1966, THE YEAR THAT WAS

1966 was a heated year. Between the war in Vietnam, nuclear trials in French Polynesia, the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the Aberfan disaster in Wales, race riots in the US and several coups in Africa, 1966 would leave many observers flummoxed, not least the Nobel Peace Prize committee, who would forgo giving out that year’s award. As for the whisky world, it was a landmark year. In the minds of master distillers and cellar masters, 1966 was the year.

IN THE WORLD OF WHISKY

Malt Whisky production increases 14 percentage points over 1965, while grain whisky production collapses by 17.5 points. 114 malt distilleries in operation, including three new ones: Deanston, Tamnavulin et Ladyburn (‘Ayrshire’, Girvan). A little over 537 M gallons of whisky are maturing in cellars. Despite a low 5% growth in volume (bottles and bulk) exported over 1965, growth in value is 12% for that year.

"Born in 1966"

BOWMORE BOUQUET 1966, 53%, Samaroli 

A selection by the colourful Italian independent bottler Samaroli, bottled in 1984 by R.H. Duthie & Co. A limited edition of 720 bottles. A handful of bottles is still sold at auction each year, for around 60,000€ each.

SPRINGBANK 1966 LOCAL BARLEY 

Introduced in 1990 by the Mitchell family, owners of Springbank, the Local Barley series comprised about fifty single-cask bottlings (ex-bourbon or ex-sherry casks) over the entire decade. The series began with cask # 441 and ended with #511. All were distilled between January and February 1966.

1966 IN FRENCH RECORD BINS:

1966 IN FRENCH CINEMAS:

1972, THE YEAR THAT WAS

Between Bloody Sunday, the first rumblings of the Watergate scandal, The Limits to Growth and the end of the Trente Glorieuses, not to mention Brassens’ celebration of Fernande and Michel Polnareff’s mooning poster, the year 1972 was anything but conventional. Regarding whisky, the year has an extra bit of “soul”, if you will, and is in the running for ambassadorship of the entire decade.

IN THE WORLD OF WHISKY

The reopening of the Tobermory distillery (Ledaig) brings the number of operating distilleries to 118, with an estimated production of 63.9M LPA that year.

Changes in ownership: Dalmore-Whyte & Mackay is purchased by Scottish & Universal Investments Trust. The Distillers Company takes over Glen Albyn and Glen Mhor (Mackinlays & Birnies). Invergordon Distillers acquires Deanston & Tullibardine. William Lawson Distillers buys Glendeveron Distillers (Macduff). Watney Mann purchases Glen Spey, Strathmill and Justerini & Brooks (Knockando). Watney Mann is acquired the same year by Grand Metropolitan Hotels.

Modern Times: Aberfeldy, Caol Ila, Convalmore, Cragganmore, Glendullan, Glenfarclas, Longmorn, Oban, Tormore and Tamdhu all increase their production and storage capacities (stills and warehouses), renovate their mash tuns and washbacks (switching to stainless steel) and move away from onsite malting.

Bottling of the year:

Mortlach 1936, 35 years Connoisseurs Choice Barrel, 43%, Gordon & MacPhail

1966 IN FRENCH CINEMAS:

1983, THE YEAR THAT WAS

The year 1983 is positively vertigo-inducing, marked as it is by terrorism, the Cold War and an economic crisis. In March, the latter led France to take the economic and budgetary ‘turn toward rigor’ under Minister of Finance Jacques Delors. In Scotland, the whisky industry took a no less violent turn, with the closing of numerous distilleries and a dramatic slowdown in production.

IN SCOTLAND

In1983, the number of active distilleries falls to 107, compared to 123 in 1979. In 1990, there would only be 94 (malt & grain combined).

The fall-off of Scotch whisky exports (across all categories and formats, bulk and bottles combined) first observed in 1979 continues apace, bottoming out in 1983 (227,844.492 LPA).

The industry proceeds with its “cleaning-out” of maturing Scotch stores (malt and grain), which it began at the very start of the decade, with a total of 2,743.62 million LPA in warehouses in 1983 versus 3,083.51 million LPA in 1980.

By 1983, malt production has declined by almost half over 1980 levels (93,398 million LPA vs. 177,913 million LPA) and grain production is at 60% of what it was three years previous. A record to this day.

Port Ellen and Brora fill their last (known) casks on March 22.

Macallan launches its rarest bottling ever put on the market: The Macallan 1928, 50-year-old, The Anniversary Malt (75 cl, 38,5%), limited to 500 bottles.

Cadenhead “goes 60s” with a selection of mythical casks for its Dumpy Brown series: Ord 20-year-old 1962, Caol Ila 17-year-old 1966, Springbank 32-year-old 1950 and Laphroaig 16-year-old 1967.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is born in May in The Vaults, in Leith, and introduces its first bottling: SMWS 1975 “1.1”, 54% (a.k.a Glenfarclas).

"BORN IN 1983, A CLOSE LOOK FROM TASTERS"

PORT ELLEN 1983, 14-year-old, Sherry Cask, The Cooper's Choice 56.8%, 70cl

The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd for Haecky Drink AG, Reinach, Switzerland. A young Port Ellen (14-year-old) bottled in 1998 for the Swiss market (Haecky Drink AG, Reinach Import) by independent bottler The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd (founded 1992), from a 100% sherry cask batch). A very similar second edition exists at 51.8%, with the peculiarity of a stated distillation year of 1993 – a label design error which makes this batch a true rarity!

1983 IN FRENCH RECORD BINS:

1966 IN FRENCH CINEMAS:

1997, THE YEAR THAT WAS

For the whisky industry, 1997 is the year of rebirth. Put on pause, as it were, for nearly twenty years, our Sleeping Beauty slowly wakes from her slumber into a new world where ewes are being cloned and computers trounce the greatest chess players; a world that has just closed the book on Thatcherism and mourns the passing of the Princess of Wales, and where everyone is talking about something called ‘Google’. Although prudence is called for, the stills are running at full capacity, distilleries are reopening and new single malts are created. In 1997, the industry is on the path to the future.

IN THE WHISKY WORLD

1997 was the epitome of whisky production – no other year matches it in amounts of alcohol distilled. Malt and grain both broke records (193M LPA and 278M LPA respectively) despite the still-limited number of operating malt distilleries (82). This is matched by export (bulk and bottled) with a nearly 8-point growth over 1996 – though only 5 points in value, as the industry was still clearing out old stores. The MacDonald family (Glenmorangie PLC) brought Ardbeg under its umbrella for a paltry £7 million, and would usher in a golden age for the historic distillery over the next few years. Consumers hold 1997 as a golden year for both distillery and independent bottlings.

BOTTLED IN 1997

Ardbeg 1967 Signatory Vintage: series of casks #1138 to #1142 distilled March 22, 1967
Glen Garioch 1968 Individual Cask: series of casks #611 to #627 distilled April 27, 1968
Auchentoshan 1965 Individual Cask: series of casks #2502 to #2510 distilled November 4, 1965

BOTTLING OF THE YEAR BORN IN 1997 :

LAGAVULIN 1997 Islay Jazz Festival, Butt #1894, 54.5%

Distilled in 1997, this single-cask (refill butt #1894) would see the light of day in 2012 within the Islay Jazz Festival series. A limited edition of 624 bottles.

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CAOL ILA 1997 Manager’s Choice, Sherry Cask #14185, 58% 

A highly exclusive bottling, released in 2009 under the Manager’s Choice label, aged in an ex-sherry cask (European Oak). A limited edition of 366 bottles.

By Marlène Léon

Excerpt from WHISKEY MAGAZINE N°85 - Old & Rare Special Edition