We propose publishing a series of illustrated articles of the distilleries of Scotland, Ireland and England, commencing this month with a well-known Lowland Malt.
With these words, an odyssey lasting seven years began.
Starting in 1922 and ending in 1929, a total of 124 distilleries were visited, surveyed and photographed – the first time such an endeavour had been undertaken in the whisky industry.
Largely forgotten for 100 years, these articles were republished by James Eadie Ltd for the first time as a standalone volume, The Distilleries of Great Britain & Ireland.
A century on, many of the same distilleries visited continue to produce exceptional whiskies. This range aims to showcase and celebrate their remarkable spirits.
Using illustrations of photographs taken from this book, each whisky is carefully selected for distillery character and harmony of flavour, before being bottled in limited quantities at natural colour, and un-chillfiltered.
Passing up the steep road to the premises one notices a number of trim little cottages occupied by the employees, with carefully-tended gardens that make the village a place of enchantment in the summer months. Every year the directors of the firm inspect these gardens, and offer prizes for those that have been kept in the best condition.
February 14th, 1923.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2014 and bottled in 2025 after a minimum of an 11 month finish in two refill European oak Amontillado Sherry hogsheads.
Stewed plums, manuka honey and ripe peaches with a touch of miso.
Thick honey, ripe nectarines, spiced plums, alongside roasted walnuts and peppermint.
Cedar wood, shortbread and a long-lasting note of honey.
The present proprietors of Glendullan have effected many improvements since taking over the property, and an important innovation is the new Porteous mill introduced a year ago. A serious problem in malting is the prevention of explosions during grinding operations, which are sometimes regarded as inevitable, although every distillery manager has his own methods of attempting to overcome the difficulty.
August 14th, 1923.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2013 and bottled in 2025 after 12 years of full maturation in two first fill Bourbon hogsheads.
Marzipan, butterscotch, candied lemon peel, honeysuckle and crème brûlée.
Apple strudel, apricot jam, stewed pears, greengages and crisp white grapes.
Candied orange peel with thick white chocolate.
This locality has for centuries been associated with the manufacture of Whisky, legitimate and otherwise, ranging from the crude Spirit of the old “bothies” to the finely-flavoured Highland Malt that has been gradually brought to perfection by the scientific methods employed at Ord. Before the establishment was opened as a legal distillery in the year 1838, the site actually contained a large smugglers’ “bothy,” which appears to have been only one of many in the district.
January 14th, 1925.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2025 after 16 years of full maturation in Cask #309222, a first fill Bourbon hogshead.
Freshly baked cheesecake, wild honey, fresh nectarines, mango and pineapple.
Fresh and vibrant, bursting with tropical fruits – mango, pineapple, lychees – alongside a pleasant waxy spiciness.
Fresh mango, papaya and cracked pepper.
Inchgower lies in a fertile stretch of country overlooking the fishing town of Buckie, and the shores of the Moray Firth. On high ground rising behind the premises stood the house of Sandy McPherson, a notorious smuggler who was seized by Excise officers early in the nineteenth century, while conveying several kegs of Whisky, concealed under trusses of straw in a cart, to the coast.
February 14th, 1925.
This commemorative bottling was matured for over 11 years and bottled in 2025 after a minimum of a 41 month finish in two European oak Amontillado Sherry hogsheads.
Exclusively selected by Shinanoya.
Marzipan, chamomile tea, fresh soursop, apricots and peaches stewed in brandy.
Treacle, butterscotch, salted caramel, mango, papaya, guava, starfruit, physalis and gooseberries.
Creamy and full-bodied, ending on freshly baked key lime pie.
Linkwood-Glenlivet Distillery is delightfully situated in the midst of a small wood two miles south-east of the town of Elgin. A vast stretch of undulating open country surrounds the distillery on all sides, and the quiet beauty of the site is the more charming by reason of its natural isolation.
March 14th, 1924.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2025 after 14 years of full maturation in two re-charred hogsheads.
Marzipan, butterscotch, candied lemon peel, honeysuckle and crème brûlée.
Apple strudel, apricot jam, stewed pears, greengages and crisp white grapes.
Candied orange peel with thick white chocolate.
