Name: Assorted Miniatures X8 Incl Bowmore 18 Years Old (8x5cl)
Brand: Other
SKU: 0600502
Price: 32.5 GBP
Availability: SoldOut

Assorted Miniatures X8 Incl Bowmore 18 Years Old (8x5cl) sold for £32.5 in Just Whisky's November 2018 auction. An assorted lot of eight miniatures form…

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The history of Scotch whisky has to a significant degree been shaped by excise legislation, ever since the first tax was imposed on it by the Scots Parliament in 1644. The parliament passed an Excise Act fixing the duty at 2/8d (13p) per pint of ‘aquavitae or other strong liquor’ – the Scots pint being approximately one third of a gallon.

Over the next two centuries, many changes were made to the legislation surrounding the taxation of whisky, but one factor that never changed was the determination of some distillers to operate illicitly, cutting out any proceeds for the treasury altogether.

In the early 1820s as many as 14,000 illicit stills were being seized each year, and it was estimated that more than half the whisky consumed in Scotland had been distilled without benefit of licence. In 1822 there were no fewer than 6,278 prosecutions for illicit distilling. 

The following year saw the passing of perhaps the most significant piece of legislation ever enacted in relation to Scotch whisky. The Act was an attempt – largely successful, as it turned out – to stifle the extensive trade in illicitly-distilled whisky.

The Excise Act encouraged legal distillation by cutting duty to 2s 5d per gallon, a historic reduction of more than 50 per cent, and a minimum still size of 40 gallons was sanctioned. A licence fee of £10 per annum was introduced, the concept of duty-free warehousing was developed, and distillers were free to export to England and overseas. 

One of the key figures behind the Excise Act of 1823 was the 4th Duke of Gordon, who had extensive estates throughout north-east Scotland, an area that was the very heartland of illicit distillation. Gordon proposed that if new legislation was put in place to make legal distilling more attractive, he and his fellow landowners would do all in their power to uphold the law as diligently as they could and evict anyone convicted of illicit distilling.

The advantages were perceived as being more revenue for the government, despite the lower level of duty, and opportunities for the lairds to make money out of the rash of whisky-making operations that would surely be built as a result of the proposed legislation. Remarkably, no fewer than 79 new distilleries were commissioned between 10th October 1823 and 9th August 1824, with the number of licensed distilleries rising from 111 in 1823 to 263 by 1825.

Perhaps the most significant name from a north-east of Scotland ‘Speyside’ perspective to join the list of legal distilleries was that of Glenlivet, where Captain George Smith began to distil legally at his Upper Drumin farm in 1824. However, Smith’s father, Andrew, had been distilling on the site since 1774, without ever feeling the need to acquire a licence! 
Glenlivet was notable as being the first distillery in the Highlands to be licensed in the wake of the 1823 Excise Act, with support from the Duke of Gordon. Not that the newly licensed Glenlivet flourished without interference, however. Many of Smith’s compatriots considered him a traitor for ‘going legit,’ and as he wrote some years later, they threatened to “…burn the distillery to the ground, and me at the heart of it. The laird of Aberlour presented me with a pair of hair-trigger pistols worth ten guineas, and they were never out of my belt for ten years.”

According to legend, Smith only ever had recourse to his pistols on one occasion. This occurred in a tavern where he stopped for refreshment after delivering some whisky to a customer, and involved a number of would-be thieves, keen to relieve wealthy travellers of their money. When they approached Smith, he drew one of his pistols and fired it into the fireplace. He was allowed to finish his drink in peace.
As a legitimate distillery, Glenlivet supplied high quality single malt to Scotland’s thirsty, expanding population centres to the south, and in terms of reputation, all other Speyside distilleries soon came to exist in its shadow.

One effect of the 1823 Excise Act was a move away from very small, localised licensed distilleries in southern and central Scotland, with larger whisky-making concerns reflecting the general trend towards bigger, more professional and integrated commercial activities across the UK. 
Indeed, Scotland had already witnessed a tendency towards the development of an industry focused on a relatively small number of extensive distilleries, with the likes of Kilbagie, Kennetpans, Glenochil, Cambus and Carsebridge among the most significant. This consolidation continued apace in the wake of the 1823 Act, though the Highlands were still characterised by a larger number of individually smaller distilling operations.

To give a clear idea of just how significant the 1823 Excise Act really was, many of the distilleries and single malts we now value most highly were licensed within a decade or so of its enactment. Not all of these were ‘new builds,’ of course, with some, usually farm-based, having previously operated under the radar without licenses.

The list of distilleries in question includes Balmenach, Ben Nevis, Benrinnes, cardhu, Edradour, Fettercairn, Glen Scotia, Glencadam, GlenDronach, Glenfarclas, Glengoyne, Glenkinchie, Miltonduff, Royal Lochnagar and Talisker   as well as many others no longer in existence.
While a very strong case can be made for declaring the 1823 Excise Act to be the single most important piece of excise legislation relating to Scotch whisky, a case can also be made for the 1860 Spirit Act which legalised the blending of malt and grain whiskies under bond for the first time. But that is another story for another day.

