Founded in 1988, Signatory Vintage is one of Scotland’s most respected independent bottlers. Known for a commitment to authenticity and transparency, every bottle from Signatory reveals the full story of its whisky: distillation date, bottling date, cask number, and often even the cask type are all shared with the drinker.
Signatory are renowned for selecting and bottling whiskies that offer a glimpse into the soul of a particular distillery. Many of the whiskies bottled by Signatory represent a kind of limited time-capsule, transporting the drinker back to a unique point in a distillery’s production. Like the 1967 Ardbeg below, which was distilled when Ardbeg still malted its own barley.
Here we have highlighted seven remarkable whiskies bottled by Signatory Vintage throughout the 1990s. All of them have been rated more than 90 points across either Whiskyfun or by the community on WhiskyBase. They are also all available now to buy on The Whiskey Wash Shop along with other amazing whiskies from Signatory.
Ardbeg 1967 30 Year Old
1967 is a renowned vintage from Ardbeg and this example is no exception. Produced back when Ardbeg was still malting its own barley, this whisky offers a glimpse into a historic moment in the renowned Islay distillery’s history.
This 30 year old is one of the crown jewels of Signatory’s early output. Matured in cask #1138 for 30 years this is regarded as an Oloroso-matured masterpiece. Bottled at 52.2% in 1997, it opens with dark chocolate and toasted raisin notes before unfurling layers of smoky tea, medicinal herbs, and balsamic-tinged citrus. It’s been likened to peated rum but is undeniably old-school, complex Islay at its most evocative.
Rated 93 on Whiskyfun, this expression will set you back over $11,000 elsewhere, or $8,676 on The Whiskey Wash Shop.
Glen Grant 1972 23 Year Old
If Speyside is more your preference, then this 1972 Glen Grant is a benchmark for fruit-forward Speysiders. One of just 240 bottles, this sherry cask matured whisky was bottled in July 1995 at 55.8%. It is another 93 pointer from the reviewers at Whiskyfun and this 23 year old is renowned for presenting flawlessly representation of Glen Grant whisky at its peak.
Available on The Whiskey Wash Shop for $1,787
Lochside 1959 31 Year Old
As a whisky bottled in 1959 this Lochside single cask whisky was already special. However the Lochside distillery was decommissioned in the 1990s and demolished in 2005 and as it doesn’t have the backing of a parent company like Diageo we’re unlikely to see a resurrection in the style of Port Ellen or Brora. That means that these increasingly rare vintage bottlings offer a slice of history that speaks to a lost era in Highland whisky-making. Bottled at 31 years old, and 57.9% in 1991 it’s been rated 91 points by the community on WhiskyBase.
Port Ellen 1976 22 Year Old
Port Ellen is a distillery that needs little introduction, this closed Islay distillery amassed a cult following thanks to the fantastic whiskies released after it had been closed by Diageo in 1983. Thankfully for lovers of the classic Islay scotch Port Ellen is now reopened. All that remains while we wait patiently for the first releases from the new distillery, is to enjoy classics from the original offering. This1976 vintage was aged 22 years and just 262 bottles were filled at cask strength 56.2%. It is renowned for elegant and layered flavours and presenting a superb expression of late-70s Port Ellen style—complex, slightly austere, and endlessly rewarding.
Sample it for $2,524 from The Whiskey Wash Shop
Glenrothes 1968 27 Year Old
Another one for fans of classic sherried Speyside scotch, this Glenrothes was distilled in 1968 and matured for 27 years in a sherry cask before being deemed perfect and bottled at cask strength of 54%. It’s rated 90 by drinkers and is one of just 204 bottles. Glenrothes is owned by Edrington, and we have seen an increasing number of older and premium releases from them, but this is a rare chance to try something from this era and at cask strength.
Port Ellen 1977 17 Year Old
Jumping back to Islay, this time for a more youthful Port Ellen 17-year-old rated 91 points by the WhiskyBase community. Distilled in 1977 this is a rare example of a relatively young Port Ellen from the 70s that’s been bottled at cask strength. Signatory bottled it at a hefty 60.4% giving plenty of opportunity for experimenting with a drop of water, and with 30 years in glass you can expect all the beautiful maturity that older Port Ellen’s are known for.
Available on The Whiskey Wash Shop for $1,384
Ben Nevis 1963 33 Year Old
For our last classic Signatory we head across to the highlands for a slightly unusual one. This is single grain whisky distilled at Ben Nevis—which is better known for its single malt these days. This bottle offers a rare glimpse into old school Ben Nevis before it was bought by Japanese distillers Nikka in 1989. Highly aged single grain whisky is a real treat and this 33 year old, distilled in 1963 and bottled at 54.2% is no exception, rated 90 by the WhiskyBase community.
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