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Strathisla - Glenlivet

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > S
STRATHISLA   
25 years old
40%                 
THE OLDEST HIGHLAND MALT
DISTILLERY IN SCOTLAND
Strathisla - Glenlivet Distillery Co, Ltd
Strathisla Distillery, Keith, Banffshire
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

STRATHISLA   
30 years ols
40%                  
LAST  BOTTLE  AND  EMPTY
THE OLDEST HIGHLAND MALT
DISTILLERY IN SCOTLAND             
(very old bottling)
Strathisla - Glenlivet Distillery Co, Ltd
Strathisla Distillery, Keith, Banffshire
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

STRATHISLA  
12 years old
43 %       
CHIVAS BROTHERS
Chivas Brothers Ltd,
Strathisla Distillery, Keith

Eind 1994 werd Strathisla 12 years old uitgebracht in de serie 'The Heritage Selection' samen met Ben Riach, Longmorn en Glen Keith.

STRATHISLA   
14 years old
40%                 
THE OLDEST HIGHLAND MALT
DISTILLERY IN SCOTLAND
Distilled 1980
Bottled 1994
Strathisla - Glenlivet Distillery Co, Ltd
Strathisla Distillery, Keith, Banffshire
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

STRATHISLA  
15 years old
40 %                
THE OLDEST HIGHLAND MALT
DISTILLERY IN SCOTLAND
Distilled 1980
Bottled 1995
Strathisla - Glenlivet Distillery Co, Ltd
Strathisla Distillery, Keith, Banffshire
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

STRATHISLA  
21 years old
40 %
LAST  BOTTLE  AND  EMPTY              
THE OLDEST HIGHLAND MALT
DISTILLERY IN SCOTLAND
Strathisla - Glenlivet Distillery Co, Ltd
Strathisla Distillery, Keith, Banffshire
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

STRATHISLA  
32 years old
56.4 %               
SINGLE CASK SCOTCH MALT WHISKY
Date distilled November 1969
Date bottled August 2002
Society Cask No. code 58.5
Outturn 490 bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
'A damp cave in a hot country'

This is a sherry butt from a most attractive distillery in Keith that is well worth a visit.
The cask has given a bright mahogany, almost viscous appearance worthy of its age. The ini¬tial nosing is big, fruity and earthy - muscovado, old cakes, terracotta pots - a damp cave in a hot country. It holds together well with water, staying rich and full and perfumed.
The taste follows a good progression from rich and viscous to a warm and drying finish with an aftertaste of dried ginger and treacle.
A cask from an older generation that carries its age extremely well.

STRATHISLA  
13 years old
43 %            
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled 7/6/89
Bottled 14/1/03
Matured in a bourbon barrel
Cask no. 5385
Genummerde flessen
The Ultimate Whisky Company, N.L.

STRATHISLA    
40 years  old
40 %
 INFO         
Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
THE OLDEST HIGHLAND MALT
DISTILLERY IN SCOTLAND
Strathisla - Glenlivet Distillery Co,  Ltd
Strathisla Distillery, Keith, Banffshire
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

STRATHISLA   
17 years old
43 %     
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled:   18/3/87
Bottled:20/1/05
Matured  in a Whisky-hog
Cask no; 2373
Numbered Bottles
The Ultimate Whisky, Company, N.L

STRATHISLA
1 9 6 7        
Aged  41 years  
45.5 %                      
PEERLESS  SINGLE  MALT
SCOTCH  WHISKY
Cask Strenght Single  Speyside Malt
DUNCAN  TAYLOR
Unique Whiskies of Distinction
Fons et Origo
D T C
Distilled 12.05.67
Cask no. 2717
Bottled 01.12.08
102 Numbered Bottles
Duncan Taylor and Co, Ltd, Huntly, Aberdeenshire          

STRATHISLA
Matured for 10 years
46 %
The Ultimate Single malt Scotch Whisky
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 13/09/07
Matured in a Hogshead
Cask no: 800026
Bottled: 29/01/18
294 Bottles
Bottle no: 263
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company.N.L.


STRATHISLA - GLENLIVET
Keith, Banffshire. Licentiehouder: Strathisla - Glenlivet Distillery Ltd. Onderdeel van The Chivas & Glenlivet Group. Eigendom van Seagram.

De verwerking van vlas tot linnen was een belangrijke industrie in Noord - Oost Schotland rond 1780.

Maar door de opkomst van Ierland als linnen leverancier en katoen als vervanger, begon een periode van neergang.

George Taylor, een welgesteld zakenman die zijn geld had verdiend in de linnen industrie zag om zich heen op zoek om zijn geld te investeren.

Hij huurde een stuk land van de Earl of Findlater and Seafield en in 1786 was de distilleerderij in produktie.

1786 was ook het jaar dat de discriminerende Wash Act werd opgeheven, en er een einde kwam aan de verschillende belasting tarieven op het produceren van whisky tussen de Hooglanden en Laaglanden.

Taylor distilleerde ook nog illegaal en toen dat werd ontdekt moest hij een, voor die tijd enorme boete betalen van E 500.

De naam van de distilleerderij was toen Milton, genoemd naar een kasteel van de Ogilvy's, toen Miltoun geheten.
In de topgevel van een lagerpakhuis van Strathisla zit een steen waarop vermeld L.M.O, wat staat voor Lady Margaret Ogilvy, de steen is afkomstig van het tot ruine geworden oude kasteel.

In 1820 kreeg Taylor een ernstig ongeluk tijdens een rit te paard, en niet meer in staat om te werken verkocht hij Milton aan een zadelmaker John MacDonald te Keith.

Van hem is alleen maar bekend, dat hij niet gelukkig in zaken was.

In 1821 nam William Longmore Milton over.

William Longmore was een invloedrijk bankier en zakenman, en heel progressief voor zijn tijd, hij installeerde een dorsmachine, bouwde een dam om het water vast te houden, om de waterkracht te benutten voor de aandrijving van de machinerie. Hij was directeur van de North of Scotland Bank te Keith en zat in het bestuur van de Great North of Scotland Railway. Ook bouwde hij de William Longmore Hall in 1872, legde een bowling baan aan die nog bestaat en zorgde voor goed en voldoende drinkwater voor Keith.

