Lindores MCDXCIV

The first written record of Scotch whisky production - Friar John Cor and his famous ‘eight bols malt’ to make aqua vitae in 1494 - is believed to relate to Lindores Abbey, which was founded by Tironensian monks in 1191. The Abbey subsequently fell into ruin and was purchased in 1912 by the Howison family, whose descendant Drew Mackenzie-Smith and his wife Helen began construction of the new Lindores Abbey distillery in 2013. 

Distillation began at Lindores Abbey in December 2017, and as of 2020 Lindores has been a field to bottle distillery, using only barley grown in the fields surrounding the Abbey. The distillery is located in the Lowlands on the edge of the Highland border and uses one wash still and two spirit stills to create a fruity, characterful spirit. Lindores Abbey distillery launched their first single malt whiskies in 2021.

Distillery bottlings are, as the name suggests, bottled by or for the distillery from which the whisky has originated and are thus often referred to as Official Bottlings or OBs. Distillery bottlings are generally more desirable for collectors and usually fetch higher prices at auction than independent bottlings. They are officially-endorsed versions of the whisky from a particular distillery and are therefore considered the truest expression of the distillery’s character.

This ideal of the distillery character is regarded so seriously by the distilleries and brand owners that casks of whisky that are considered to vary too far from the archetype are frequently sold on to whisky brokers and independent bottlers. When this happens, it is often with the proviso that the distillery’s name is not allowed to be used when the cask is bottled for fear of diminishing or damaging the distillery’s character and status.