Scotland, Speyside. Distillery operational. Owner: Chivas Brothers, Pernod Ricard

A blender's malt par excellence, Longmorn is considered a “Top Malt” in the Scotch whisky industry. This title, shared by just a dozen of the hundreds of distilleries spread across the Highlands including Macallan, enabled it to survive the difficulties of the 20th century in the shadow of Chivas Regal. For a long time limited to just two expressions, Longmorn 10 Year Old and Longmorn 15 Year Old, it would not be until the 21st century (2004) that its owners recognized its right to exist on the international scene as a single malt and equipped it with its own special bottlings. In the meantime, independent bottlers took to the malt. Making sherry-cask maturation its trademark, Gordon & MacPhail gave it an identity revered by and renowned amongst enthusiasts and collectors.

A Longmorn single cask (#12811) distilled in 1988 and bottled in 2014. Mackillop’’s Choice is an independent bottler owned by Ian Mackillop & Co, a subsidiary of the London blending company Angus Dundee, which also owns Glencadam and Tomintoul, and produces the brands Mackullik’’s Choice (for the French market) and Montgomerie’’s. A limited edition of 265 bottles.