Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchant, Berry Bros. & Rudd, is celebrating a historic 325 years with a limited edition release from Scotland’s famous Laphroaig distillery.
Chair Lizzy Rudd handpicked the bottle to mark the anniversary, a single malt scotch that has been maturing since 1999, with only 232 available for sale. She said the aim was to pay homage to more than three centuries of a family-run business while looking ahead to a sustainable future.
“We can take much heart from our past to find optimism and inform our future,” she told the Standard.
“In over 300 years of history, we have embraced change and the need to adapt to survive and thrive. Our vision is to bring people together and help them drink better, both now and in the future, but we also care deeply about both environmental and social sustainability.
“We must, and will, continue that care at every level – to work in tandem with nature, becoming a business that has a positive impact on the planet and its people.”
Laphroaig was founded in 1815 and makes fine whisky on the island of Islay, found at the southernmost point of the Inner Hebrides. Tasting notes from the Berry Bros. & Rudd release talk of a dram that rewards patience and a little breathing time, with a “spectacular bouquet” and flavours of “peat smoke, luscious pineapple, coal soot and mango.”
Spirits buyer Rob Whitehead said the merchant has been bottling casks under its own label since the early 19th century and said the team wanted to offer something “truly exceptional.” He said the whisky brings subtle vanilla, spice, and bonfire ash that lingers on the finish.
"Every so often, when tasting through our repository of casks, one barrel begins to separate itself from the pack,” said Whitehead.
“When this happens, it feels beholden on us to find the ideal moment for such casks to shine at their brightest. We had been tracking this barrel for a while and, with unknowable serendipity, its particular apogee coincided with our 325th anniversary.”
