Blair Athol 1989-2021 - 31 Year Old - Hunter Laing - The First Editions Authors Series - Single Cask

Originally founded in 1798 as Aldour, Blair Athol was taken over by Arthur Bell & Sons in 1933 and has been a keystone malt for the Bell’s blend ever since. In 1985 Bell’s was bought by Guinness, with Blair Athol later becoming part of United Distillers and then Diageo in subsequent mergers. 

Blair Athol’s importance to Bell’s and other blends has resulted in limited official bottlings. Arthur Bell & Sons released Blair Athol as an 8-year-old and occasionally a 12-year-old from the late 1960s onwards; these were replaced in the late 1980s by a well-regarded sherried 12-year-old Flora & Fauna edition that has been the only ongoing bottling over the last few decades. Occasional one-off Blair Athols have been bottled for the Rare Malts, Manager’s Dram, Special Releases and the distillery’s Bicentenary. Independent Blair Athol is abundant.

Hunter Laing was created in 2013 after founder Stewart Laing divided the assets of the Douglas Laing company with his brother Fred Laing Jr.  The new Hunter Laing company received the classic Old Malt Cask and Old & Rare Platinum Selection single malt ranges in the split from Douglas Laing, and Stewart’s sons Andrew and Scott Laing merged their Edition Spirits brand into the new company.

As well as the Old Malt Cask, Old & Rare and First Edition series, Hunter Laing now bottle several new ranges of single malt and grain whisky, including Distiller’s Art, Hepburn’s Choice and the Scarabus brand mystery Islay whisky. In 2017 Hunter Laing began construction of the Ardnahoe distillery on Islay, which produced its first spirit the following year.