Ofschoon de naam van de distilleerderij Milton was, werd de whisky onder de naam Strathisla verkocht.

Op zondagavond tien over negen 's avonds, ontdekte Mr. Sellar, distillateur, tijdens zijn controlle ronde dat Milton in brand stond, dat was op 22 Januri 1876.
De schade was enorm, maar door de massale hulp van mensen uit de omgeving kon nog veel worden gered, onder andere 36 koeien, dertig koeien kwamen in de vlammen om.

De brand stelde William Longmore in staat Milton te herbouwen op een modernere manier, stenen gebouwen inplaats van hout.

De volgende gebeurtenis te Milton vond plaats op 5 Juli 1879, toen er een explosie plaats vond , maar de distilleerderij was binnen een jaar weer herbouwd.

In 1880 werd Wm. Longmore and Company opgericht met William Longmore zijn schoonzoon als directeur:
J. Geddes Brown was de naam van de schoonzoon.

De aandelen 7000 stuks van E 5 per stuk vonden grif aftrek door mensen uit de omgeving en afnemers van Milton zowel in Engeland als de kolonies.

William Longmore stiercf op 23 December 1882, 76 jaar oud.

Er werden toen drie directeuren benoemd door de aandeelhouders: twee advokaten te Keith. James Alexander Stephen en Samuel Wyatt Mayer en een wijnhandelaar te Edinburgh, Thomas Thompson Jones, om de distributie aan winkels te organiseren.

Rond de eeuwwisseling vulde men 15  hogsheads per week, ongeveer 4300 liter, die werden opgeslagen in lagerpakhuizen en vervolgens werden afgevuld in gallons van 10 liter en stenen 'jars' van 5 gallons, (één gallon is 4,5 liter).

De meeste pubs, winkels en hotels in de omgeving hadden een contract met Milton.

Vooarl door de mogelijkheid om de whisky ook in flessen te bottelen, zorgde voor een veel groter afzetgebied.

William Brown, de zoon van, installeerde een kleine bottelafdeling, die zes flessen tegelijkertijd kon vullen, deze machine bleef in bedrijf tot in 1943.

Aan het eind van de tweede wereldoorlog kreeg Gordon & Macphail een contract om een percentage van Milton af te nemen en te bottelen.
Milton was toen ongeveer, evenals de meeste andere distilleerderijen, dertig weken per jaar in bedrijf.

Tijdens de tweede wereldoorlog was Milton voor maar 25 % in produktie.

Er was een onplezierige periode kort na de tweede wereldoorlog toen een Londense financier, Jay Pommeroy via stromannen aandelen opkocht in verschillende whiskyfirma's.
Op deze manier werd hij directeur in een aantal whiskyfirma's, waaronder William Longmore.

Vervolgens werden de leveranties aan de normale afnemers stopgezet, en de whisky verkocht aan brievenbus firma's te Londen, die de whisky op de zwarte markt verkochten.

Er kwam een regeringsonderzoek en Jay Pommeroy werden bijna al zijn bezittingen afgenomen en werd een gebroken man.

Mr. Geddes te Edinburgh was de liquidateur, hij ontsloeg manager Robertson en benoemde de directiesecretaris A.J. Phimister tot manager.

Mede door zijn toedoen kwam het vertrouwen en daarmee de oude afnemers terug.

Op dinsdag 15 April 1950 werd Milton verkocht tijdens een veiling voor E 71.000, koper was James Barclay, directeur van Chivas Brothers te Aberdeen.

Chivas Brothers, whiskyblenders te Aberdeen sinds 1801, werd in 1936 overgenomen door de whiskymakelaars Lundie and Morrison.

Zij verkochten nog datzelfde jaar de gehele voorraad whisky, en verkregen Chivas Brothers zo voor niets in handen.

Lundie and Morrison verkochten Chivas Bros in 1949, door bemiddeling van James Barclay, eerder directeur van Ballantine en Hiram Walker (Scotland) Ltd aan Robert Brown & Co, een whiskyblender die in  1935 werd overgenomen door Seagram Ltd.

Stanley P. Morrison begon een paar jaar later voor zichzelf, en herhaalde het kunstje van Chivas Brothers door voor E:3,6 mïljoen_de,gehele voorraad whisky van Bass Charrington te kopen en hield hier Auchentoshan bijna voor niets aan over. Dat was in 1968.

Stanley P. Morrison had in 1963 Bowmore al gekocht.

De produktiekapaciteit en opslagmogelijkheden werden te Milton vergroot en de naam Milton werd in Mei 1951 veranderd in Strathisla.

In 1959 werd de vroegere waterstoffabriek van het Ministerie van Luchtvaar te Alexandra Road gekocht en veranderd in lagerpakhuizen.

Keith Bonding werd één van de grootste in zijn soort.

Het hoofdkantoor van Chivas te Paisley werd verplaatst naar Dalmuir, waar ook een enorm lagerpakhuizen- en blendingcomplex werd gebouwd.

In 1971 werd te Malcolmburn Farm opnieuw een lagerpakhuis gebouwd.

The Braes of Glenlivet werd in 1973 in produktie genomen, Glen Keith was al geopend in 1958, Allt 'A Bhainne in 1975.

Er werd een veevoederfabriek voor E 1,5 miljoen gebouwd.

In September 1976 werd bij het spoorwegstation te Keith een groot vatting en blending complex geopend.

Seagram bezat nu de volgende distilleerderijen: The Glenlivet, Strathisla, Glen Grant, Caperdonich, Glen Keith, Longmorn, Allt 'A Bhainne, Benriach en Braes of Glenlivet.

Eind 1994 werd Strathisla uitgebracht in de serie 'The Heritage Selection' samen met Longmorn, Glen Keith en Ben Riach.

Strathisla heeft vier met stoom gestookte ketels.

Het proceswater komt van Fons Bulliens en het koelwater van de rivier Isla.
Strathisla is 'The Home of Chivas Regal'.

Op 18 December 2000 wordt Seagram voor 8,15 miljard overgenomen door Diageo en Pernod Ricard. Diageo betaalt 5 miljard (= 61 %) Pernod Ricard de rest.

