Lot presentation

Bunnahabhain 28 years 1947 Matthew Gloag & Son bottled 1975

The wine

A Bunnahabhain distilled in 1947 and bottled in 1975 by Matthew Gloag & Son, a Perth-based blender known for its flagship blend The Famous Grouse which was bought by Highland Distillers in 1970 following the death of Fred Gloag. As the distillery did not have its own bottling line—as was the case for many other distilleries at the time—the blending company took care of this part of the process. The Gothic writing on the label was Highland Distillers’’ trademark at the time and is found on other bottles from the group, such as Glenrothes 42 Year Old 1942 and Tamdhu 23 Year Old 1950, bottled respectively in 1974 and 1973.

About the Producer Bunnahabhain

Scotland, Isle of Islay. Distillery operational. Owner: Burn Stewart Distillers – Distell Group

Developed by the Highland Distilleries company in the late 19th century, before joining the Edrington group (Macallan, Glenrothes, Highland Park, Tamdhu) in the 20th century, Bunnahabhain was, until the early 2000s, only Islay's second malt to opt for an unpeated profile. A major supplier for blends (over 90% of production) such as Black Bottle, Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and Scottish Leader, Bunnahabhain made a name for itself in 2002 with the releases of a magnificent 1968 vintage named Auld Acquaintance, a 1966 Feis Isle, a 1980 single cask and a black label 34 year old. It was a prosperous year for a distillery which until then had only a single expression, Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old, presented in a stocky green bottle and strongly influenced by its sherry cask maturation. Since being bought in 2003 by Burns Stewart Distillers (Distell group), Bunnahabhain has released numerous limited editions and finally made the most of its potential.