Millburn 20 Year Old Sestante 'Brick Label'

Millburn was the oldest of the three distilleries based in Inverness, the others being Glen Mhor and Glen Albyn, all of which closed within two years of each other. Millburn was the last, in 1985. The distillery was brought to prominence under the ownership of the Haig family at the end of the 19th century, but was always a small operation. It passed via the hands of Booth's (a London-based gin distillery), to DCL (now Diageo) in 1937. Its small stature made it an easy pick for closure during the era of oversupply in the 1980s, and sadly it has never returned. Never officially bottled in its time, the only distillery bottlings are within the Rare Malts Selection, and elusive independent releases like this are incredibly sought after.

Part of the rare 'Brick Label' series produced for Italian importers and bottlers Sestante in 1989. The series is of particular aesthetic interest, using short cap and bottle style more commonly seen back in the 1960s.

The Sestante import company was founded in the 1970s by Ernesto Mainardi, and he bottled his first single casks under the name in 1985. Alongside his contemporary, Silvano Samaroli, Mainardi pioneered giving his customers a choice of both standard 40-46% bottlings, and cask strength releases from the same casks. Along with his other brand, Silver Seal, Mainardi's bottlings are incredibly sought after.