to what was a declining population at the time. The rebuilding of the distillery was back by blenders, Charles Mackinlay & Co, so like Bruichladdich, despite the island being covered in peat, it produced an un-peated spirit to meet the needs of their blends. This continued into the 1990s when Whyte & Mackay became its owners, although they did eventually introduce some peated malt to their distilling, launching the Jura Superstition in 2003.

Although an important constituent of many blends, Jura has long been bottled as a single malt. An 8 year old expression was produced through the 1970s and 1980s, eventually being replaced by this 10 year old in the core range by Whyte & Mackay.