Pernod Ricard krijgt de Schotse whiskymerken en distilleerderijen in zijn bezit. Het motto van Seagram was 'Integreti, Craftmanship and Tradition'.

Het water komt van Fons Bullien Well.

De Mash tun is 4,84 ton.
De elf Wash backs zijn elk 22.500 liter.
De twee Wash sills zijn groot elk 12.500 liter, de twee Spirit stills elk 8500 liter.
De ketels worden indirect met stoom verhit.
De capaciteit van Strathisla is 2,5 liter spirit per jaar.

In de jaren zeventig werd er een experimentele, heel zwaar turfgerookte whisky geproduceerd, Craigduff, maar dit experiment werd na een paar jaar gestaakt.


2009
Owner: Chivas Brothers


Established:1786
Water Source:None                  
Malt Source:150 tonnes
Mill Type:Porteus 4 roller
Grist Storage:5 tonnes
Mash Tun Construction:
Traditional - cast iron rakes,
stainless steel shell and copper hood                                       
Mash Size:5.12 tonnes
No. of Wash Backs:8
Wash Back Construction:Wooden
(Oregon Pine)
Wash Back Capacity:25000 litres
Yeast:Kerry liquid yeast
No. of Wash Stills:2
Wash Still Charge:12.400 litres
Heat Source:Steam from a gas
boiler at Glen Keith Distillery
Wash Still Shape:Lantern
No. of Spirit Stills:2
Spirit Still Charge:9000 litres
Heat Source:
Steam from a gas boiler at
Glen Keith Distillery
Spirit Still Shape:
Wide - necked boiling ball
Cask Storage Capacity:
A mix of racked and traditional
warehouses with a
Capacity of 4500 Butts,
8500 Hogsheads and 2500 Barrels
Current Annual Distillery Output:
2.4 million litres

It is Strathisla’s small stills which help to give the distillery its character. Although on paper the spirit should be light and fragrant, distillation helps to add heft and weight to the new make. Though widely used in blends – Chivas Regal in particular – it is seen as a tricky customer by blenders as it needs time to hit maturity when its full range of complexities is revealed.

Also produced here:
Craigduff

What is most surprising about Strathisla is that so little is made of the fact that this is the oldest licensed distillery in Scotland. It started life as the brewery of the local monastery and turned itself to the making of whisky in 1786, one of the few distilleries in what is now the Speyside region to go legal. It was known as Milltown/Milton until 1870, but its whisky was long known as Strathisla after the river which it sits beside. The distillery was renamed Strathisla in 1951.

It had a period of considerable fame in the late 19th and early 20th century when it was bottled as a single malt, but by the late 1940s it had fallen on hard times.

Acting on behalf of Sam Bronfman’s Seagram, the legendary whisky broker Jimmy Barclay bought it for £71,000 at auction in 1950, the year after its previous owner had been jailed for tax evasion. It began to rise in prominence immediately as the first piece in Bronfman’s major tourist attraction with a fair claim to be Scotland’s prettiest distillery, in recent times it has played the role of the ‘home’ of Chivas Regal. That accolade also explains why this is a relatively small player in terms of single malt with Gordon & MacPhail being the main resource for bottlings. A repackaging in 2013 however suggests that times may be changing as far as official bottlings are concerned.

1786
Alexander Milne and George Taylor
license Milltown distillery, making it the
oldest registered plant in Scotland
1823
The distillery is purchased by
Macdonald Ingram & Co.
1830
William Longmore purchases the distillery
1880
Longmore retires and the distillery is passed
to son-in-law John Geddes-Brown who
creates William Longmore & Co.
1890
The distillery's name is changed to Milton
1940
Jay Pomeroy purchases a majority share
of the company, but is jailed for tax evasion
and the distillery is bankrupted
1950
Acting on behalf of Seagram, Jimmy Barclay
purchases the distillery at auction for £71,000
John Urquhart owner of Gordon & Macphail
decided in 1950 to place a bid on Strathisla,
he was willing to pay 70.000 pound .
1951
The distillery's name is changed once more
to Strathisla
1965
Two additional stills are installed, bringing the
total to four
1970
Strathisla begins a short run of a heavily
peated whisky, Craigduff
2001
Now part of Chivas Brothers, the group is
purchased by Pernod Ricard
2013
The Strathisla brand is given a packaging
update
2019
Chivas Distillery Collection Strathisla 12 year
old released
2020
Capacity: 2.450.000 Ltrs

CAPACITY (MLPA)
2.4
CONDENSER TYPE
Shell and tube
FERMENTATION TIME
54hrs
GRIST WEIGHT (T)
5.32
HEAT SOURCE
Steam heating coils
MALT SPECIFICATION
Non peated
MALT SUPPLIER
Bairds
MASH TUN MATERIAL
Stainless Steel
MASH TUN TYPE
Traditional
NEW-MAKE STRENGTH
72%
SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L)
8,081
SPIRIT STILL SHAPE
Boiling balls
SPIRIT STILL SIZE (L)
11,900
STILLS i
4 (2 wash, 2 spirit)
WASH STILL CHARGE (L)
11,900
WASH STILL SHAPE
Lantern
WASH STILL SIZE (L)
13,500
WASHBACK SIZE (L)
23,800
WASHBACK TYPE
Wood
WASHBACKS
10
WATER SOURCE
Broomhill, Cossburn Springs
YEAST TYPE i
Kerry

Pernod Ricard
2001 - present
Chivas Brothers
Seagram Distillers
1950 - 2001
George Jay Pomeroy
1940 - 1949
William Longmore
1830 - 1940
McDonald Ingram & Co
1823 - 1830
Alexander Milne and George Taylor
1786 - 1823

JIMMY BARCLAY, BALLANTINE’S AND CHIVAS REGAL
A legendary whisky entrepreneur, Jimmy Barclay built the reputations of not one
but two great blended Scotch brands, Ballantine’s and Chivas Regal, in a career
spanning the dark days of Prohibition and the glory years of the 1950s

Wheeler dealer: Barclay was one of the most significant figures in 20th-century Scotch
Jimmy Barclay (1885-1963) was a legendary figure in the Scotch whisky industry, described by the Canadian whisky executive Maxwell Henderson as ‘one of the greatest whisky entrepreneurs ever to graduate into the respectable era from the bootlegging days’.

