OTHER BITS FROM SWR19 CAPTION COMPETITION! Here’s a 70cl bottle of rare Port Ellen Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, distilled in 1978 and bottled after 24 years at cask strength—59% alcohol, a limited release from a distillery that sadly will never work again; a real treasure. The people ogling it are thought to be politicians. BUNNAHABHAIN CL World Brands, the Trinidad based new owner of Burn Stewart PLC, has relocated its drinks headquarters to Scotland and announced the acquisition of Islay’s Bunnahabhain Distillery from Edrington. The distillery’s future has been uncertain for some time despite devoted fans and industry recognition—their Auld Acquaintance bottling won the overall trophy in the 2002 Scottish Field Merchant’s Challenge. CL Financial lists its interests as primarily insurance and finance but also energy production, real estate, natural resources and booze. Prior to taking control of Burn Stewart (Scottish Leader, Deanston & Tobermory) in December 2002, their main drinks brand was Angoustoura Bitters but they also produce substantial volumes of bulk rum and white spirits in America and Europe. The East Kilbride headquarters will administer sales of $230m p.a. GLENGOYNE Ian MacLeod and Co. have bought Glengoyne Distillery and the Lang’s brand that has been associated with it. Glengoyne has been cherished by previous owner Edrington, who have sold it and Bunnahabhain in order to concentrate on their favoured brands of Macallan, Highland Park and Grouse. Family owned and highly respected, Ian MacLeod & Co. was founded in 1936 by Leonard Russell, the father and grandfather of the present Chairman and Managing Director. Their principal products are Isle of Skye and Chieftain’s Choice whiskies, London Hill Gin and Watson’s Rum. Based in Broxburn, west of Edinburgh, they employ 35 people and are a joint owner (with Grant’s of Glenfarclas) of Broxburn bottlers employing a further 85. Their acquisition of Glengoyne, which produces superb whisky, is very good news for whisky fans. “A friend of mine held some mixed Clyne Lish and Glenlivet of mine to be the best whisky he had ever drunk”. George Saintsbury Notes on a Cellar -book - 1921 To celebrate our ten years survival we are organising a couple of interesting and unique bottlings that will be released over the next few months. SAINTSBURY’S BEST Signatory’s warehouse is home to a hogshead of an equal mix of old Brora and sherry cask matured Glenlivet, marrying in accordance with George Saintsbury’s instructions for a special Living Cask (see also page 10). [Clyne-lish was the name for the now closed and renamed Brora distillery.] The cask has been marrying for six months now and is very promising [well, great!—actually]; neither the peat nor the sherry is diminished by the amalgamation. DECADENCE! At the 1999 International Wine & Spirit Competition, a bottling of Inverarity Ancestral from Aultmore Distillery won the Gold award. That’s now exhausted but Inverarity have confessed to hoarding a cask of the same whisky which has been maturing at reduced strength of 40% for a further four years. This whisky is truly spectacular and we are honoured to have it bottled for our tenth anniversary. Check the lfw.co.uk/news over the summer for details of availability.