Founded in 1838, the Ord distillery joined the James Watson & Son blending company in 1887, before being bought by Thomas Dewars & Sons Ltd in 1925 and the Distillers Company Ltd in 1930. Despite its close link with these blending companies, who absorbed almost all of its malt (Johnnie Walker, Dewars, Watson's), Ord set out to release its single malt, which, over several decades and owners, has appeared under various names, including Ord, Ordie, Glen Ordie and Glen Ord. Since the mid-90s and under the impetus of United Distillers, Ord has been included in various ranges, including The Rare Malts Selection, Malting's 25th Anniversary and Manager's Choice. In 2002, it was chosen to join the Hidden Malts range alongside Clynelish, Caol Ila and Glen Elgin, but it was slow to be discovered by enthusiasts and collectors. Finally, in 2004, it opened its vaults and released its oldest barrels in the Diageo Special Release and The Singleton ranges.

A Glen Ord distilled in 1970 and bottled in 1992 by The Vintage Malt Whisky Company, an independent bottler founded in Glasgow in 1992 by Brian Cook. The company is known for its selections in the Cooper’’s Choice range and for brands like Tantallan and Finlaggan—an Islay whisky whose exact origins are unknown.