The Canadian heard ‘amazing tales’ about Barclay’s adventures in New York during Prohibition, including ‘the night he climbed down the Hotel Astor’s fire escape to avoid being subpoenaed by internal revenue officers’. He was subsequently involved in some of the most important and complex whisky business deals of the 1940s and 1950s.

Barclay was born in Gargunnock, Stirlingshire, in 1885, but was brought up in Strathspey. He began work as an office boy at the Benrinnes distillery near Aberlour.

In 1909, Barclay went to Glasgow to work for Peter Mackie & Co, eventually taking charge of the firm’s home trade, distilleries and warehouses.

There was a recession in the whisky market after the First World War, and the young manager, with his extensive knowledge of the market, was well-placed to spot business opportunities.   

In 1919, Barclay left Mackie’s and joined RA McKinlay (owner of Alexander McGavin & Co) to purchase George Ballantine & Son. In 1921 they acquired The Stirling Bonding Co and, in 1922, James & George Stodart. T&A McClelland and Highland Bonding Company followed.

Through these acquisitions, the duo not only acquired large maturing stocks at keen prices, but owned and bottled their own brands, including Ballantine’s and Old Smuggler.

The dapper McKinlay took charge of the office and the production of blended whiskies. The gregarious Barclay, meanwhile, concentrated on sales and deal-making.

During the 1920s, he travelled extensively to establish the Ballantine’s and the Gaelic Old Smuggler brand names in the US. The fact that the Americans had recently introduced Prohibition was a mere inconvenience.

Herb Hatch of Hiram Walker believed that ‘Ballantine’s made its American debut in the whorehouses of Havana, Nassau and New York’ during the Prohibition years of the 1920s and early 1930s. Certainly, Barclay made influential contacts in the US, Bahamas and Canada during that time, including Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns of the 21 Club, the famous Manhattan speakeasy, who also set up a liquor distribution company.

That company, 21 Brands, was appointed as US distributor for Ballantine’s, which became one of the most popular Scotches in the country. Its success impressed two more of Barclay’s friends from Prohibition days – Hatch and Bill Hume of the distillers Hiram Walker – Gooderham & Worts.

They bought a controlling interest in Stodarts and the Stirling Bonding Co in 1930, and in Robert Ballantine & Son in 1935, in a deal which must have made small fortunes for their owners.

Barclay stayed on as a director of Hiram Walker’s Scotch whisky subsidiary, Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Ltd, for a couple of years. He arranged the purchase of the Miltonduff and Glenburgie distilleries for the company, to guarantee the supplies of single malt whisky required for the Ballantine’s blends. And he worked closely with James Horn and George Robertson to create a new premium blend, Ballantine’s 17 Year Old.

One of Barclay’s final acts in connection with Hiram Walker came in December 1938, when he appeared in Glasgow Sheriff Court to give evidence in a case in which Hiram Walker, George Ballantine & Son and other companies were prosecuted under the Merchandise Act 1887: they had allegedly used the false trade description ‘Scotch whisky’ in connection with blends of Scotch malt whisky and grain whisky from Northern Ireland.

Barclay told the court that he believed a whisky could be called ‘Scotch’ if it was a blend of Scotch malt whisky ‘and any other British-produced patent still grain whisky’, apparently supporting other defence witnesses who believed that Scotch had become a term which indicated a ‘style’ rather than a place of origin.

He went on to say that, since the First World War, ‘Irish grain was bought and sold by reputable firms for the purpose of being blended with Scotch malt and being marketed as Scotch or blended Scotch whisky’ – even if there was as little as 5% Scotch malt in the blend (although he added that such a small amount was practically unheard-of).

This latest ‘What is Scotch Whisky’ case attracted headlines in British newspapers in 1938 and 1939. All the plaintiffs other than Barclay’s old company, McGavin’s (which had simply bottled the products for their clients), were found guilty and given nominal fines. The little-remembered test case established quite firmly that Scotch mixed with spirit made in any other place ‘must not be labelled Scotch whisky’.

Barclay then became entangled in the celebrated Excess Profits Tax avoidance scandal of the 1940s. EPT was levied by the British Government to prevent rampant profiteering when the prices of whisky stocks went through the roof at the beginning of the Second World War.

Established brokers and a number of ‘straw men’ formed a syndicate to buy and sell whisky companies and their valuable stocks at small margins, over and again, before the final transfer to the new owner.

This labyrinthine scheme ensured that the EPT liability for the vendor was kept low, while each link in the selling-on chain was no doubt rewarded with a tidy fee.

According to the media, the scheme was fronted by Jay Pomeroy, a Russian émigré, entrepreneur and opera impresario, but involved a who’s who of the Scotch whisky brokerage trade, including Barclay.

The latter was named in connection with the purchases and re-sales of Bladnoch distillery, William Longmore & Co and other businesses. However, after the introduction of retrospective legislation to close the tax loopholes, and after the Inland Revenue finally began unravelling the deals to claim appropriate amounts of EPT, the authorities ruled that he had been involved only as a consultant.   

Even before he severed his ties with Hiram Walker in the late 1930s, Barclay had begun working closely with one of its Canadian rivals – the colourful Sam Bronfman of the Distillers Corporation – Seagram’s Ltd.

Bronfman had ‘issues’ with Distillers Company Ltd, the dominant player in the Scotch whisky industry, which in 1933 had rejected a proposal to work in partnership with his company in the US.

He became obsessed with a plan to create a blended Scotch that would compete with Johnnie Walker and other great DCL brands. Barclay, who had known Bronfman since Prohibition days, was happy to assist.

In 1935, Barclay had purchased the Glasgow firm Robert Brown Ltd for Seagram’s and began to amass the large inventory of aged grain and malt whiskies that would be required for the launch of a new, premium blended Scotch.

He husbanded the stocks through the Second World War and, working with a number of well-known brokers, found ways to add to them. In 1949, when reserves of pre-war Scotch whiskies were at an all-time low, and the 12 years age statement had been removed even from Johnnie Walker Black Label, Bronfman made his move.

