Ayrshire 1974 Rare (Signatory)

Independent bottlers label Ladyburn as Ayrshire, unable to use the distillery's own name. Signatory bottled this 1974 for its 30th Anniversary, a 44 year old single cask from ex-Bourbon cask 2606, an outturn of 122 bottles. Ladyburn lasted only nine years within the Girvan grain complex on the Ayrshire coast, from 1966 to 1975.

Its four stills sat in a corner of the Girvan plant, the malt destined for Grant's blends and to ease demand on Glenfiddich. Across forty-four years the ex-Bourbon cask layered deep wax, vanilla and polished oak onto a spirit that began lean and oily.

Bottled at its natural cask strength of 53%. The ex-Bourbon gives vanillin for vanilla and oak lactones for coconut. The recorded notes run to citrus, fresh fruit, chocolate, honey, a malt extract note and an oily texture. A rare old anniversary Ayrshire.