Cardhu 12 Years Old (1980's)

Legally established in 1824 by John Cumming, as Cardow distillery, it’s been long suspected that distilling was carried out on this site since the early 1800s. The distillery was rebuilt in 1884, before the blending company of John Walker & Sons from Kilmarnock took an interest in the 1890s, as they went about acquiring stakes in various distilleries. In 1893, they purchased the distillery and Cardhu has been forever associated with the striding man. The distillery itself has grown in tandem with the Johnnie Walker brand and changed its name to Cardhu in 1981 with a visitor centre also constructed just prior to the millennium. Most famously, in 2002, it launches a vatted single malt which comprises of malts from other Diageo distilleries. This isn’t well-received in some parts of the industry, in particular by rival competitor William Grant & Sons. Diageo eventually cancels the range in 2004 and since has focused on building the Cardhu single malt range, which enjoys staunch international support in countries such as Spain.