Forgotten spirits, found

Long before single malts became hip, blends ruled dram lovers’ lips in the early 20^th century. “The single malts made by distilleries were not bottled but used to be mixed in blends,” says Emmanuel Dron, owner of The Auld Alliance, a cosy whisky bar tucked into a quiet corridor at Chijmes. Over the last 40 years, some of the distilleries faced economic problems and shuttered, but not before bottling the golden spirits in their few remaining casks for posterity.

Today, these once underappreciated malts of obscure or non-existent distilleries are collectors’ gems, which can be found in The Auld Alliance. There’s the Ben Wyvis 27-year-old ($3,990)—whose distillery turned off its stills in 1977—a malt that was distilled in 1972 and bottled in 1999. The Kinclaith 35-year-old ($3,690), distilled six years before the distillery’s closure in 1975, is another relic that is eyed by connoisseurs.

Chijmes, #01-08. Tel: 8126 0520