Pittyvaich 12 Year Old - James MacArthur - Fine Malt Selection Miniature

One of Speyside’s most shortlived distilleries of the modern era, Pittyvaich opened in 1974 and closed in 1993 - the same year as Rosebank - but has never attracted the same kind of retrospective exaltation. Pittyvaich’s spirit was always designed and destined for blended Scotch, particularly Bell’s, and is sometimes less obviously lovable than some of its contemporaries. The distillery was demolished in 2002.

Pittyvaich was only officially bottled once in its lifetime, an interesting but uninspiring sherried 12-year-old Flora & Fauna edition; much better were the posthumous Special Release bottlings in 2009, 2015 and a trio from consecutive years 2018-2020. Independent bottlings of Pittyvaich are unsurprisingly rare, but some great examples exist from Cadenhead’s and James MacArthur, as well as a sensational Kingsbury bottling of a Pittyvaich sherry butt from 1974, the distillery’s first year of operation.

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.