Seagram’s paid considerable sums to buy The Highland Bonding Co and William Walker & Co from Barclay, along with their large stocks of maturing whisky. Barclay then acted for the company to purchase the Aberdeen grocer Chivas Brothers (with its prestigious Royal Warrant), acquiring more stock, but also the rights to the Chivas Regal brand name.

The Canadian company also required a distillery to guarantee supplies of single malt for the new blend, and in 1950 Barclay acquired on its behalf the Milton (renamed Strathisla) distillery in Keith.

The previous owner, William Longmore & Co, had been forced into liquidation in the wake of the EPT scandal and of demands made to shareholders to settle claims for more than £500,000 in unpaid tax.  

Finally, Bronfman needed facilities for bottling his Scotch whisky, so Barclay put The Glasgow Bonding Co’s bottling facilities in Glasgow at Seagram’s disposal.

Cockney master blender Charlie Julian was employed to re-formulate Chivas Regal as a rich 12-year-old blend, and it was launched in New York in August 1951.

At a time when bottles of older Scotch were hard to find, Chivas Regal stood out from the crowd. By 1960, Seagram’s sold more than 100,000 cases in the US each year, and it remains (with Ballantine’s) one of the world’s most famous whisky brands.

The ever-restless Barclay left the Chivas board in the late 1950s, in search of yet more business opportunities. He bought four hotels, including the famous art deco Beresford in Glasgow, as well as three farms and a herd of pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle.

He retained business interests in Nassau in the Bahamas, and he remained a major player in the whisky trade: when he died in 1963, it was said that his company, T & A McClelland, held larger stocks of Scotch whisky than any other private firm.

COLLECTOR
PATRICK DE SCHULTHESS, STRATHISLA
September 2017
Pursuing rare whiskies may have initially thinned out the bank balance of Swiss accountant Patrick de Schulthess, but in the process he has made many new friends, in addition to building an enviable Scotch collection. While a Port Ellen might be his holy grail, Strathisla remains his passion.

Patrick de Schulthess Strathisla collector
Whisky journey: Collecting Scotch has allowed Patrick de Schulthess to discover Scotland
Who are you and what do you do?
‘My name is Patrick de Schulthess, I’m Swiss-born, living in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and I’m currently running a small accounting firm.’

What whisky do you collect and why?
‘I used to collect whatever nice bottle was available, but due to the sheer size of the whisky world, I decided to specialise in some specific areas, mainly Talisker Connoisseur’s Choice Black Label from Gordon & MacPhail. When I started, it was one of my first real whisky surprises and it still remains one of the best ever whisky series in my opinion.
‘Ardbeg from the 1960s and 1970s – these whiskies were love at first sight for me and they remain one of my passions for collecting and drinking. I love Islay whisky from the 1950s to the early 1980s, but I had to make a choice so I decided to concentrated on Ardbeg.
‘[Also] old blended whisky, which nobody was collecting at the time I started and it was readily available. And, of course, Strathisla. This is due to the fact that my friends were already collecting my favourite distilleries when I started, so I decided to go for a different distillery and was rewarded by some amazing bottles.’

How did you come to love whisky?
‘Well, in the beginning I loved wine, and whisky was just something on the side. But as I didn’t drink enough, I had to find something else to buy and whisky came to my mind because you don’t need a specific place to keep them as you do for the wine. When I started, I quickly noticed the richness of the whisky world.’

How has being a collector impacted your life?
‘It affected my life in different ways. It has obviously made me poorer, but also happier as it has allowed me to meet a lot of people who, over the years, became very good friends. It makes me travel a lot. I discovered Scotland and its people this way.’

Have the rising prices for old bottles changed the way you view your collection? Do you see it more as an investment?
‘Good question. I certainly do not see it as I used to. I think that I was lucky enough to start in the early 1990s, so a lot of bottles were available at very low prices – well, by today’s standards.
‘As it becomes more and more difficult to get your hands on valuable bottles, you tend to become increasingly aware of what a luxury it is, and how fortunate you are to have tried so many of these beautiful whiskies. It was never intended as an investment, which is quite ironic, as it turns out to be by far my best investment.’

Do you think the character of Strathisla has changed much over the years?
‘I’m not that pessimistic – let me explain why. The distillate we drink now is brand-new, so hasn’t yet had time to evolve in the bottle. Most of the “older” bottlings we drink these days aged, for some of them, over a very long period of time. I’m not sure that if I tasted the same distillate when young, it would have been as much to my liking.
‘To answer this question I need a time machine, but unfortunately I am not Doctor Who, so I am unable to know if the character of Strathisla has changed that much over the years. What I can say is that the character now is less oily and fatty than some of the older versions. However, whether that is due to bottle ageing or changes in distillate character? Well, it’s anybody’s guess.’

What are your favourite Strathislas?
‘I think the 30-year-old 1963 [bottled in 1993] is very good. The 1967 Samaroli is flabbergasting, together with some 1937 releases by Gordon & MacPhail. But these kinds of bottles are so difficult to source now, so I’ll go for the simple 10-year-old distillery bottling from the 1960s and early 1970s, which is still very good value for money, in my view.’

Opening a bottle with friends is what de Schulthess loves most about Scotch

Which distilleries do you think are some of the better ones to follow these days, from a drinking perspective?
‘I think each and every distillery has some amazing whisky, which appeared thanks to the independent bottlers. In terms of their overall productions, I would say that Springbank comes to my mind, together with Bowmore and to a lesser extent Highland Park. Some others, like Ardbeg and Bruichladdich, have very good distillate that tends to suffer from some weird wood experiments, which is sad.’

What are the most prized bottles in your collection?
‘It’s so hard to pick, and my choice can change from day to day, but my most prized bottle, as a Strathisla collector, is the one from William Longmore & Co.’s Milton distillery (Milton was the previous name of Strathisla).
‘Also a 30-year-old Dalmore official bottling from the early 1950s and a 1955 Bowmore ceramic jug bottled on 12 September 1974 for the opening of the visitor centre. These, and a bottle of Pattisons’ blend, which is special to me for its historical importance.’

What would be your ‘holy grail’ bottle to find?
‘Hard to say. Among the ones I know I would love to have are the two bottles of Port Ellen 12 Years Old from James MacArthur.’

