The Perfect Collection Part Two

Glen Grant 21 Year Old Decanter 1960s / Giovinetti Import

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

This is a 21 year old decanter bottling, imported to Italy by Giovinetti in the 1960s.

Royal Brackla 1978 Whyte and Whyte 15 Year Old 75cl / Spirits Library

Founded in 1817, Brackla distillery was the first in Scotland to be granted a Royal Warrant, becoming Royal Brackla at the behest of King William IV in 1835. The distillery was primarily tasked with providing malt for blending, and became part of DCL (now Diageo) in 1943. It was one of the many distilleries that they were forced to close due to a production surplus in the 1980s however, mothballed between 1985 and 1991. Royal Brackla was sold along with the rest of those associated with the Dewar's brand to Bacardi in 1998. Although Bacardi launched a single malt brand for the distillery in 1999, it was not widely distributed until it was repackaged as part of their Last Great Malts collection in 2014. Independent releases from all eras have become increasingly sought after.

This was bottled for Whyte and Whyte, a Chicago-based independent spirits distributor in the US. The company had a UK arm that sourced casks of single malt from a variety of specialist firms, including Signatory Vintage and Wm. Cadenhead. This bottle is part of a sought-after series the company imported for the Spirits Library, a Scotch and Cognac retailer in the US. Whyte and Whyte ceased trading in 1998, and these bottles are an increasing rarity.

Glenrothes 1974 Whyte and Whyte 18 Year Old 75cl / Spirits Library

Earmarked from an early stage an ideal component in blended Scotch whiskies, Glenrothes has long been a key part of big brands such as Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse. Its relationship with the former, lead to a three decade-long association with London wine-merchants, Berry Brothers & Rudd, who first approached Highland Distillers about licensing the Glenrothes single malt brand in 1983, eventually trading the Cutty Sark blend with Edrington for full ownership of it in 2010. The distillery itself remained with Edrington through, and the two were reunited when the now hugely successful brand was returned in 2017. Releases from independent labels like this have also always been highly regarded.

This was bottled for Whyte and Whyte, a Chicago-based independent spirits distributor in the US. The company had a UK arm that sourced casks of single malt from a variety of specialist firms, including Signatory Vintage and Wm. Cadenhead. This bottle is part of a sought after series the company imported for the Spirits Library, a Scotch and Cognac retailer in the US. Whyte and Whyte ceased trading in 1998, and these bottles are an increasing rarity.

Ardbeg 1992 Signatory Vintage 8 Year Old / 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 Ardbeg was distilled in March 1992 and bottled in March 2000 as part of the company's Millennium Edition range. 

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

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.

Laphroaig 10 Year Old 75cl 1990s / Hiram Walker Import, US

Laphroaig is the largest of the three heavyweight Islay distilleries in Kildalton, out-stripping the production capacity of neighbours, Ardbeg and Lagavulin, by over 1 million litres per annum. Despite its traditional appearance, Laphroaig was always a forward-thinking distillery. It was bottled as a single malt as early as the 1920s, an unfashionable option at the time, especially for a peated whisky. They were also shrewd in capitalising on post-Prohibition America to add trademark sweetness to their spirit through the use of imported ex-bourbon casks, and hired Scotland’s first ever female distillery manager, Bessie Williamson, in 1954. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland to still use in-house maltings, providing them with 20% of their annual requirements, and contributing to the distillery’s unique flavour profile. 

This is the 10 year old distillery bottling, an absolute classic of the whisky world.

This one was bottled in the later 1990s for the US market.

Glen Albyn 1978 Hart Brothers 19 Year Old

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

This was distilled in 1978 and bottled by Hart Brothers in 2000.

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.