The water used at the distillery is drawn from springs high up amongst the Cawdor Hills, and the barley used is practically all grown in the counties of Moray and Nairn, the proprietors holding strongly to the opinion that real Scots Highland Malt Whisky can only be produced with the native products, water, barley – and brains.
July 14th, 1924.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2014 and bottled in 2025 after 11 years of full maturation in Cask #303570, a refill butt.
Maraschino cherry, treacle and rosewater. Toasted rye bread with a light coating of marmalade.
Citrus fruit and raisins. Mince pie and black cherry with a hint of golden syrup.
Fresh orange and apricot coulis.
Tobermory is the chief town on the island, and takes its name from “the Well of Mary,” which is reputed by legend to possess healing virtues, a thing still believed in by many of the inhabitants… To-day, Tobermory Distillery is the primary industry of the town, and is well-known to tourists.
November 13th, 1926.
This commemorative bottling of Ledaig was distilled in 2020 and bottled in 2025 after 5 years of full maturation in a combination of one refill barrel & two refill hogsheads.
Exclusively selected for Germany.
Fresh, earthy and coastal, with smoked pears, chamomile tea and a hint of barbeque sauce.
Rounded, mouth coating and fresh, full of stewed pears, sweet seaweed, greengages and miso.
Honeydew melon with fresh ginger.
According to the local stories, the smugglers hereabouts were no wit less audacious than their contemporaries in the remoter parts of the Highlands, but more often than not the discovery of these illicit stills was directly attributable to “peaching” on the part of a disgruntled member of the band.
December 14th, 1925.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2013 and bottled in 2025 after 12 years of full maturation in two first fill Bourbon hogsheads.
Grassy and tropical, full of lychees, honeysuckle, greengages and freshly baked custard tarts.
Apricots, greengages and tart kumquats, along with richer notes of stewed rhubarb and pears poached in brandy.
Lemon curd and double cream.
Another ancient writer described Keith as being chiefly famous for “cold winds, springwells and road metal.”… if he had lived in the twentieth instead of the fifteenth century, the chronicler would doubtless have noted that Keith is now famous for Whisky quite capable of counteracting any “cold winds.”
September 13th, 1924.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2010 and bottled in 2025 after 14 years of full maturation in Cask #306108, a re-charred hogshead.
Dates, prunes and toffee, alongside thick honey and a touch of mint.
Well rounded and creamy, as peaches, apples and prunes are lifted by a light peppery flavour.
Medium length, ending on toffee and allspice.
In common with most of the old distilleries, Benrinnes is handicapped by lack of railway facilities. All supplies have to be carted away from Aberlour station, three miles distant – an awkward process during the severe winters which generally affect this wild locality. Motor waggons are, therefore, employed for carrying barley, coal, and Whisky to and from the station.
May 14th, 1925.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2025 after a final 66 month finish in Cask #354540, a refill European oak PX Sherry hogshead.
Exclusively selected for Royal Mile Whiskies.
Raspberry coulis, marzipan, almond butter, milk chocolate.
Floral, fruity, raisins, milk chocolate, custard tart, mango, dulce de leche.
Butterscotch and raspberry ripple.
A building of extraordinary interest at Glenburgie is that comprising the original offices and warehouses. The quaint opening below the office doorway (as seen in the photograph) was the entrance to the vast warehouse maintained when the distillery had a capacity of sixteen bushels! It should be added that the roof of this curious little building was beautifully thatched until recently.
March 14th, 1925.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2025 after 16 years of full maturation in two first fill Bourbon hogsheads.
Fresh, juicy apricot and pears, balanced nicely with richer notes of toffee apple and maple syrup.
Floral, creamy flavours of vanilla and butterscotch combine with tropical notes of mango, papaya and passionfruit.
Clean and sweet, ending on tropical fruits with a slightly malty finish.
At Glenlossie the buildings have a particularly pleasing appearance, due mainly to the lavish amount of green and white paint that is bestowed upon them during the summer season. The zeal of the management for cleanliness and smartness is by no means confined to the exterior of the establishment… we have seldom seen a still-house or receiver room so neatly arranged and so spotlessly clean.