What are the best whiskies you've ever tasted?
‘This one I still don’t know! Among the ones I’ve already tried, I’ll say the 12-year-old Port Ellen, bottled in 1980 for the Queen’s visit. It has such an amazing, wild array of flavours.’

What has been the best whisky experience of your life so far?
‘A trip to Islay I went on a couple of years ago. It epitomised all I love about whisky – sharing with friends, opening some amazing bottles. Highly recommended if you can do this kind of trip. Everyone who loves whisky should try to go to Islay, either for the Fèis Ile or whatever reasons you may find.’

STRATHISLA DISTILLERY
It is Strathisla’s small stills which help to give the distillery its character. Although on paper the spirit should be light and fragrant, distillation helps to add heft and weight to the new make. Though widely used in blends – Chivas Regal in particular – it is seen as a tricky customer by blenders as it needs time to hit maturity when its full range of complexities is revealed.

What is most surprising about Strathisla is that so little is made of the fact that this is the oldest licensed distillery in Scotland. It started life as the brewery of the local monastery and turned itself to the making of whisky in 1786, one of the few distilleries in what is now the Speyside region to go legal. It was known as Milltown/Milton until 1870, but its whisky was long known as Strathisla after the river which it sits beside. The distillery was renamed Strathisla in 1951.

It had a period of considerable fame in the late 19th and early 20th century when it was bottled as a single malt, but by the late 1940s it had fallen on hard times.

Acting on behalf of Sam Bronfman’s Seagram, the legendary whisky broker Jimmy Barclay bought it for £71,000 at auction in 1950, the year after its previous owner had been jailed for tax evasion. It began to rise in prominence immediately as the first piece in Bronfman’s plans for a reformulated Chivas Regal 12 Year Old.

A major tourist attraction with a fair claim to be Scotland’s prettiest distillery, in recent times it has played the role of the ‘home’ of Chivas Regal. That accolade also explains why this is a relatively small player in terms of single malt with Gordon & MacPhail being the main resource for bottlings. A repackaging in 2013 however suggests that times may be changing as far as official bottlings are concerned.

CAPACITY (MLPA) i
2.4
CONDENSER TYPE i
Shell and tube
FERMENTATION TIME i
54hrs
GRIST WEIGHT (T) i
5.32
HEAT SOURCE i
Steam heating coils
MALT SPECIFICATION i
Non peated
MALT SUPPLIER i
Bairds
MASH TUN MATERIAL i
Stainless Steel
MASH TUN TYPE i
Traditional
NEW-MAKE STRENGTH i
72%
SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L) i
8,081
SPIRIT STILL SHAPE i
Boiling balls
SPIRIT STILL SIZE (L) i
11,900
STILLS i
4 (2 wash, 2 spirit)
WASH STILL CHARGE (L) i
11,900
WASH STILL SHAPE i
Lantern
WASH STILL SIZE (L) i
13,500
WASHBACK SIZE (L) i
23,800
WASHBACK TYPE i
Wood
WASHBACKS i
10
WATER SOURCE i
Broomhill, Cossburn Springs
YEAST TYPE i
Kerry

Pernod Ricard
2001 - present
Chivas Brothers
Seagram Distillers
1950 - 2001
George Jay Pomeroy
1940 - 1949
William Longmore
1830 - 1940
McDonald Ingram & Co
1823 - 1830
Alexander Milne and George Taylor
1786 - 1823

CHIVAS BROTHERS
The Scotch whisky subsidiary of French drinks giant Pernod Ricard.

Chivas Brothers has its headquarters in Paisley, near Glasgow, and operates 14 Scottish malt distilleries, all located in the Speyside area – apart from Scapa on Orkney – along with Strathclyde grain distillery in Glasgow. It also owns gin distilleries in London and Plymouth, and blending, bottling and warehousing facilities at several sites across Scotland. In total the company employs 1,600 people at 34 locations.

Chivas is best known for its Chivas Regal and Ballantine’s blended Scotches, with the latter being the world’s second-best-selling Scotch whisky after Johnnie Walker, while Chivas Regal occupies the third spot.  In terms of single malts, the company’s biggest brands are The Glenlivet, the global number two malt behind Glenfiddich, and Aberlour.

Chivas Brothers traces its origins back to Aberdeen in 1801, when John Forrest established a grocery and wine merchants, it being passed onto William Edward who was joined by James Chivas in 1838. Chivas Regal was first introduced as a 25-year-old luxury blend in 1909, and was soon a firm favourite in the USA.

Seeing its success, the Canadian drinks giant Seagram Co bought Chivas Brothers in 1949, adding Strathisla distillery at Keith to the organisation the following year. In 1957 a ‘sister’ distillery named Glen Keith was constructed close to Strathisla, while the Keith Bond was developed as a maturation and blending facility, gradually being expanded as time passed. Growth of whisky sales during the 1970s led Chivas to construct All-a-Bhainne and Braes of Glenlivet (now Braeval) distilleries to provide additional malt capacity.

In 1975 Seagram purchased Campbell Distilleries, which owned Aberlour, Glenallachie and Edradour distilleries, while the company also acquired The Glenlivet Distillers during 1978, bringing The Glenlivet, Glen Grant, Longmorn and Benriach distilleries into Chivas’ fold.

In 2001 Pernod Ricard and Diageo bought Seagram Spirts & Wine, with Pernod taking control of the Chivas Brothers Scotch whisky operations. Four years later, the Scotch whisky distilleries and brands of Allied Domecq were added to the Chivas portfolio, with Ballantine’s as the prize asset.

Today, Chivas Brothers is the second-largest Scotch whisky company after Diageo, and it officially opened its latest state-of-the-art malt distillery, Dalmunach, at Carron near the River Spey in June 2015.

