Scotland, Lowlands. Distillery closed. Owner: Ian Macleaod Distillers

Closed in 1993 by owners United Distillers (Diageo), Rosebank is today the Lowlands' most sought-after malt. In a rare phenomenon experienced by only a handful of distilleries such as Macallan, Ardbeg and Laphroaig, official versions and independent bottlings are just as equally prized. In 2019, for example, three years after its release, the Rosebank True Love edition from the Roses range (Specialty Drinks) far surpassed the popularity of the official version Rosebank 20 Year Old Zenith Import (1980s), which was until then the leading expression. In September 2017, the brand and stock were bought by Ian Macleod Distillers, who, in January 2019, were given permission to renovate and reopen the distillery - a feat due for completion in 2021.

A small batch Rosebank (casks #1605-1606) distilled in 1990 and bottled in 2006 by Gordon & MacPhail, one of Scotland’’s oldest independent bottlers. Gordon & MacPhail was founded in Elgin in 1895 by James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail. As was often the case at the time, the business started out as a delicatessen and wine merchant. In 1915, John Alexander MacPhail retired and a new partner joined the business, John Urquhart. He was joined by his son George in 1933, a few years after James Gordon died in a car crash. Gordon & MacPhail works with many of Speyside’’s leading distilleries, from whom it has accumulated considerable stocks. It is also licensed to bottle whiskies for many of them, including Glen Grant, Linkwood, Mortlach, Macallan and Glenlivet. The business really took off in the 1970s, acquiring distributors in a huge range of countries and selling casks to several Italian bottlers in selections that would become legends in their own right. Gordon & MacPhail is still run by the Urquhart family today, from the same building, and is one of the most iconic bottlers in the industry, with incredible stocks of sometimes very old and rare whiskies. The company is in complete control of the entire maturation process.