Inverleven 1979

Inverleven was an exponent of a distillery within a distillery. A fashionable twist instigated by large corporations to ensure as much of their blending stock came from one site. This would provide various cost efficiencies, a new level of control and ensure, no matter what, orders for blends could be fulfilled. Hiram were ahead of the game, as other producers wouldn’t consider such a method until the 1960s. Established within the Dumbarton Grain complex by Hiram Walker in 1938, the majority of Inverleven went into the Ballantine’s blend. Just a single set of stills were utilised, with an accompanying Lomond still producing a single malt called Lomond. It can become confusing when faced with a rare bottling from the site, so read the label carefully. Inverleven has been bottled by several independents, with Gordon & MacPhail being a regular bottler for several years. Inverleven closed in 1991, when the site was being closed the stills and some equipment were famously purchased by Bruichladdich.