James Martin's 20 Years Old

A strong contender for Scotland’s unluckiest distillery, or until a sad series of events befall another recipient. Located in the north-east of Scotland, near the town of the same name, the distillery was established like so many others on a legal basis in 1824. In 1863, new owners decided to move the distillery to a new site, which would allow easier access to the railway network. Fire and explosions were a huge risk in distilling and Banff experienced several events, prompting one owner to keep a fire engine on-site. The distillery was destroyed by fire in 1877, it was bombed during the Second World War in 1941 and in 1959, several buildings were destroyed in an explosion. But these events would not deter the whisky, which was well regarded and mainly destined towards blends. The end eventually came in 1983 with the demand for whisky falling and warehouses full of maturing stock across Scotland. Banff was a decaying site and with little single malt presence, fell victim to the DCL cuts of that year.