With the Johnnie Walker visitor attraction having recently opened its doors on Edinburgh’s Princes Street, we wanted to use this month’s blog to touch upon the history of Scotland’s most notable tipple, whisky.
The earliest documented record of whisky distillation in Scotland can be traced back to 1494 in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where an entry reads “Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aqua vitae.”
Friar John’s malted barley produced almost 1,500 bottles of the potent spirit.
As whisky increased in popularity, the first taxes on Scotch were introduced by parliament in 1644. This resulted in an increase of illicit whisky distilling across Scotland, with smuggling commonly taking place across the next 150 years to avoid the tax on whisky.
A well-known tax collector during this period was Robert Burns, who trained as an exciseman before becoming a famous poet. Burns documented his love for whisky himself in his 1785 poem titled Scotch Drink.
The Excise Act was passed in 1823, allowing the public to legally distil whisky, in return for payment per gallon and a licence fee.
In the 19th century, Scotch left Scotland for the first time, as whisky titans such as James Buchanan, Tommy Dewar, Johnnie Walker & James Chivas began shipping whisky across the globe.
Today, whisky is enjoyed across the world, but it is still seen very much as a symbol of Scottish history and heritage.
During the latter part of the 19th Century, alongside expanding our expertise in Scottish Clothing and textiles, other members of the family applied Kinloch Anderson's time honoured skills and exacting standards to farming in East Lothian, an area renowned for the supply of barley, which is at the heart of whisky.
This unique heritage is brought together in the creation of our exclusive Whisky Collection, personally selected by the Kinloch Anderson family. It intertwines the characteristics and heritage of an iconic Scottish family business and features the renowned Kinloch Anderson Tartans, adding a distinctive look to the series.
You can read more about our exclusive whisky collection here.