Arthur J. A. Bell’s Vat No.1

Bought: Online Whisky Auction, 10^th January 2017

Ratings:
None I can find.

Arthur J.A. Bell (1946-2015) is not to be confused with Arthur Bell (1825-1900) who founded the famous Bell’s blend. But the two names are very much connected in the realms of whisky history. Arthur J.A. Bell (J.A.) was born in Brechin in 1946 and went to Edinburgh University where he was the co-author of “A Complete Edinburgh Pub Guide”, which sold 20,000 copies. In 1973 J.A. set up the company ‘Scottish Direct’ to sell high quality art and crafts. The company relocated to a disused tweed mill in Biggar, South Lanarkshire, and formed ‘Scottish Gourmet’ to sell local produce by mail order.

J.A. was known as the “The Whisky Connoisseur” and it was under this name that his company bottled and sold numerous single malts. They were given their own unique names such as Taranty (Glencadam) and Honest Tam (Balvenie). The full list that I know of can be found here. It wasn’t until 1985 when Guinness made a hostile takeover of Bell’s Whisky in Perth that J.A. came up with the idea of a blended whisky under the name ‘Scottish Gourmet’. He checked with his lawyer that it would be OK to add his signature to the label of the blend. Although his lawyer said it was OK, Guinness took Arthur J.A. Bell to court, only to end up losing. J.A. wrote an article about the story here.

The original ‘Scottish Gourmet’ blend (later named ‘The Real Macoy’) consisted of Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Springbank mixed with a single grain from the Highlands aged for well over 10 years. Although my miniature ‘Vat No.1’ shouldn’t contain any grain I’m hoping it has some or all of the Scottish Gourmet single malts vatted together at a blended cask strength of 47.3%. Here’s hoping!

Articles written by Arthur J.A. Bell, the Whisky Connoisseur, can be located here.

An obituary of Arthur J.A. Bell can be located here.

Taranty (Glencadam) 15-year-old

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

Like the Cawdordew I posted about yesterday, this is another curiously named malt by ‘The Whisky Connoisseur’ bottlers. I did a hunt for ‘Taranty’ and there’s a Taranty Fair in Brechin, where we find the Glencadam distillery and the source of this bottle. That makes sense. I then attempted to find out the meaning of the word ‘taranty’ and from the number of geneology links I got it appears to be a surname with origins in France. That suggests that the Taranty Fair was started by someone called Taranty, which also makes sense. As for the whisky itself, stopping writing this and drinking it makes complete sense!

Cawdordew (Royal Brackla) 18-year-old

Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 31st October 2013

I must never become a collector of whisky miniatures! This bottle of Cawdordew is a perfect example of the frustration all 5cl collectors must have. This was one of several strangely named bottles up for auction where the distillery of origin was on the listing but not printed anywhere on the bottle. It seems that a private bottling company called ‘The Whisky Connoisseur’ decided to release different distillery whiskies under names of their choice, and it’s hard to find accurate information about this anywhere. Google led me to a miniature collector who thinks they have the full list but finishes it by asking to be contacted if anyone knows of any more. I’d love to know when these cute little bottles were first released and for how long but that’s too deep a question for Google to answer. I found a link to ‘The Whisky Connoisseur’ website only to be taken off to a company selling ‘house and home’ products with no mention of whisky. And I can’t find a book about miniatures either. Aaaarrrghhh!!!

Update – since my link to the full list is now dead, here it is from my archives showing The Whisky Connoisseur names and their associated distilleries:

Aberlogie – Macallan
Auchenhame – Tamdhu
Auchenlone – Glenburgie
Aucindoun – Mortlach
Auld Land Syne – Dalmore
Balcarron – Dailuaine
Barstruie – Balblair
Beinaigen – Glenburgie
Blythe & Merry – Balvenie
Braemoray – Glenrothes
Brodgar – Highland Park
Burns The Poet – Linkwood
Caskieben – Glen Garioch
Cawdordew – Royal Brackla
Corryhabbie – Balvenie
Corshelloch – Dufftown
Craigardle – Blair Athol
Cromdale – Benrinnes
Cullicudden – Dalmore
Drumbowie – Craigellachie
Dunnottar – Glenury Royal
Edina – Linkwood
Fall of Fyers – Linkwood
Glen Quaich – Aberfeldy
Highland Mary – Blair Athol
Honest Tam – Balvenie
Largiemeanoch – Bowmore
Lossieburn – Glenlossie
Miltonhaugh – Balmenach
Ochterglen – Glenturret
Pluscarden – Miltonduff
Red Rose – Old Pulteney
Rhinnesdhu – Glenfarclas
Rosscanich – Teaninich
Scots Wha Hae – Blair Athol
Skerridhu – Scapa
Slochmor – Tomatin
Spyniemor – Linkwood
Strathblair – Glenfiddich
Taranty – Glencadam
Tarracroy – Aultmore
The Alloway – Tomatin
The Annan – Tomatin
The Auchtertyre – Dailuaine
The Auld Brig – Old Pulteney
The Banks O’Doon – Dailuaine
The Ellisland – Old Pulteney
The Friars Carse – Dailuaine
The Kenmore – Balmenach
The Lincluden – Balmenach
The Lochmaben – Tomatin
The Tarbolton – Dalmore
The Twa Brigs – Tomatin
Tullichmhor – Glenlivet
Whalligoe – Old Pulteney