VAT 69 (BAT 69) – mixed whiskey from alcohols with a long exposure time. The premium drink is produced according to an old recipe by the Scottish company William Sanderson & Son, which is part of the British alcohol holding Diageo. During its existence, VAT 69 whiskey has become a cult and has appeared in about a dozen works of American and Indian cinema.
Historical information
Company founder William Sanderson began his journey in the wine business in 1852, when he came to study at one of the distilleries as a boy. Ten years later, the young man had his own liquor and whiskey business. In 1880, Sanderson was joined by his son William Mark, he convinced his father not only to produce, but also to bottle whiskey.
According to legend, VAT 69 whiskey first appeared in 1882. It was then that Sanderson invited a group of friends to taste the blends he had made blindly. The guests tasted products from about a hundred barrels, and the whiskey from container number 69 was recognized as the best whiskey. Special dark glass bottles with a black and white label were developed for the new brand.
Whiskey VAT 69 became the company’s flagship product, and five years later the company acquired the Glen Garioch distillery in Aberdeenshire and built a distillery in Edinburgh. In 1892, William Sanderson retired and handed over the management to his son. The First World War dealt a severe blow to the country’s alcohol business, and the company experienced hard times until the mid-20s.
During this period, the management managed to export VAT 69 outside of Scotland thanks to an advertising campaign at the Wembley tennis tournament. In 1933, William Sanderson & Son merged with Booth’s Distilleries, their common brands became popular in the United States after the repeal of Prohibition, and by the end of the 60s, total exports had grown fivefold. Later, both companies entered the structure of DCL, which then became part of the British alcohol holding Diageo.
In 1969, production moved from Leith to South Queensferry in West Lothian, where it has remained ever since. VAT 69 is a blended whiskey of forty grain and malt spirits, the oldest component of the blend is aged in barrels for at least eight years. In 1980, the company introduced VAT 69 Reserve, a mixture made from 12-year-old spirits.
Interesting Facts
- In 1914, the Imperial Antarctic Expedition was led by Ernest Shackleton. The researchers took several cases of VAT 69 with them. The surviving documents mentioned that the drink was needed not only for holidays, but also for the treatment of expedition members.
- Whiskey VAT 69 has appeared in many Hollywood movies and TV shows. In particular, the brand was preferred by one of the heroes of The Shining, Jack Torrance.
Characteristics of whiskey VAT 69, 40%
The blend is recognized by experts as one of the most harmonious in a number of similar Scottish scotches. A golden color drink with a delicate aroma of fruit, caramel and sea salt. The taste is soft and velvety, malty sweetness is felt, seasoned with perceptible smoky tones. At the finish, peat shades appear brighter.
