With over 600 whiskies available over two sessions on the 23rd and 24th of February, 600 people descended upon the Grand Central Hotel in the city centre to attend the Old & Rare Whisky Show and taste a selection of whiskies from the incredible collection.
Billy Abbott of The Whisky Exchange pours a dram. Picture: Old & Rare Whisky Show
The brainchild of the team behind the Whisky Exchange and whisky experts Angus MacRaild and Jonny McMillan, the show first launched in 2017 and has continued to grow in popularity since then.
Organiser Angus who was in attendance said: “Whiskies distilled and bottled several decades ago display a different character to modern whiskies because the methods of production – and often the ingredients used – were notably different to today’s whisky making practices.
“These kinds of old and rare bottlings represent what is popularly termed ‘old style’ whisky. For enthusiasts, these bottlings are more characterful and display more personality and individuality than their modern counterparts.
“For drinkers and collectors alike these bottlings represent liquid time capsules, drinkable history that offers a window onto the past; how whisky used to be produced and the character of the people that made these whiskies. The Whisky Show Old & Rare offers attendees an unparalleled opportunity to try these incredible spirits in the company of like-minded enthusiasts and world class experts on old and rare whiskies. ”
Nearly 30 drams were available for just £2 per 1cl and 13 drams priced £100 or more for 1cl, showing that no matter your budget, the show offers a great opportunity to try a variety of old and rare whiskies.
In terms of exhibitors, the event saw some of the world's greatest whisky collectors, enthusiasts, whisky bars, auction houses and independent bottlers, allowing people access to their own private collections.
Exhibitors included The Auld Alliance, one of the best whisky bars in the world based in Singapore; movie producer Hideo Yamaoka, who famously needs two apartments in Tokyo – one for his family and one for his whisky collection; famous Scottish whisky bar The Fiddlers, in Drumnadrochit; and the Thompson Bros., of Dornoch Castle Whisky Bar and Distillery fame.
Here are some of the amazing bottles on offer at the Old & Rare Whisky Show.
The incredibly popular bottle of the non-peaty Laphroaig. Picture: TSPL
This 7-year-old Glenfarclas (£5).
The US White Label from 1910.
This 1940 Macallan was available for £200 per dram.
175 bottles of The Single Malts of Scotland Director’s Special Ardbeg 25 Year Old were made available especially for the show.
This Haynes whiskey was bottled in the 1900s and was available for £25 a dram.
This Johnnie Walker Red Label was bottled in the 1950s for £3 a dram.
This Johnnie Walker bottle from 1910 was headed for the Diageo Archive after the show.
This Haig Pure Malt was bottled in the 1890s
The Shyte whisky bottled by Charlie MacLean for the Shyte Shirts brand.
This Springbank 30 from the 1960s was bottled for the Japanese market.
This Teachers Blend was bottled in the 1920s.
This bottling from the now closed Glen Lochy distillery was produced in 1967.
This Karuizawa was bottled in 1983.
The incredible looking Warrior collection was bottled for Taiwan.
