100° proof – about 57.15% alcohol by volume – is an iconic bottling strength. Not only was it popular in decades past, but the extra strength over standard bottlings has helped preserve the flavour and character of old and rare bottles. 

One of the most common problems with older bottlings of single malt from the 1970s and earlier decades is that their lower bottling strengths mean that they often don't 'travel' too well in their bottle during the intervening decades. Often showing signs of tiredness or 'old bottle effect'. That's why the old higher strength bottlings at 100 proof (57.1%) are so popular these days. These bottlings represent the closest we can get to how these spectacular whiskies tasted when freshly bottled all those years ago.

Join Whisky Show Old & Rare co-organiser Angus MacRaild for a delve into some scarce and incredible whiskies all bottled prior to the 1980s at 100° proof. 

Leave your preconceptions at the door. This blind tasting session will make you re-evaluate the way you think about old and rare whiskies with some unexpected curveballs along the way.

Hosted by The Whisky Exchange founder Sukhinder Singh and buyer Dawn Davies MW, this session will focus on the flavours in the glass of these old and rare bottles – without peeking at the labels first! 

The tasting will explore six different whiskies, bottled from the 1970s onwards. While we won't tell you what the bottles are until the end of the tasting, we can say that they are six truly delicious whiskies in their own right. The real question is: are they what you think they might be or have we just blown your mind?

Laphroaig is an iconic Islay malt and it's 10-year-old flagship whisky has been a favourite since its inception 75 years ago.

Join Denis Nicol, Laphroaig distillery manager from 1974 to 1980, and show organiser Jonny McMillan to dive into the history of the distillery with a taste of old bottlings of Laphroaig. Along with a selection of 10-year-old releases, we'll also try some other bottlings from the time, showing the styles and flavours that have made the distillery famous.

Expect great whisky and tales of a golden era of this cult distillery's long history.

Former Macallan managing director Willie Phillips is credited as the man that made Macallan.

With a pioneering approach to bottling very old and vintage whisky, former Macallan managing director Willie Phillips is the man who made Macallan what it is today.  He positioned Macallan as ‘the Cognac of whisky’ and combined irreverent advertising with his dedication to rich new-make spirit matured in sherry casks, creating through the 1980s and 1990s the template for Macallan's rise to fame.

Join Willie Phillips and Macallan-collecting Whisky Exchange founder Sukhinder Singh for an exploration of old and rare Macallan from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, complete with distillery tales from someone who saw it all.