Silvano Samaroli entered the world of whisky in 1968, setting up Samaroli Import as the official distributor of John McEwen & Co brands in Italy, including its Chequers and Abbot’s Choice blends, and Linkwood single malts. In 1969 he imported a special cask strength Linkwood for Edoardo Giaccone, and was inspired to seek out his own exclusive releases. This resulted in a number of now-legendary releases in the 1970s, including two 1965 vintage Bruichladdich and the 1971 vintage Samaroli Collection bottling of Glen Garioch.
The company’s transition from importer to bottler began in 1979 when Samaroli imported a batch of William Cadenhead’s famous “dumpy” bottlings of single malt. Mario Rossi were the official Italian distributor for Cadenhead products, so Silvano was required to relabel them and he gladly designed these himself. This inspired him to bottle his first casks which he released as The Never Bottled Top Quality Whisky Series in 1981, also referred to by the snappier “Flowers” series on account of the label art, again designed by Samaroli himself. The bottling was carried out for him by R.W. Duthie & Co, a harmonious relationship which lasted into the 1990s and produced some of the world’s most sought-after whiskies, including the 1967 vintage sherry-casked Laphroaig and the legendary Bowmore Bouquet.
Bottles like this were the result of Samaroli’s pioneering understanding that even though he didn’t live in Scotland, as an independent bottler he was able to take an ownership of the spirit that he knew and loved. He selected only the casks that matched his tastes, bottled them at the strength he felt suited them best, and presented them in his own unique style. He is rightly regarded as a visionary in the field of independent whisky bottling, and he brought an artistry to the practice as well as an important element of bravery. He was one of the earliest to advocate for cask strength whiskies and trusted his own intuition in selecting peated whiskies from Arbeg and Laphroaig, despite struggling to sell them at first. He was also one of the foremost champions and supporters of Springbank’s peated Longrow spirit.
By the end of the 1990s, the company's relationship with R.W. Duthie was coming to an end as its parent company (William Cadenhead) was unable to spare stock due to the demands of its own brands. As a result, Samaroli established Coilltean International Company Ltd in Scotland in 2003. This company manages the Samaroli cask inventory and oversees bottling to this day under the management of Antonio Bleve. A long-time associate, Bleve took over the day-to-day running of Samaroli in 2008. Silvano originally remained active behind the scenes of the company however later began bottling his private casks under the Singles of Silvano Samaroli brand name (now produced by the company, Masam.
Silvano was a true trailblazer and he set the stage for a number of his notable contemporaries, including Pepi Mongiardino of Moon Import and Nadi Fiori of Intertrade. Theirs, and in particular his influence inspired not only a new generation of Italian bottlers in decades that followed, but those who followed in his footsteps on every continent. Although appreciated in his own time, there has been an explosion in demand for and subsequently in the value of Samaroli whiskies following his sad passing in 2017.
