The Perfect Collection Part Two

Caol Il 15 Year Old Flora and Fauna

Following on from the successful introduction of the Classic Malts range in 1988 (at the time only six expressions), Diageo sought to build on this by releasing a further 22 single malts in 1991. These became affectionately known as the Flora & Fauna series, a term coined by whisky writer, Michael Jackson, in reference to their labels, and the range showcased the lesser-seen distilleries from the extensive Diageo portfolio at the time. Despite four further additions in 2001, only a handful of these are still permanent distillery bottlings, making this a highly collectible series.

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, who opted to bottle this 15 year old under the Flora & Fauna banner instead.

This was discontinued in 2002 when Diageo revived the Caol Ila brand, relaunching the classic 12 year old age-statement. This release is now highly sought after.

Caol Ila 1989 Signatory Vintage 10 Year Old 1.5 Litre / Millennium Edition

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 Caol Ila was distilled in 1989 and bottled in November 1999 for the company's Millennium Edition range.

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.

Bottle number 138 of 450.

This lot has a 2 bottle shipping fee.

Yamazaki Suntory Excellence 1970s

Suntory are one of the founding fathers of Japanese whisky, established by Shinjirō Torii in 1899 as a wine store in Osaka. The venture was hugely successful, and the company was renamed Kotobukiya in 1921, which built its first distillery three years later, Yamazaki. The distillery produced both malt and grain whiskies which the company blended together, releasing its first Suntory White Label in 1929, the resulting popularity of which saw the firm renamed after it 1963. Expansion in the next decade saw the company move its grain production to a new Chita distillery in 1972, and open a second malt distillery, Hakushu, the following year. Suntory today has a large stake in both the bourbon and Scotch whisky industry, but remains at the forefront of its native whisky market too.

These bottles would have been produced using malt and grain distilled at Yamazaki distillery. Suntory's grain whisky production was moved to Chita distillery during their expansion in the 1980s.

The bottle bears an unusual Scottish clan-style heraldic label.

Clynelish 1983 Cooper's Choice 12 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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. 

A 1983 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.

Clynelish 1984 Adelphi 11 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Adelphi has a rich history, operating as a distillery in the Gorbals district of Glasgow from 1825, producing spirit from the waters of Loch Katrine. The distillery ceased production in the early 20th century however and several changes in ownership culminating in a takeover by Distillers Company Ltd in 1902. The Adelphi name was revived in 1993 by Jamie Walker, great-grandson of former distillery owner Archibald. With a lineage of whisky expertise he operated Adelphi as private bottling company, which now in the hands of Keith Falconer and David Houston, continues the fine work he began of bottling top quality expressions from Scotland's finest distilleries. The company is now also distilling their own whisky at Ardnamurchan distillery in Glenbeg. 

This 1984 vintage Clynelish is one of the company's earliest 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. 

Clynelish 1982 Lombard Jewels of the Highlands 75cl / US Import

Lombard was a company originally based on the Isle of Man. Although blending was their chief concern, they began to acquire stocks of well-selected single malt in the 1960s, the legacy of which has provided some fantastic independent releases.

This 1982 vintage Clynelishis part of their Jewels of range, and was bottled in 1998 for the US market.

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.

Carsebridge 28 Year Old James MacArthur Cask Strength 1980s

The history of Carsebridge dates back to 1798 when it was built by John Bald in order to produce malt whisky. The decision to convert to grain production was made by his son, an astute businessman known as John 'The Politic' Bald II. He installed two coffey stills and transformed it into one of the largest whisky producers in Scotland. The distillery was one of the founding members of DCL in 1877, securing its future for the next 100 years. Sadly, it was surplus to the requirements of DCL's new owners, Guinness, and it was closed in 1983. It is now demolished, and it was not officially bottled as a single grain until over 30 years after its closure. Independent labels like this have always provided the best opportunity to try its elusive unblended spirit.

James MacArthur & Co were founded in 1982 and are a no-frills independent label, focussed bringing lesser-seen and often closed distilleries to the market. Their simple approach and fine selection of cask strength and single cask whiskies has earned them an army of fans amongst connoisseurs across the world.

Coleburn 1978 Cadenhead's 17 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 1978 vintage Coleburn was bottled for the US market in December 1995.

Until 2007, Benrinnes had a unique triple distillation process that resulted in a single malt highly prized by blenders for its distinct \"meaty\" quality. So much so in fact, that none was spared for an official distillery bottling until Diageo opted to continue production of the 15 year old Flora & Fauna as a permanent release. Thankfully, the distillery has always featured in the catalogues of independent bottlers, giving ample opportunity to experience this sought after single malt. 

Caperdonich 27 Year Old Lombard's Jewels of Speyside 75cl / US Import

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 an independent bottling produced by Lombard for their Jewels of Speyside series.

Lombard was a company originally based on the Isle of Man. Although blending was their chief concern, they began to acquire stocks of well-selected single malt in the 1960s, the legacy of which has provided some fantastic independent releases.

Yamazaki Old Suntory Whisky 1960s

Suntory are one of the founding fathers of Japanese whisky, established by Shinjirō Torii in 1899 as a wine store in Osaka. The venture was hugely successful, and the company was renamed Kotobukiya in 1921, which built its first distillery three years later, Yamazaki. The distillery produced both malt and grain whiskies which the company blended together, releasing its first Suntory White Label in 1929, the resulting popularity of which saw the firm renamed after it 1963. Expansion in the next decade saw the company move its grain production to a new Chita distillery in 1972, and open a second malt distillery, Hakushu, the following year. Suntory today has a large stake in both the bourbon and Scotch whisky industry, but remains at the forefront of its native whisky market too.

This is a 1960s bottling of the Old Suntory blend.

These bottles would have been produced using malt and grain distilled at Yamazaki distillery. Suntory's grain whisky production was moved to Chita distillery during their expansion in the 1980s.

Caol Ila 1977 Gordon and MacPhail

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 1977 vintage is a Gordon & MacPhail bottling from the late 1980s or early 1990s.

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. 

Craigellachie 14 Year Old Flora and Fauna

Following on from the successful introduction of the Classic Malts range in 1988 (at the time only six expressions), Diageo sought to build on this by releasing a further 22 single malts in 1991. These became affectionately known as the Flora & Fauna series, a term coined by whisky writer, Michael Jackson, in reference to their labels, and the range showcased the lesser-seen distilleries from the extensive Diageo portfolio at the time. Despite four further additions in 2001, only a handful of these are still permanent distillery bottlings, making this a highly collectible series.

This is the 14 year old from Craigellachie, discontinued in 1998.

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 in the form of this Flora & Fauna, and the 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. 

Cragganmore 1982 Cadenhead's 12 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 rare Cragganmore was distilled in 1982 and bottled for the US market in June 1995.

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 other distillery bottlings are scarce, and it remains somewhat of a hidden gem. Thankfully, the occasional casks have been made available to independent bottlers over the years. 

Caol Ila 1981 Gordon and MacPhail 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. 

This is a 1981 vintage, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in 1995.

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.

Celtic Football Club Centenary Special Reserve

A blended Scotch whisky released to commemorate Celtic Football Club's centenary in 1988.

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.

Yamazaki 12 Year Old 75cl / US Import

First introduced in 1984, the Yamazaki 12 year old was Japan's first seriously marketed single malt. With the introduction of the Distiller's Reserve in 2014, the 12 year old expression was elevated in the core range, and is becoming increasingly difficult to find.

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

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. 

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.