August 14th, 1924.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2025 after a final 39 month finish in Cask #367510, a first fill European oak Oloroso Sherry butt.
Jelly beans, cola sweets and summer pudding, before softer floral, delicate notes of cinnamon and roasted cardamom emerge.
Fresh, zesty notes of summer fruits, red apples and juicy figs merge with cloves, orange peel and sultanas.
Thick strawberry jam with a touch of crushed black pepper.
The North British Distillery, which is one of the largest in the world, comprises an imposing group of buildings covering twelve acres of ground two or three miles from the centre of Edinburgh… The “North British” is well known in Trade circles for the high standard of its produce, which finds a place in all the famous blends.
January 15th, 1923.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 1995 and bottled in 2025 after 29 years of full maturation in two refill hogsheads.
Crème brulée, cappuccino, vanilla pods, custard and tonka beans.
Similar to the nose, as crème brulée and cappuccino are joined by golden syrup, strawberries, green apples and green cardamom.
Orange peel, clove and honey.
Entering an old malt barn, our representative was astonished to see a number of chairs and benches, and at the end of the room a small structure that resembled a simple altar. Enquiry revealed this to be the village “kirk,” where a service is held monthly. One of the distillery workers was married in the little building a few months ago.
July 14th, 1923.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2025 after 12 years of full maturation in Cask #313104, a re-charred hogshead.
Liquorice, bonfire embers, burnt marshmallow and roasted chestnuts. Dried tobacco leaf.
Really well baked apple with burnt demerara sugar and a meatier, prosciutto flavour behind.
Very long, tangy finish. Slightly peppery, salty and ashy.
The Glen Elgin-Glenlivet Distillery is fortunate in its mashing water, which has to be brought a considerable distance from a mountain spring. The water has been described by a famous analytical chemist as “the finest distilling water in Scotland.”… The Whisky manufactured is high-class Highland pure malt pot still, and it is famous for its exquisite bouquet.
October 14th, 1927.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2025 after a final 21 month finish in Cask #373074, a first fill European oak Malaga hogshead.
Apricots, honeysuckle, kumquats, clementines and marzipan.
As with the nose, apricots, zesty kumquats, blood orange, lemon zest and fresh apple juice.
Candied lemon peel and crème caramel.
For a hundred and thirty years the well-known distillery at Oldmeldrum, in Aberdeenshire, has produced the Glengarioch brand of Scotch Whisky, and sent it in large consignments to all parts of the world… it rightly claims to be one of the oldest of those devoted to the manufacture of pure malt Whisky in Scotland.
September 14th, 1925.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2025 after a final 19 month finish in Cask #374456, a first fill European oak Oloroso Sherry butt.
Cherry liqueur and Black Forest Gateau, with a touch of pecan pie and lime and a dash of mint.
Banoffee pie, butterscotch, roasted pecans, toffee, dried fruits and cinnamon.
Sweet, long, toffee and medjool dates.
Longmorn Distillery is up to date in every sense of the word, and on entering the grounds the visitor sees proof of this in the form of the private locomotive which brings all supplies into an excellent siding on the premises. At the time of our visit the floor of the barley loft was covered with an immense consignment of the finest Scotch barley.
November 14th, 1924.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2014 and bottled in 2025 after 11 years of full maturation in Cask #2871, a first fill Bourbon barrel.
Exclusively selected for Germany.
Juicy, fragrant and grassy, full of apple, apricot, mango, spearmint and freshly kneaded dough.
Grassy and juicy like the nose, with tropical fruits, lemon juice, crushed mint and fresh cream.
Peach melba and white grapes.
In these difficult days in which to establish new businesses, it is pleasant to reflect that from the outset the Spirit produced at Strathclyde turned out to be of the finest quality; a quality which has been, and we are fully assured, will be rigorously maintained.
October 14th, 1929.
This commemorative bottling was distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2025 after a final 35 month finish in two European oak Marsala hogsheads.
Fresh mango, strawberry and plum jam, damson cake and charred sugar cane.
Thick, mouth-coating and spicy, full of Danish pastries, plum jam, cinnamon and candied ginger.
Juicy plums, nectarines and golden syrup.