Convalmore 1983-1997 - 14 Year Old - Signatory Vintage - Single Cask 1639 - Miniature

Convalmore is one of the greatest lost Speyside distilleries of modern times. The distillery was founded in 1893, and was part of the Buchanan’s stable when the latter joined Distillers Company Limited in 1925, with much of its operational life spent producing whisky for the Black & White blend. Convalmore was expanded in the 1960s before being mothballed by DCL in 1985 and sold to neighbours William Grant & Sons, whose Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries adjoin the Convalmore site.

Almost unknown during its operational lifetime, Convalmore’s deliciously old school waxy, fruity malt whisky was championed in the 1980s by indie bottlers including Gordon & MacPhail and Cadenhead’s.  Convalmore’s first ever official bottling was a superb Rare Malts Edition in 2003, almost twenty years after the distillery had closed its doors, and subsequent Diageo Special Release Convalmores in 2005, 2013 and 2017 also met with universal acclaim.

Signatory Vintage Whisky Company was founded by Andrew Symington in 1988 after a spell as assistant manager at the Prestonfield House Hotel, where he had the opportunity to buy a cask of Glenlivet 1968. A robust and canny businessman, Symington had soon acquired some outstanding parcels of casks from great distilleries, and quickly established a reputation among single malt fans for good value, high quality single casks, the majority of which were released at full strength.

Throughout the 1990s and beyond, Signatory released outstanding whisky from Ardbeg, Glenfarclas, Springbank and many more, with frequently remarkable examples of lost or obscure distilleries. Soon established as one of the leading new wave independent bottlers, Symington was also an early exponent of bottling whiskies without colouring or chill filtration, a policy that has also served Signatory well at their Edradour distillery, which was purchased in 2002.