Auchroisk 1996 - 10 Year Old - James MacArthur - Old Masters Miniature

Auchroisk is a large modern Speyside distillery founded by Justerini & Brooks, which was part of Grand Metropolitan by the time the distillery was completed in 1974. Grand Metropolitan merged with Guinness to become Diageo in 1997.

Unlike many similar distilleries from the same era, Auchroisk was never intended just for blending - Auchroisk’s malt whisky was officially bottled from the late 1970s and was sold as Singleton of Auchroisk from the mid-1980s until 2001, when Diageo introduced a Flora & Fauna 10-year-old. The Singleton brand was later repurposed without Auchroisk, but Diageo have released small batch limited edition Auchroisks for the Rare Malts and Special Release series. The Flora & Fauna edition remains Auchroisk’s only ongoing official bottling, but independent Auchroisk is abundant, with recent highlights from reliable bottlers including Gordon & MacPhail and the SMWS.

James MacArthur & Co Ltd was an independent bottler of single malt and grain whiskies founded in 1982 by the Winning family. The company kept an exceptionally low profile but its James MacArthur’s Old Masters and James MacArthur’s Fine Malts ranges, while unprolific, were always outstanding drams. James MacArthur’s whiskies were released at cask strength or 45-46% and were always from traditional bourbon or sherry casks. 

James MacArthur’s simple, utilitarian labels were light on detail, often with just a distillery name and age statement rather than any distillation or bottling dates. The company’s most legendary whiskies are a pair of 12-year-old Port Ellens and half a dozen Caol Ilas bottled in the 1980s, all of which are of extraordinary quality and have subsequently fetched enormous prices at auction. Sadly, with the Winnings long past retirement age, James MacArthur & Co was dissolved early in 2022.