Scotland, Speyside. Distillery operational. Owner: Diageo

Speyside, the golden triangle of the Scotch whisky industry, is home to a huge concentration of distilleries. From the internationally renowned to those known only to a few, Linkwood included. The distillery's oldest bottlings come from Italian importers such as Samaroli and Darma Import. One of the most sought-after is the Linkwood 12 Year Old 1957, 56.9%, Samaroli Import. After this, bottlings from its owners United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo) were rarer and appeared primarily in the Rare Malts Selection, Flora & Fauna and Manager's Dram ranges. It was not until the early 2000s that a 1981 trilogy finished in port, rum and red wine casks was released, propelling Linkwood into the spotlight. One again, it was independent bottlers, including Gordon & MacPhail and Cadenhead, that drove this single malt and brought it to the public's attention, from ex-sherry casks to very old vintages such as the 1939.

A Speyside single malt distilled in 1990, aged entirely in first-fill sherry casks (#6964) and bottled in 2009. Note the statement “Proprietors: John McEwan & Co Ltd” on the label, referencing a blending company responsible for the Chequers and Abbot’’s Choice blends which ran the distillery from 1945 up until the early 1990s, despite joining the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) in 1936. This bottle was reserved for bottlings selected by La Maison du Whisky from the vaults of the independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail, which was responsible for bottling. Bottle equipped with a cork stopper and gold foil seal.