The Distillers Agency

The Distillers Agency was a blending company established in Scotland as a subsidiary of the Distillers Company Limited (DCL). Its purpose was to take over the management of the company's export branch based in South Queensferry and its portfolio of blended Scotch brands which included King George IV, Highland Nectar and the D.C.L. label. The operation was established in the 1880s with blending, bottling and warehousing facilities, and at that time traded under the DCL name. However, restructuring was necessitated by the rapid and aggressive expansion of DCL in the early 20th century and The Distillers Agency was officially incorporated in 1924 with a capital of £1m.

At the time of incorporation the company was given the license for the Knockdhu distillery, however this was later transferred elsewhere and replaced by responsibility for Talisker on the Isle of Skye. A well-known name in the US market, the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 saw The Distillers Agency's distribution partners there demand it in addition to its portfolio of blends, resulting in the company's first foray into single malt bottling and the creation of the modern Talisker brand. It continued to market Talisker into the 1980s (also introducing it to European markets) before the license was moved over to John Walker & Sons. This was not the end of its single malt dealings however, and the company also sold whisky from Rosebank up until 1988.

When Distillers Company was acquired by Guinness PLC in 1986, a new spirits division called United Distillers was created and it set about attempting to rationalise and centralise the previously disparate operations of DCL. As a result, the distillery licenses were taken back from the blenders and the majority of those companies were gradually dispensed with. The Distillers Agency was one of those deemed surplus to requirements and it was dissolved in 1993.