Glenallachie 1976 Whisky Castle 18 Year Old / The Castle Collection

Glenallachie distillery was built by Mackinlays in 1967 to meet the demands of its blends following an upturn in sales in the US. In its short history it has passed through the hands of Invergordon Distillers and Pernod Ricard. During this period the focus was always on the provision of blends, with over 20 years between the first Mackinlay’s distillery bottlings of its single malt and the next official release from Chivas Brothers in 2005. Now in the hands of Billy Walker and being pushed as a single malt brand since 2017, prior to this, the only real opportunity to try Glenallachie was through sought after independent bottlings like this. 

This is the third release in The Castle Collection, a series bottled for The Whisky Castle in Tomintoul.

Aged for 18 years in single cask #6236 and bottled in 1995.

Glencraig 1975 Gordon and MacPhail

Glencraig is a rare single malt that was produced at Glenburgie distillery while owned by Hiram Walker, the Canadian drinks giant who bought into Scotch whisky in the early 1930s. They conducted a number of experiments with Lomond stills in the mid-20th century in order to produce a greater variety of malts for their blends, most notably Ballantline's. The spirit from Glenburgie's Lomond still was Glencraig. It was never intended to be bottled as a single malt, and there are no official releases, but a number of sought after independent bottlings like this have appeared over the years. Production of it ceased in 1981 when the stills were removed. 

This 1975 vintage was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in 2000.

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.

Bowmore 1989 Blackadder 10 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements. The unique microclimate in their iconic No.1 vaults shares very little with the angels, meaning casks are readily available for independent labels like this, many of which are spectacular.

This independent bottling was distilled in September 1989 and bottled September 2000 for the US market.

Blackadder International were founded in 1995 by whisky writers, Robin Tucek and John Lamond, authors of the 1987 publication, The Malt Whisky File: The Essential Guide for the Malt Whisky Connoisseur. The company has gained great affection from whisky enthusiasts for its Raw Cask series, which is deliberately drawn un-filtered from the cask so as to retain all cask sediment along with any natural oils and fats. The company is credited with a key role in the popularisation of cask strength whiskies since its inception.

Glencraig 1970 Gordon and Macphail

Glencraig is a rare single malt that was produced at Glenburgie distillery while owned by Hiram Walker, the Canadian drinks giant who bought into Scotch whisky in the early 1930s. They conducted a number of experiments with Lomond stills in the mid-20th century in order to produce a greater variety of malts for their blends, most notably Ballantline's. The spirit from Glenburgie's Lomond still was Glencraig. It was never intended to be bottled as a single malt, and there are no official releases, but a number of sought after independent bottlings like this have appeared over the years. Production of it ceased in 1981 when the stills were removed. 

Distilled in 1970, this was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in 1996.

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.

Bushmills 21 Year Old Three Wood 2003 75cl / US Import

The Old Bushmills distillery in Northern Ireland is the world's oldest licensed whiskey producer, granted a license to distil whisky in 1608. The modern iteration of the distillery was built in 1885, following a fire. Old Bushmills was bought by the Irish Distillers group in 1971, giving them a full monopoly on the production of whiskey on the island, lasting until 1987 when Cooley was opened by the Teeling family. Diageo later bought the site in 2005, before trading it 9 years later with Casa Cuervo in exchange for a stake in one of their Tequila brands.

The 21 year old was added to the core range in 2001, and has been matured in three types of wood, a vatting of 19 year old bourbon and Oloroso casks, with a two year finishing period in ex-Madeira casks.

This is a 2003 bottling.

Tamnavulin 10 Year Old Decanter

Tamnavulin distillery was opened in 1966 by Invergordon Distillers as a response to the increasing demands for their blends, and such provision has always been the distillery's focus. Despite this, Invergordon Distillers were always interested in bottling their single malts, and Tamnavulin was no different. They even boasted the legendary Moon Import are their Italian agents in the later 1980s. When Invergordon were bought over by Whyte & Mackay in 1995, the distillery was mothballed, but eventually re-opened in 2007. It now has a more prominent range for its single malt brand, and earlier distillery bottlings like this are becoming something of a rarity.

This is an older decanter release of the 10 year old age-statement, bottled in the 1990s. This expression was later discontinued in favour of a 12 year old after post-closure stocks made a 10 year old bottling impossible.

Macduff 1978 Cadenhead's 16 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 Macduff was bottled in June 1994.

Production began at Macduff distillery in 1963, and it was eventually purchased by William Lawson, the Scotch whisky arm of Italian giants, Martini & Rossi. In addition to provision for the William Lawson blend, the company also set about bottling its single malt, selecting the name \"Glen Deveron,\" and youthful 5 and 8 year old age statements so make it more marketable in Italy, where its Glen Grant equivalents were best-sellers. Glen Deveron disappeared after Bacardi took over the distillery ownership in 1993, but eventually returned as simply The Deveron. Macduff-labelled single malts were widely bottled by independent companies in the meantime, and continue to be today. 

Bunnababhain 1980 Selection MW 18 Year Old

An austere piece of Victorian architecture on the north-east coast of Islay, Bunnahabhain is a relative outsider on the island, traditionally known for producing an un-peated single malt. The majority of this was used for blending, as was its initial intended purpose. The distillery was shut for 2 years in 1982 following the market downturn of the period, and despite being revived at low production, it was eventually officially bottled as a single malt later that decade, with the self-deprecating tag-line, \"the un-pronounceable malt.\" 

This is an interesting independent bottle bottling by Signatory Vintage, produced for La Maison du Whisky in 1998.

Distilled in April 1980 and matured in a refill sherry hogshead, this is part of a series titled Selection M.W.

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.

Longmorn 1981 D&M 20 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Longmorn is a popular Speyside distillery, and an essential component in many blends over the years. As such, much of its production is reserved for this purpose and although distillery bottlings first appeared in the 1980s, it was rarely seen before the 15 year old expression was relaunched in 1993. The distillery has long prominent on the independent scene however, and has cult following in Japan, perhaps in no small part to its connection with Nikka founder Masataka Taketsuru, who modelled the stills at Yoichi on those at Longmorn.

This is an independent single cask, bottled for the Afficionado's Club or D&M Wine & Spirits in California.

Lochside 1981 Gordon and MacPhail

Lochside was founded in 1957, however single malt vintages only date from the early to mid 1960s and from the early 1980s as its Spanish owners in the 1970s, Destilerias y Crianzas (DYC), used its malt exclusively for export blends. Prior to this it was in the hands of Joseph Hobbs who had operated both pot and a coffey still, blending both malt and grain at birth for the distillery's Sandy MacNab brand. Some of these \"blended at birth\" casks have subsequently been bottled by independent labels. The practice stopped with Hobbs' death in 1964, and the distillery exclusively produced malt until it eventually closed in 1992. 

This rare bottling was distilled 1981 and bottled by Gordon and MacPhail in 1996.

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.

Dalwhinnie 1981 Distillers Edition

Dalwhinnie was one of the six original Classic Malts when they were selected by DCL (now Diageo) back in 1988, and it was tipped to become the favourite among consumers on account of its flawless floral flavours and elegant character. Although eventually pipped at the post by the smoky dark horse that was the Lagavulin 16 year old, it remains a well-loved single malt. The distillery is both the highest and coldest in Scotland, contributing to its unique flavour through the rapid condensing that occurs in its worm tubs.  

Launched in 1997, the Distillers Edition range are cask finished variations on the Classic Malts. This is the second release of this double matured series from Dalwhinnie, and was finished in Oloroso cask wood.

Macduff 1975 Cadenhead's 21 Year Old 75cl / US Import

The Authentic Collection was launched by Wm. Cadenhead in 1991, and included whiskies from several rare closed Scottish and Irish distilleries, bottled for the company's 150th anniversary. It would later go on to become a mainstay of their portfolio, as the cask strength alternative to the Original Collection, which replaced their famous \"dumpy\" bottlings in the early 1990s. The Authentic Collection is now the flagship Cadenhead brand, and one of the most recognisable independent labels on the market.

This 1975 vintage Macduff was bottled in December 1996.