DISTILLERIES & BRANDS
100 Pipers
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Aberlour
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Allt-a-Bhainne
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Ambassador
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Ballantine's
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Black Watch
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Bonnie Lassie
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Braemar
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Braeval
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Caperdonich
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Chivas Brothers
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Chivas Regal
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Clan Campbell
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Clan Robertson
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Craigduff
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Dalmunach
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Doctor's Special
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Dumbarton
LOWLAND SINGLE GRAIN SCOTCH WHISKY
Glen Keith
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Glenallachie
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Glenburgie
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Glencraig
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Glenisla
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Glentauchers
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Glenugie
HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Imperial Distillery
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Inverleven
LOWLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Kinclaith
LOWLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
King's Ransom
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Lochside
HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Lomond
LOWLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Long John
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Longmorn
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Miltonduff
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Mosstowie
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Passport
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Prince Charlie
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Queen Anne
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Royal Citation
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Royal Glen Dee
BLENDED MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Royal Salute
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Royal Strathythan
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Scapa
ISLANDS SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Something Special
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
St Leger
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Stewart's
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Strathclyde
LOWLAND SINGLE GRAIN SCOTCH WHISKY
Strathisla
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
The Glenlivet
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
The Junior
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Thorne's
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
Tormore
SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
White Heather
BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
ASSOCIATED COMPANIES
Pernod Ricard (Current owner)
Allied Breweries
Allied Distillers
Allied Domecq
Allied Lyons
Campbell Distillers
Hill, Thomson & Co
Lawson & Smith
R Thorne and Sons
Seagram Distillers
Taylor & Ferguson



Sam and Jay
As far as whisky history goes the history of Strathisla has two parts. The first is the dim, distant past when the distillery was founded in 1786, making it one of the oldest still in existence.¹ The second, and most relevant part, dates from 1950, when Seagrams took over to restore a dilapidated facility and then expand it.  You could argue that the distillery is what it is now because of the vision and investment of Sam Bronfman² and the Chivas years as well as the early years represent the  most significant periods in the distilleries history. But does that mean we have to brush aside the messy bits in the middle?

The take-over by Seagrams in 1950 was not a simple case of Strathisla moving from night to day, or of a sleeping princess being awoken from a long slumber by the kiss of a handsome suitor. History is not a fairy story. It was not a straightforward switch from Mr Dirty to Mr Clean. It is true that the distillery was properly nurtured under the eye of Sam Bronfman,  whereas before it had been neglected. It is true that Sam Bronfman was a proper whisky man who had a detailed knowledge of distilling but there are parallels with the life of Jay Pomeroy than you might expect.

For a start there was their background. Both were Russian Jews whose families lived in the Pale of Settlement. The Bronfman family came from Bessarabia, in what is now Moldova whilst Pomeroy’s came from the Crimea. There was though a significant difference that profoundly affected their identity. Sam Bronfman came to Canada as a baby and was all his life a patriotic Canadian; Jay Pomeroy came to England as a twenty year old and was always identified as a Russian.

They were  both about the same age (Pomeroy was 6 years younger) and both would have been liable for service in the First World War except they were excused military service on medical grounds. Bronfman had flat feet,  whilst for Pomeroy it something more serious, though undisclosed, because his record was marked “permanently and totally unfit”. Goodness knows what it was. Perhaps it had something to do with his heart, which was obviously weak. He had a serious heart attack in 1942 and died from another in 1955 when he was just 60.

They both sought to make their way independently through their own businesses. But here they are not at all similar. Jay Pomeroy was a man alone, whilst Sam Bronfman was surrounded by a close family and started out in the family hotel business, which he later came to dominate, even though he had two older brothers. At the time most Canadian hotels made their all their money from the sale of alcohol in their bars and so Sam got to know the alcohol trade well. It was thus a natural move to set up a company supplying whisky. This is how he progressed and built his businesses –  by building on his core of knowledge and expanding what he knew. He therefore had consistency, a logical thread to what he did, whereas Jay Pomeroy would buy and sell anything, looking for the next good idea. He was not a builder, he was a sole trader, except for those brief, few years when he became an impresario and ran an opera company.

Both sought to profit from loopholes in the law. The history of Sam Bronfman is in many ways the more colourful of the two as he was in the thick of temperance prohibitions and cross-border relationships. It is often forgotten that Canada, as well as the US, had a strong temperance movement and many Provinces went dry before the First World War. Although this was a provincial matter it put the Bronfmans businesses at risk. Sam, though, spotted that sales from out of the province were covered by federal not provincial law. He therefore set up a mail order business based in Montreal, with warehouses in other provinces, and slugged it out with the Hudson Bay Company. Eventually this loophole was tightened so Sam found another one  and sold alcohol through drug stores as medicine. Then there was prohibition in America where Canada was famously the pipeline through which the bootleggers obtained their stock. Sam of course did nothing illegal – he just sold whisky, how was he to know his customers were crooks? This earned his company a lot of money but just like with Jay Pomeroy, the authorities did not forget and later tried to extract some form of retribution.

As a result they both had to fight a number of court cases. Jay lost, Sam won. For example in 1926 he was embroiled in a Royal Commission on Customs and Excise that looked at illegal smuggling and the bribery of officials. He escaped unscathed from this but his brother Harry was prosecuted for bribery. Even though he was found not guilty it was traumatic for the family and the business and became a big political issue in Saskatchewan. The issue of trade in the prohibition years would not go away and a few years later, in 1934, the RCMP prepared charges concerning illegal activities in the prohibition export trade. There was another high profile trial and another acquittal. Sam tended to win things – Jay not so much.

Both of them were a little lax about paying taxes. At the beginning of his business life it seemed to slip Sam’s mind that he needed to pay anything at all. Later his lawyers had to negotiate a settlement, in 1921, to cover his previous negligence. Jay run-in with the tax authorities we know about.

However they were both subject to retrospective claims. The US Treasury, in a rather breathtaking move, tried to recover the tax they thought might be due on the whisky that came into the country from Canada during prohibition. At first it wanted $53 million from all the distilleries involved, with Seagrams liable for $25 million. This was disputed but it was more than a business dispute it was an international issue which had to be negotiated by the two governments. Apparently FDR, himself, was far from convinced his Treasury had a strong legal case and so settled on a figure of $3 million, which then agreed.

These similarities are interesting but superficial because at heart there was a huge material difference between the two men. One was a trader, someone restless in the search of the next deal, but essentially a small scale operator. The other was a highly driven, ruthless businessman who built one of the great business conglomerates of the age. Sam Bronfman in a completely different league. He cared about detail and prided himself on knowing everything about his company. He knew the technical details of making whisky and cared about quality. For Jay Pomeroy whisky was irrelevant, he might just as well have been selling stockings or perfume. He was not in it for the long haul. Sam Bronfman, though, thought strategically.

