Whisky inspired by 16 stillmen and a dog

This week Glenturret Distillery unveiled its latest limited edition malt whisky celebrating the brand's 240 year heritage. A photo dating from 1905 and featuring 16 stillmen with a collie dog has provided the inspiration for the bottling and the Fly's 16 Masters Edition label.

The 16 stillmen formed the backbone to Glenturret Distillery and the dog, Fly, belonged to the distillery manager who lived in a house on the distillery premises in Crieff, Perthshire.

Glenturret prides itself on its original, artisanal whisky making. The mashing is still done by hand, as it would have been done in 1905. The year 1905 is also significant because it was the year that the first legal definition of whisky was declared by a magistrate's court in London.

The Glenturret Fly's 16 Masters Edition, which will go on sale to the public today - World Whisky Day, is a 16-year-old single malt. Only 1,740 bottles will be available priced at £95 each.

Stuart Cassells, the driving force behind Glenturret Distillery's return to the limelight which has included the establishment of the brand's core range of three malts as well as the series of popular limited edition releases, comments: "1905 was a momentous year. Albert Einstein first set out his theory of relativity and Arthur Conan Dolyle first published The Return of Sherlock Holmes. The same year, we saw a London magistrate's court saying that whisky ‘should consist of spirit distilled in a pot still derived from malted barley - a momentous occasion for the industry.'

"Closer to home, our 16 stillmen were captured for prosperity in this photo, found by chance at the back of a cupboard and now hanging proudly on our walls at the distillery. We think Fly's 16 Masters Edition encapsulates not only the spirit of whisky but the spirit of The Glenturret's hand-made heritage. We're looking forward to seeing the bottles ‘fly' off the shelves accordingly!"

21 May 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor