The Perfect Collection Part Two

Glen Scotia 8 Year Old 1980s

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, official releases like this from its previous operational periods are quite rare.

This is an 8 year old bottling from the 1980s. Former owners, A. Gillies & Co retained the license for the distillery as a subsidiary of Amalgamated Distillers Products until it was mothballed in 1984, ending the near-40 year association between the two.

Talisker 1955 Gordon and MacPhail Cask Strength Miniature 

For a long time, Talisker was the sole distillery on Scotland’s iconic Isle of Skye. Renowned for the quality of its output, the distillery has rarely changed hands, joining DCL (now Diageo) back in 1916. Despite this, releases were not the most common. An 8 year old was bottled officially and Gordon & MacPhail produced what are now classic and sought after vintage bottlings under official license from the distillery. When a 10 year old expression became a founding pillar of United Distillers’ Classic Malts range in 1988, the popularity of the distillery exploded, and it is now one of the most revered and exported in Scotland.

This is a rare 1990s bottling of Talisker from Gordon & MacPhail. Despite their close association in the 1970s and 1980s, the Eglin bottlers access to casks from the Isle of Skye has dried up in recent years, meaning most releases are necessarily very old vintages like this.

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

Glenugie 1966 Signatory Vintage 31 Year Old Silent Stills Miniature

A rare Signatory Vintage bottling of Glenugie. Part of Signatory Vintage's Silent Stills series which highlighted Scotland's lost distilleries at the time (some, such as Glenglassaugh have since returned).

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.

Distilled on 31st of December 1966 and bottled on the 5th of June 1998 at 31 years old.

A well-regarded distillery in its time, Glenugie was primarily tasked with providing single malt for the Long John blends. Oversupply in the 1980s saw it close, along with many others, in 1983. The distillery has long since been dismantled, with its stock and brand name under ownership of Chivas Brothers. Despite this, there have been very few official bottlings, and those from independents like this are highly prized. 

Cask #5082 produced 206 pairs of full size and miniature bottles.

Inchmurrin 1985 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 Inchmurrin was distilled in 1985 and bottled in September 1995.

Inchmurrin is a lightly peated whisky, produced in limited amounts from Loch Lomond distillery. This is one of a number of distinct spirits produced at the distillery, in this case on specially designed pot stills with rectifying heads to allow a higher cut point in the distillation process. 

Scapa 1988 Signatory Vintage 9 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Scapa distillery was the third to be constructed on Orkney, preceded by Highland Park and Stromness, although out-lasting the latter. It was built in 1885, and its early history was blighted with fires and closures. It was bought by Canadian giants, Hiram Walker, in 1954. As with several of their other distilleries, they experimented with the use of Lomond stills, installing Scapa's in 1959. Although it was decommissioned 20 years later, the still itself continues to be used, now without the rectifying plates. It is the only one of this type still producing Scotch whisky. Its single malt has been bottled since the 1970s, first under license by Gordon & MacPhail, with a 10 year old distillery bottling then launched in the 1980s. Scapa has since passed through the hands of Allied Distillers and is now part of the Pernod-Ricard portfolio.

This 1989 vintage is an independent release from Signatory Vintage. It was bottled for the US market in 1997.

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.

Glen Grant 10 Year Old 1980s

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 the 1980s version of the 10 year old core-range expression.

Glen Scotia 17 Year Old 75cl 1990s / 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, official releases like this from its previous operational periods are quite rare.  

A mid-1990s bottling from the distillery's years under ownership of the Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse. They produced a similar 17 year old Littlemill for the US market as well.

Glenmorangie 15 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Despite being owned by blenders, MacDonald & Muir, for most of the 20th century, Glenmorangie had an early focus on bottling its single malt. Some records show that its single malt was being sold as early as the late 19th century. This became the distillery's main output in 1959, and with the unique flavours derived from Scotland's smallest stills, coupled with their pioneering use of wood finishing, Glenmorangie is now one of the world's biggest selling malts. As a result, the distillery portfolio over the years has been extensive, and little has been spared for independent bottlers. 

A much loved former staple of the core range, this distillery bottling was discontinued during a brand refresh in 2007, along with the 30 year old.

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.

Glenglassaugh 1967 Signatory Vintage 31 Year Old Silent Stills Miniature 

Situated just north of thre Speyside region border, Glenglassaugh is an interesting single malt. So interesting in fact, that it proved difficult for blenders to marry with other whiskies, and it closed down in 1986, deemed surplus to requirements in the era of oversupply in the whisky industry. With the evolution of the single malt market in the years that followed, the distillery made a surprise comeback in 2008 when it was revived by a group of private investors. It then found its feet as part of the Benriach Distillery Company, and is now part of the Brown-Forman stable. Releases from both sides of its 22 year hiatus are very well regarded.

Distilled on 5th June 1967, this was bottled within Signatory Vintage's Silent Stills range, which showcased Scotland's finest discontinued single malts. Glenglassaugh, at the time was one of these.

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.

One of 217 full size and miniature bottles drawn from cask #2893.

Glenugie 1966 Signatory Vintage 31 Year Old Silent Stills Miniature

A rare Signatory Vintage bottling of Glenugie. Part of Signatory Vintage's Silent Stills series which highlighted Scotland's lost distilleries at the time (some, such as Glenglassaugh have since returned).

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.

Distilled on 31st of December 1966 and bottled on the 5th of June 1998 at 31 years old.

A well-regarded distillery in its time, Glenugie was primarily tasked with providing single malt for the Long John blends. Oversupply in the 1980s saw it close, along with many others, in 1983. The distillery has long since been dismantled, with its stock and brand name under ownership of Chivas Brothers. Despite this, there have been very few official bottlings, and those from independents like this are highly prized. 

Cask #5082 produced 206 pairs of full size and miniature bottles.

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.

Ben Nevis 10 Year Old 75cl / US Import

Ben Nevis distillery was built by \"Long\" John MacDonald in 1825, and was so popular by the end of the 19th century that at one point the estate employed over 200 people. After a series of closure and re-openings at the beginning of the 20th, it was eventually bought by former Canadian bootlegger, Joseph Hobbs. He installed a coffey still there in 1955, making Ben Nevis Scotland's first dual-operation distillery, and began to blend its malt and grain before filling it to cask. Sporadic closures again followed Hobb's death, with stability finally ensured in 1989 when it was bought by long-term customers, Nikka Whisky of Japan. Its turbulent history means there were few distillery bottlings until the launch of this 10 year old single malt in 1996.

Askaig 1983 Master of Malt 13 Year Old Islay Single Malt

A 1983 vintage Islay single malt, bottled at 13 years old by Master of Malt. If the chosen name of Askaig is intended to be a clue as to the origin of this heavily peated whisky, you would imagine that this is a Caol Ila.

Benrinnes 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.

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 United Distillers introduced this 15 year old, although it remains the only permanent release.

Benrinnes 1989 Signatory Vintage 9 Year Old 75cl / US Import

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.

This is one of those, a Signatory Vintage bottling distilled in 1989 and bottled after 9 years of the distillery's trademark sherry cask maturation.

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.

Aberlour 1989 Scottish Millennium Celebrations 75cl / US Import

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, built in 1879 by James Fleming after the original distillery of the same name was lost in a fire. It became the first distillery in the S. Campbell & Son portfolio when they acquired it in 1945, and produced fillings for their popular Clan Campell and White Heather blends. Production capacity was increased to meet rising demand for its spirit in 1973, and the following year the company was bought over by Pernod-Ricard who operated it under the Campbell Distillers before merging it with Chivas Brothers, which they acquired from Seagram in 2001. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, has greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after.

The Scottish Millennium Celebrations releases were bottled from a series of specially reserved 1989 vintage hogsheads, for a variety of private individuals and companies. They were all bottled in 1999 to commemorate the turn of the century.

Aberlour 1989 Scottish Millennium Celebrations 75cl / US Import

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, built in 1879 by James Fleming after the original distillery of the same name was lost in a fire. It became the first distillery in the S. Campbell & Son portfolio when they acquired it in 1945, and produced fillings for their popular Clan Campell and White Heather blends. Production capacity was increased to meet rising demand for its spirit in 1973, and the following year the company was bought over by Pernod-Ricard who operated it under the Campbell Distillers before merging it with Chivas Brothers, which they acquired from Seagram in 2001. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, has greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after.

The Scottish Millennium Celebrations releases were bottled from a series of specially reserved 1989 vintage hogsheads, for a variety of private individuals and companies. They were all bottled in 1999 to commemorate the turn of the century.

Aberlour 1989 Scottish Millennium Celebrations 75cl / US Import

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, built in 1879 by James Fleming after the original distillery of the same name was lost in a fire. It became the first distillery in the S. Campbell & Son portfolio when they acquired it in 1945, and produced fillings for their popular Clan Campell and White Heather blends. Production capacity was increased to meet rising demand for its spirit in 1973, and the following year the company was bought over by Pernod-Ricard who operated it under the Campbell Distillers before merging it with Chivas Brothers, which they acquired from Seagram in 2001. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, has greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after.

The Scottish Millennium Celebrations releases were bottled from a series of specially reserved 1989 vintage hogsheads, for a variety of private individuals and companies. They were all bottled in 1999 to commemorate the turn of the century.

Aberlour 1989 Scottish Millennium Celebrations 

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, built in 1879 by James Fleming after the original distillery of the same name was lost in a fire. It became the first distillery in the S. Campbell & Son portfolio when they acquired it in 1945, and produced fillings for their popular Clan Campell and White Heather blends. Production capacity was increased to meet rising demand for its spirit in 1973, and the following year the company was bought over by Pernod-Ricard who operated it under the Campbell Distillers before merging it with Chivas Brothers, which they acquired from Seagram in 2001. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, has greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after.

The Scottish Millennium Celebrations releases were bottled from a series of specially reserved 1989 vintage hogsheads, for a variety of private individuals and companies. They were all bottled in 1999 to commemorate the turn of the century.

Aberlour 1989 Scottish Millennium Celebrations 75cl / US Import

Aberlour is a picturesque Speyside distillery, built in 1879 by James Fleming after the original distillery of the same name was lost in a fire. It became the first distillery in the S. Campbell & Son portfolio when they acquired it in 1945, and produced fillings for their popular Clan Campell and White Heather blends. Production capacity was increased to meet rising demand for its spirit in 1973, and the following year the company was bought over by Pernod-Ricard who operated it under the Campbell Distillers before merging it with Chivas Brothers, which they acquired from Seagram in 2001. The reverence for the sherry-casked A'Bunadh, launched in 1997, has greatly boosted the popularity of the distillery, and its output from all eras is increasingly sought after.

The Scottish Millennium Celebrations releases were bottled from a series of specially reserved 1989 vintage hogsheads, for a variety of private individuals and companies. They were all bottled in 1999 to commemorate the turn of the century.

Glenglassaugh 1967 Signatory Vintage 31 Year Old Silent Stills Miniature 

Situated just north of thre Speyside region border, Glenglassaugh is an interesting single malt. So interesting in fact, that it proved difficult for blenders to marry with other whiskies, and it closed down in 1986, deemed surplus to requirements in the era of oversupply in the whisky industry. With the evolution of the single malt market in the years that followed, the distillery made a surprise comeback in 2008 when it was revived by a group of private investors. It then found its feet as part of the Benriach Distillery Company, and is now part of the Brown-Forman stable. Releases from both sides of its 22 year hiatus are very well regarded.

Distilled on 5th June 1967, this was bottled within Signatory Vintage's Silent Stills range, which showcased Scotland's finest discontinued single malts. Glenglassaugh, at the time was one of these.

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.

One of 217 full size and miniature bottles drawn from cask #2893.

Singleton of Auchroisk 1983 75cl / US Import

Auchroisk distillery was built by Justerini & Brooks in 1972 to provide malt for their blends. Despite this, there was an immediate focus on its single malt as well, and it was first bottled in 1986. These were vintage-dated releases, and some of the earliest to use cask finishing. This was never advertised though, and the distillery left Balvenie to take the credit for the innovation.

These bottlings were actually the first to be labelled under \"The Singleton of\" banner, however they were eventually discontinued in 2001, with Diageo re-introducing Auchroisk as part of the Flora & Fauna series instead. The company would later revive The Singleton brand in 2006, but Auchroisk was overlooked, giving way to the trio of Glendullan, Glen Ord and Dufftown instead.

These early Singleton of Auchroisk releases were matured for 8 years in bourbon wood before being finished for a further two in sherry.

Glenmorangie 12 Year Old Sherry Wood Finish 75cl / US Import

Despite being owned by blenders, MacDonald & Muir, for most of the 20th century, Glenmorangie had an early focus on bottling its single malt. Some records show that its single malt was being sold as early as the late 19th century. This became the distillery's main output in 1959, and with the unique flavours derived from Scotland's smallest stills, coupled with their pioneering use of wood finishing, Glenmorangie is now one of the world's biggest selling malts. As a result, the distillery portfolio over the years has been extensive, and little has been spared for independent bottlers.

One of the earliest examples of the distillery's pioneering wood finish programme, this was launched along with the Madeira Finish in 1996, in follow up to the Port Wood finish two years earlier. A Burgundy Wood Finish completed the quartet when launched in 2002. The Madeira and Burgundy finishes were discontinued in 2007, with this and the port version repackaged as the Lasanta and the Quinta Ruban in the new core range.

Not stated on the domestic release, the US packaging confirms these to be 12 year old expressions.

Scottish Parliament Limited Edition Single Malt Decanter

A mystery single malt whisky released in a Glencairn Crystal decanter for the Scottish Parliament. 

Glenury Royal 1973 Signatory Vintage 24 Year Old Silent Stills Miniature 

Glenury Royal is so-called due to its earliest proprietor, Captain James Barclay, being a close friend of King William IV. The distillery is one of many picked up by DCL (now Diageo) during an era of optimism in the mid-20th century, before being closed down in the early 1980s after a market downturn created an oversupply. Indeed, Glenury closed in 1985 and subsequently demolished. As such, official bottlings are rare, especially those under the Downie and Garron brand names. Bottlings from independent labels like this are increasingly so as well.

Distilled on 21st June 1973, this was bottled within Signatory Vintage's Silent Stills range, which at the time showcased Scotland's finest discontinued single malts (some, such as Glenglassaugh, have since returned).

Cask #6851 produced 364 full size and miniature bottles.

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.

Glenury Royal 1973 Signatory Vintage 24 Year Old Silent Stills Miniature 

Glenury Royal is so-called due to its earliest proprietor, Captain James Barclay, being a close friend of King William IV. The distillery is one of many picked up by DCL (now Diageo) during an era of optimism in the mid-20th century, before being closed down in the early 1980s after a market downturn created an oversupply. Indeed, Glenury closed in 1985 and subsequently demolished. As such, official bottlings are rare, especially those under the Downie and Garron brand names. Bottlings from independent labels like this are increasingly so as well.

Distilled on 21st June 1973, this was bottled within Signatory Vintage's Silent Stills range, which at the time showcased Scotland's finest discontinued single malts (some, such as Glenglassaugh, have since returned).

Cask #6851 produced 364 full size and miniature bottles.

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.

Loch Lomond 1987 Hart Brothers 10 Year Old 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.

They bottled this is 10 year old Loch Lomond single malt in 1998.

Loch Lomond distillery was an innovative project when first conceived, intending to be fully self-reliant in its blending responsibilities by producing a variety of single malt and grain whiskies on the same site. The combination of swan-necked pot stills, Lomond stills and continuous stills, nowadays allow for the production of a staggering 11 distinct spirits. Within these are a number of single malts, including Inchmurrin, Inchmoan, Rhosdhu and Croftengea. 

Speyside 15 Year Old 75cl

Speyside distillery was the second of those built by George Christie, his first being the North of Scotland grain plant in 1957. His malt distillery was not completed until 30 years later however, and only began production in 1990. In its short history it has appeared in several guises, including Drumguish, Spey, Cu Dhub, Glentromie and Black Burn.

This is a 15 year old age-statement.

Strathisla 21 Year Old Gordon and MacPhail 1990s

Speyside's oldest operating distillery, Strathisla was founded in 1786 as Milltown, and later renamed Milton in 1890. The distillery was an early advocate of its single malt, which it sold under the brand name, Strathisla, after the river that runs past the site. Strathisla single malt was bottled as early as the late 19th century, and proved very popular. None-the-less, by the 1940s it was struggling, needing rescued by Canadian giants, Seagram, who bought it in 1950, renaming it Strathisla the following year, and tasking it as a key contributor to its Chivas blends. Despite this, the single malt brand remained a core part of the business, and remains so to this day.  

Seagram licensed the distillery’s single malt brand to their Chivas Brothers blending operation, but also to Gordon & MacPhail. It is the latter’s bottles that are far more prominent. This good standing with the distillery has furnished the Elgin-based independent firm with a steady supply of high-quality casks, and subsequently, high-quality releases.

Chivas Brothers became to sole licensee in the 1980s, launching a 12 year old using the traditional branding. Gordon & MacPhail continued to buy and bottle casks, developing this new “house label” which they used until the 1990s when Strathisla was given a modern new look as part of the Seagram Heritage Selection. Gordon & MacPhail would subsequently revert to using the historic branding, and as of 2018, bottles in this style have been branded as part of the Distillery Labels range.

Linkwood 12 Year Old John McEwan 1980s-90s / US Import

Official bottlings of Linkwood are scarce. Its malt has always been considered a key component of many popular blends, such as Johnnie Walker and White Horse, with much of its output reserved for these as a result. In 1982 it was selected for the Ascot Malt Cellar range by DCL, an early precursor to the Classic Malts range later launched by United Distillers. It was on the short-list at the time, but the company eventually opted for Cragganmore as the Speyside representative instead, later opting to revive the 12 year old under the Flora & Fauna brand.

One of Linkwood's biggest customers were Leith-based blenders, John McEwen & Co, producers of the Chequers brand. They joined DCL in 1937, and were granted the license to bottle the distillery's single malt. This arrangement remained in place until the launch of the Flora & Fauna range saw the license returned to the distillery in 1991.

This is an incredibly rare bottling, produced very briefly in the late 1980s and early 1990s for the US market under the John McEwan & Co license. This then disappeared with the introduction of the Flora & Fauna release.

Glenrothes 1984 Whyte and Whyte 10 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.