This crucial difference means there is good reason to restart the history of Strathisla in 1950 and draw a veil over the previous few years. However the similarities in the background of the two men make it amusing that it was Sam Bronfman who took over. The similarities provide a hidden continuity.

Especially as there was one final irony, a twist of fate, from beyond the grave, that united the businesses of both men. Jay, as we know, became consumed with opera, initially under the influence of a beautiful soprano, and lost a lot of his money. Sam was far too austere and driven for any such frivolity – but his heirs? Ha! Show-business exerted a deathly pull.  Sam’s son Edgar, who was the first heir to take over, dropped quite a lot of money on an investment in MGM but that was OK because he also made a deal that gave the company 25% of DuPont, which was a huge cash cow. However when his son Edgar Jr took over he sold the DuPont stake to buy MCA (Universal). It was this deal that ruined the company and is the reason why it no longer exists. Apparently when the MCA deal was going through Edgar said to Edgar Jr “That’s an awful lot of money to pay to get laid.” Jay Pomeroy would have agreed

As a thank you for being part of the Chivas community we are excited to share this very special launch with you.

Bottled at natural cask strength, 63% ABV, this 20 year old Strathisla Single Malt is an exclusive bottle, created especially for the distillery in a very limited quantity - only 125 bottles are available via ballot. To celebrate this extremely rare release, we have chosen to make it the feature of our first ever ballot.

Delivery of the bottle will take place from the 31st July 2023 onwards.

THE SPIRIT HAS BEEN AGED FOR 20 YEARS
IN A FIRST FILL AMERICAN OAK BARREL AND IS BURSTING WITH SUMMER FLAVOURS.

Butterscotch ice-cream, vanilla custard, and sweet toasted oak. Rich plum notes followed by dried fruits of cranberry and apricot, and hints of bergamot orange.

Sweet dark cherries, raspberry coulis, and fresh strawberries give way to coconut bon bons, toffee apple and gentle spice of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Rich and long with lasting spice notes.

Strathisla is the oldest continuously working distillery in the Scottish Highlands and the most traditional of those producing malt whisky for Chivas Brothers.

Our spirit is known to be sweet, fruity and effortlessly enjoyed yet it is also generous in offering the complexity and depth that interests those with a more curious palate. This richness is borne of our iconic copper stills, short & fat in comparison to most they produce a full and abundant spirit.

These are the very characteristics that Strathisla has given to Chivas Regal for decades. Strathisla lies at the heart of every bottle of Chivas as the one consistent malt in the blend.

For our small distillery to support Chivas in its global success we can keep only a very small quantity of our exceptional whisky to share as a single malt making this release remarkably rare.

We are offering you, our friends, the unique opportunity to be selected as one of only 125 people to purchase a bottle of Strathisla 20 Year Old. The price is £225.

Registrations for the ballot open Tuesday 6th June at 12:00pm and close Sunday 25th June at 11:59pm and can be submitted via the link below.

125 entrants will be selected at random and sent a personalised access code which they can use to make their purchase.

Please note that these products are sold by Mail Marketing UK Limited, have limited availability and are only available for purchase in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Guernsey, Ireland, Isle Of Man, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom with free home delivery over £200.

Countries inside the UK & EU will not be charged local customs duties and taxes. Following Brexit, orders to the EU will be subject to additional custom clearance. DHL may contact you for further information on your order prior to delivery which will need to be provided locally. If you need any assistance, please contact strathisladistillery@mailmarkuk.com In countries outside the UK & EU local customs duties and taxes will be applicable upon delivery.


NEW RELEASE - STRATHISLA 18 YEAR OLD DISTILLERY EXCLUSIVE
Dear Willem,

We are proud to present the latest DISTILLERY EXCLUSIVE release from Strathisla – an 18 Year Old from 1 st Fill Sherry Casks.

By nature this unique bottling will only be available in our Distillery Brand Home however a limited number have been selected for pre-launch sale to you, our loyal friends in this never-to-be-repeated opportunity to purchase our new release online.

This product is only available to purchase if you are a successful applicant in our ballot.

Sold by Mail Marketing UK Limited.



























Warm apple strudel with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cinnamon give way to sticky dates, and dark chocolate raisins.









Sweet pear poached with cinnamon sticks, and vanilla and cardamon pods, followed by Christmas cake and gentle notes of caramel and nutmeg.









Rich, complex with a gentle spice.


Strathisla is the oldest continuously working distillery in the Highlands of Scotland and the most traditional of those producing malt whisky for Chivas Brothers. Our spirit is known to be sweet, fruity and effortlessly enjoyed yet it is also generous in offering the complexity and depth that interests those with a more curious palate. This richness is borne of our iconic copper stills, short & fat in comparison to most they produce a full and abundant spirit.


These are the very characteristics that Strathisla has given to Chivas Regal for decades. Strathisla lies at the heart of every bottle of Chivas as the one consistent malt in the blend. For our small distillery to support Chivas in its global success we can keep only a very small quantity of our exceptional whisky to share as a single malt making this release remarkably rare.









We are offering you, our friends, the unique opportunity to be selected by ballot to purchase this whisky online. Only 750 of the 1494 bottles produced will be released in this pre-sale launch.

Registration for the ballot opens on Monday 6th November at 12.00pm and closes on Sunday 19th November at 11.59pm and can be submitted at the link below.

750 entrants will be selected at random and sent their unique code to make their purchase.















Please note that these products are sold by Mail Marketing UK Limited, have limited availability and are only available for purchase in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Guernsey, Ireland, Isle Of Man, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom with free home delivery over £200.

Countries inside the UK & EU will not be charged local customs duties and taxes. Following Brexit, orders to the EU will be subject to additional custom clearance. DHL may contact you for further information on your order prior to delivery which will need to be provided locally. If you need any assistance, please contact strathisladistillery@mailmarkuk.com In countries outside the UK & EU local customs duties and taxes will be applicable upon delivery.



























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