Built in 1896 by Alexander Edward near the town of Keith, Speyside, Aultmore has long been used for blends. Popular in this role with its successive owners—Distillers Company Limited (now Diageo) until 1988, and John Dewar & Sons, who briefly owned the distillery from 1923 to 1925—Aultmore's range of single malts was not launched until 2014, which is a shame as the slow distillation in small stills with downward lyne arms gives the whisky a wonderfully aromatic and strong character.

An Aultmore 21 year old hogshead distilled in 1997. Cadenhead was founded in 1842 by George Duncan, who was quickly joined by William Cadenhead who renamed the business after Duncan’’s death in 1858. When Cadenhead in turn passed away in 1904, his nephew Robert Duthie took over and turned the business into the independent bottler it is today. After Duthie, it was managed by one of his employees, Ann Olivier, whose stubborn approach to running the business led to much of the stock having to be sold at auction by Christie’’s (London) in 1972 to feed the kitty and save the business. It was then sold to J. & A. Mitchell and Co, who also owned Springbank, and moved to Campbeltown.