Production began at Macduff distillery in 1963, and it was eventually purchased by William Lawson, the Scotch whisky arm of Italian giants, Martini & Rossi. In addition to provision for the William Lawson blend, the company also set about bottling its single malt, selecting the name \"Glen Deveron,\" and youthful 5 and 8 year old age statements so make it more marketable in Italy, where its Glen Grant equivalents were best-sellers. Glen Deveron disappeared after Bacardi took over the distillery ownership in 1993, but eventually returned as simply The Deveron. Macduff-labelled single malts were widely bottled by independent companies in the meantime, and continue to be today. 

Macduff 21 Year James Macarthur Cask Strength 1980s

Production began at Macduff distillery in 1963, and it was eventually purchased by William Lawson, the Scotch whisky arm of Italian giants, Martini & Rossi. In addition to provision for the William Lawson blend, the company also set about bottling its single malt, selecting the name \"Glen Deveron,\" and youthful 5 and 8 year old age statements so make it more marketable in Italy, where its Glen Grant equivalents were best-sellers. Glen Deveron disappeared after Bacardi took over the distillery ownership in 1993, but eventually returned as simply The Deveron. Macduff-labelled single malts were widely bottled by independent companies in the meantime, and continue to be today. 

This is a 21 year old from James MacArthur & Co.

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.

Prestonfield House De Luxe Scotch Whisky 1980s

The Prestonfield House is a blended Scotch produced by Morrison's Bowmore in the 1980s for the famous hotel and restaurant in Edinburgh. The assistant manager there at the time was Andrew Symington, who would later go on to establish Signatory Vintage, bottling a range of single malts for his former employers in the years that followed.

The quality of those Prestonfield bottlings has turned it into one of the most sought after independent labels on the whisky market, and this precursor blend is a must have for any collector.

Prestonfield House De Luxe Scotch Whisky 1980s

The Prestonfield House is a blended Scotch produced by Morrison's Bowmore in the 1980s for the famous hotel and restaurant in Edinburgh. The assistant manager there at the time was Andrew Symington, who would later go on to establish Signatory Vintage, bottling a range of single malts for his former employers in the years that followed.

The quality of those Prestonfield bottlings has turned it into one of the most sought after independent labels on the whisky market, and this precursor blend is a must have for any collector.

Glen Scotia 1977 D&M 19 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Despite having been mothballed several times throughout its history, Glen Scotia is a proud survivor of the early 20th century desolation of Campbeltown, once known as \"the whisky capital of the world.” The Kintyre peninsula formerly boasted over 30 distilleries, but by the end of the 1920s, only this and Springbank remained. Shut for most of the 1990s before being re-opened by Loch Lomond Distillers, today it is one of only three in the region, and despite having a prominent portfolio of distillery bottlings in shops today, older releases like this, even from independents are quite rare.  

This is an independent single cask, bottled for D&M Wine & Spirits in California.

Celtic Football Club Centenary Special Reserve

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

Glentauchers 1977 Cadenhead's 16 Year Old 75cl / US Import

The Authentic Collection was launched by Wm. Cadenhead in 1991, and included whiskies from several rare closed Scottish and Irish distilleries, bottled for the company's 150th anniversary. It would later go on to become a mainstay of their portfolio, as the cask strength alternative to the Original Collection, which replaced their famous \"dumpy\" bottlings in the early 1990s. The Authentic Collection is now the flagship Cadenhead brand, and one of the most recognisable independent labels on the market.

This 1977 vintage Glentauchers was bottled for the US market in February 1994.

Glentauchers is an important single malt for blended Scotch, most recently a named component of Ballantine's. As such, it is rarely seen in single malt form. Over the years, some bottlings were officially licensed to Gordon & MacPhail, and 2017 saw a distillery bottling launched under the Ballantine's banner along with a Glenburgie and Miltonduff. Prior to that, enthusiasts were limited to seeking out independent bottlings like this one.

