Macpherson’s Scotch – 150 year old Bottle for Sale


This unique and rare whisky bottle was found in the wall of a home in Toronto, Canada, built in and around 1850. At this time, Scottish descendants believed that placing a bottle in the wall of a newly built home would bring good luck; a most certain outcome for the woman who found the bottle in her home almost 150 years later!

The history of this “Dew” is a most interesting one as The Ben Nevis Distillery is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland. Founded in 1825 by John McDonald of Keppoch, his distillery produced a fine and rare blended whisky otherwise known as “Long John’s Dew”. 26th November 1825- John McDonald is known to have said: “If any man can be said to have a proud and heroic lineage, then surely that man is myself. I was born into an ancient Highland family, a branch of the Macdonald’s, or Macdonnels of Keppoch, in the year 1798. We are a noble race of men who can trace our ancestry back to John Macdonald the 14th century Lord of the Isles, whose wife, the Princess Margaret, was the great great granddaughter of King Robert the Bruce, who defeated the English at Bannockburn in 1314.”

At the time of production in 1882, the “Dew” was so popular, a second distillery was opened close by at Nevis in 1878. The “Dew” was partially produced at the Ben Nevis and Nevis distilleries and bottled by Independent producer: W.D. Mapherson and Son. Sold through the Ben Nevis Distillery, this form of production represented an anomoly for the period but was the only way to meet the high demand for the whisky.

In 1848, Queen Victoria, a known whisky afficiando, visited the Distillery in search ofthe “The Dew”. Since this time the metal capsule on the whisky was embossed with Queen Victoria’s Crown given its access to royal quarters in London. During her visit, Queen Victoria was accompanied by her son – The Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VII. John Macdonald marked the visit with a presentation of a cask of whisky to the Queen which returned with her to Buckingham Palace and was ceremoniously opened 5 years later when the Prince turned 21!

 

.

 

[fruitful_ibox_row]
[fruitful_ibox column=”ffs-four-one” title=”Bottle”]Intact bottle, cork, capsule and label. Old style Metal Capsule is embossed with “Queen Victoria Crown” and glass bottle from the 1700’s – 1800’s whose bottom is etched with #207.[/fruitful_ibox]
[fruitful_ibox column=”ffs-four-one” title=”Distillery”]Ben Nevis – one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland – founded in 1825 by “Long John” McDonald, a descendant of a ruler of the western Scottish kingdom of Argyll known for his renowned “Dew”. Production water for the distillery drawn on Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain at 4406 feet above sea level, and one of the purest water supplies in the country. The Distillery is currently owned by Nikka Whiskey Distilling.[/fruitful_ibox]
[fruitful_ibox column=”ffs-four-one” title=”Whiskey Type”]Renowned Scottish Single Malt – a rare blend.[/fruitful_ibox]
[fruitful_ibox column=”ffs-four-one” title=”Whiskey Style” last=”true”]Flavours of the Scottish Highlands such as Fruit Cake, Malt, Oak, Heather, Dried fruit and Smoke would be expected in this whiskey. Known to have a subtle peaty note.[/fruitful_ibox]
[/fruitful_ibox_row]