Old Vatted Talisker 10 Year Old Scotch Whisky circa 1910s / US Import

A very unusual blended Scotch whisky, marketed in the US from as early as 1905 by G.F. Heublein & Bro.

Hublein was founded in 1862 by a German American entrepreneur named Andrew Hublein. When the business past to his sons, Gilbert and Louis, it was renamed the Gilbert F. Hueblein & Bro company, and plied its trade selling pre-mixed Martini and Manhattan cocktails by the bottle. The company was hugely successful over the course of the 20th century, and over the years was the rights-holder to Smirnoff vodka, as well as the distribution rights to Don Q rum, Jose Cuervo tequila, Bell's whisky and Guinness Stout. It also dabbled in the food industry, of particular note purchasing KFC in 1971. Heublein purchased a majority stake in United Vintners in 1969, eventually leading to its acquisition by Grand Metropolitan in 1987. They of course merged with Guinness in 1997 to create Diageo, the current owners of Talisker distillery, incredibly tying the story of these two companies together at opposite ends of the century.

This however is not a Talisker single malt. This is an early 20th century blend, likely containing some Talisker single malt, but blended with grain to provide a smoother flavour profile to Hueblein customer base, more used to the company's easier-drinking products.