Knockando 1976 18 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Knockando is a late 19th century distillery, purchased by W & A Gilbery in 1904, alongside Strathmill and Glen Spey during its expansion into the whisky business. When Gilbey's became part of IDV in the 1960s, Knockando became the home of the Justerini & Brooks blends, and remains so to this day under the ownership of Diageo. Despite its importance to such a big-selling blended Scotch, Knockando has always been regarded as a fine single malt in its own right, and has a history of official distillery bottlings dating back to the 1970s, but very little has ever been spared for the independent bottlers.

Unusually for a core-range single malt, those from Knockando have traditionally always featured the vintage on the label. For a brief period this was instead referred to in Americanised terms as the distillation \"season.\" 

Glenrothes 1987 12 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Earmarked from an early stage an ideal component in blended Scotch whiskies, Glenrothes has long been a key part of big brands such as Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse. Its relationship with the former, lead to a three decade-long association with London wine-merchants, Berry Brothers & Rudd, who first approached Highland Distillers about licensing the Glenrothes single malt brand in 1983, eventually trading the Cutty Sark blend with Edrington for full ownership of it in 2010. The distillery itself remained with Edrington through, and the two were reunited when the now hugely successful brand was returned in 2017.

This was distilled in 1987 and bottled in 1999.

Glen Moray 1986 Adelphi 10 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 is a 1986 vintage Glen Moray, bottled for their US customers.

Originally built as a brewery, Glen Moray was converted into a whisky distillery during the market boom of the late 19th century. The subsequent slump saw it mothballed, before being bought by MacDonald & Muir in 1923, who later became the Glenmorangie Company in 1996. In the latter days of their ownership it was sadly treated as their budget single malt, but it has always been a high quality whisky, and its reputation it is now beginning to recover under the ownership of La Martiniquaise, who took over in 2008. Thankfully the distillery's excellent single malt has always been treated with the reverence it deserves by independent labels like this.

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.

Michel Couvreur 12 Year Old Malt Scotch Whisky 75cl / US Import

Michael Couvreur was an innovator in the world of whisky, sourcing single malts in Scotland and taking them to Burgundy for further ageing, mostly in sherry casks. Scotch Whisky Association rules prevent these from being called single malts due to their time spent in cask outside Scotland, and thus they are known as Single-Singles.

Despite its time ageing abroad, this \"Malt Scotch\" whisky seems to have skirted around the SWA's protection of its terminology.

Teaninich 1975 Gordon and MacPhail Spirit of Scotland 

Teaninich was built in the early 19th century and was eventually bought by blenders, Munro & Cameron, in 1895. Their trustees later sold the distillery to DCL in 1933, and it remains part of the Diageo operation to this day. The distillery's primary focus is on provision for the firms many blends, and the 10 year old Flora & Fauna has become the only permanent distillery bottling, with only a handful or rare official releases appearing alongside it over the years. As such, the majority of Teaninich single malt has appeared under independent labels such as this.

Distilled in 1975, this was bottled in the 1980s by Gordon & MacPhail ​​​​​​under their Speymalt pseudonym, as part of the Spirit of Scotland range.

Laphroaig 10 Year Old 75cl 1990s / Hiram Walker Import, US

Laphroaig is the largest of the three heavyweight Islay distilleries in Kildalton, out-stripping the production capacity of neighbours, Ardbeg and Lagavulin, by over 1 million litres per annum. Despite its traditional appearance, Laphroaig was always a forward-thinking distillery. It was bottled as a single malt as early as the 1920s, an unfashionable option at the time, especially for a peated whisky. They were also shrewd in capitalising on post-Prohibition America to add trademark sweetness to their spirit through the use of imported ex-bourbon casks, and hired Scotland’s first ever female distillery manager, Bessie Williamson, in 1954. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland to still use in-house maltings, providing them with 20% of their annual requirements, and contributing to the distillery’s unique flavour profile. 

This is the 10 year old distillery bottling, an absolute classic of the whisky world.

This one was bottled in the later 1990s for the US market.