Mannochmore 1994 (bottled 2014) - Connoisseurs Choice (70cl, 46%)
Distilled in 1994, matured in Refill Sherry Hogsheads and bottled in 2014 by Gordon & MacPhail.
Mannochmore was built in 1971 by DCL (now Diageo) on the site of its sister distillery, Glenlossie, to assist with the increasing demand for blended Scotch in the international market. Its output remains blend focussed to this day, and as such is more commonly bottled as a single malt by independent labels. Occasional official releases have appeared over the years though, in the Flora & Fauna and Rare Malts Selection series, and as the infamous “black whisky,” Loch Dhu.
Gordon & MacPhail are one of the largest and most recognisable whisky companies in the world. Although they began distilling at the newly refurbished Benromach distillery in 1998, for most of their history they were an independent bottler. Their labels are recognised by whisky lovers the world over, and their licensed bottlings from distillery's like Macallan and Talisker in the 1970s and 1980s, when the companies were not bottling themselves, are a huge part of the success of those distillers today.
The Connoisseurs Choice label is one of the most recognisable independent bottlings on the market. It was initially created for renowned Italian importer, Edoardo Giaccone in the early 1970s, but became a mainstay of the core Gordon & MacPhail portfolio in 1979.