A Wade decanter of Bell’s 8 Year Old Extra Special Old Scotch Whisky, released to celebrate the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday in the year 2000, 4th August.

The Story of Bell's Decanters Courtesy of United Distillers plc. It was in the 1920s that the idea of a bell shaped Decanter was first conceived. It began life made out of blue glass in a rather more traditional Decanter shape. It was then being made in porcelain and looked more like a bell. By the late 1940s, the Decanters were produced by a small firm of fancy goods manufacturers called Carvendale's who had a little factory in Edinburgh 's Thistle Street. Decanters were made individually by hand, subcontracted to a firm in Peebles, run in those days by a Polish ex-prisoner of war. Each Decanter was made from self-coloured pottery, hand lettered in gold, and each was complete with clapper attached to the bottom. In the early 1950s, Royal Doulton had taken over its production. A unique blend of especially selected whiskies was specifically created for it. In 1960, the manufacture of these two sizes had been taken over by Spode and in 1966 the third famous porcelain manufacturer, Wade, took over production. 

Bell's blended whisky was created by Arthur Bell in Perth in 1851 when he owned a small shop in Perth, Scotland which traded in whisky and tea. Since then is has enjoyed huge popularity across the world with the slogan, "Afore ye go" becoming well-known. At its heart is malt from the Blair Athol distillery and from 1974 until 1993 Pittyvaich was used in the blend.

The history of Arthur Bell & Sons dates back to the mid-19th century, however it was not until the 1930s that they became a big name player in the Scotch industry, acquiring the Blair Athol and Dufftown distilleries from P. Mackenzie & Co in 1932, and Inchgower from Moray Town Council four years later. 

The company placed its focus on the domestic market, and commanded 35% of it by the 1970s, with Bell's Extra Special the best-selling brand in Scotland. The firm was bought over by Guinness in 1985, who in turn procured DCL the following year. Today Bell's blends are still produced by its modern iteration, Diageo.