Whyte and Mackay 13 Year Old (70cl, 40%)
A very highly-regarded aged blend from Whyte & Mackay The Thirteen is so named because a blend of 12 year old malt whiskies then aged for an additional year in ex-sherry casks. After this final year, at 13 years old the malt whisky blend is married with grain whiskies to create the final blend.
James Whyte and Charles Mackay started their company in 1882, quickly launching their Whyte & Mackay special blend. Their sales were predominantly in the export market until after the second world war, when they renewed their focus domestically. The firm merged with the Mackenzie Brothers in 1960, giving them their first distillery, Dalmore. They soon added Tamnavulin, Fettercairn and the Invergordon grain distillery to their portfolio, all of which have been key contributors to their blends over the years. Whyte & Mackay have always been forward thinking in their approach, using sherry finishing for their proprietary blend, and introducing the first 40 fl oz bottle for the on-trade in 1963 (now an industry standard). Today the brand is synonymous with its master blender, Richard Paterson, and remains one of the most popular Scotch brands in the world.