The Deil's awa wi' the Exciseman - Robert Burns

"The deil cam fiddlin' thro' the town, 
And danc'd awa wi' th' Exciseman; 
And ilka wife cries,  Auld Mahoun, 
I wish you luck o' the prize, man.

The deil's awa the deil's awa, 
The deil's awa wi' the Exciseman, 
He's danc'd awa he's danc'd awa 
He's danc'd awa wi' the Exciseman.

We'll mak our maut, and we'll brew our drink, 
We'll laugh, sing, and rejoice, man; 
And mony braw thanks to the meikle black deil, 
That danc'd awa wi' th' Exciseman.

There's threesome reels, there's foursome reels, 
There's hornpipes and strathspeys, man, 
But the ae best dance ere came to the Land 
Was, the deil's awa wi' the Exciseman.

The deil's awa the deil's awa , 
The deil's awa wi' the Exciseman, 
He's danc'd awa he's danc'd awa  
He's danc'd awa wi' the Exciseman."

…burn the distillery to the ground, and me at the heart of it.

In this intriguing piece, Gavin D. Smith delves into the relationship between taxes and the Scotch Whisky industry.

1823 EXCISE ACT

Historical

We've compiled a list of codes to make it easy to find out what whisky is inside each bottle from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The first digits relate to the distillery, and the numbers after the dot (.) relate to the number of the release, from that distillery. Sometimes you'll see a letter preceding both -that relates to the type of liquid in the bottle, for example a "G" means it's a Grain whisky.

SMWS Bottle Codes

Useful Info

We're excited to partner with Rothes Sports Development Group this month to raise money for a great cause. The charity was formed in 2025 to enchance local health, welfare and sporting opportunities in and around Rothes, Moray.

Rothes Sports Development Charity Auction

In our inaugural Blog entry, Guest writer Ian Buxton explores the seemingly unglamorous distillery mill. The unsung hero of whisky distilleries.

The Distillery Mill

Refer to imahes for full lot conditions and fill levels.

An assorted lot of eight miniatures form Bowmore, Balvenie, Highland Park and more. Please refer to images for lot contents.

Assorted Miniatures X8 Incl Bowmore 18 Years Old (8x5cl)

Other

Multiple

Miniatures

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assorted_miniatures_x8_incl_bowmore_18_years_old_8x5cl56ead2.webp

assorted_miniatures_x8_incl_bowmore_18_years_old_8x5cl1b756e.webp

springbank_10_years_old_decommissioning_of_hms_campbeltown.jpg

70 cl

50.5%

Decommissioning of HMS Campbeltown

Springbank 10 Years Old

springbank_10_years_old_decommissioning_of_hms_campbeltown8b4ea3.webp

springbank_10_years_old_decommissioning_of_hms_campbeltown5b27ec.webp

hibiki_17_years_old_miniatures_2x5cl.jpg

2x5cl

Hibiki 17 Years Old Miniatures (2x5cl)

hibiki_17_years_old_miniatures_2x5cle9f72f.webp

hibiki_17_years_old_miniatures_2x5clb17822.webp

glenrothes_18_years_old_1990_the_single_malts_of_scotland.jpg

The Single Malts Of Scotland

Glenrothes 18 Years Old 1990

glenrothes_18_years_old_1990_the_single_malts_of_scotlandccdc8d.webp

glenrothes_18_years_old_1990_the_single_malts_of_scotland6b7f6a.webp

glenmorangie_a_tale_of_winter.jpg

Glenmorangie A Tale Of Winter

glenmorangie_a_tale_of_wintereb59d3.webp

glenmorangie_a_tale_of_winter9db5c7.webp

bruichladdich_17_years_old_xvii_1st_edition.jpg

XVII 1st Edition

Bruichladdich 17 Years Old

bruichladdich_17_years_old_xvii_1st_edition39735d.webp

bruichladdich_17_years_old_xvii_1st_edition75829b.webp

kilchoman_2007_2018_private_cask_release_the_whisky_shop.jpg

56.5%

2018 Private Cask Release The Whisky Shop

Kilchoman 2007

kilchoman_2007_2018_private_cask_release_the_whisky_shopc1b8fd.webp

kilchoman_2007_2018_private_cask_release_the_whisky_shop84f299.webp

ncnean_quiet_rebels_annabel.jpg

48.5%

Annabel

Nc'Nean Quiet Rebels

ncnean_quiet_rebels_annabelce21d1.webp

ncnean_quiet_rebels_annabelee5e62.webp

benriach_17_years_old_solstice_second_edition.jpg

Solstice Second Edition

BenRiach 17 Years Old

benriach_17_years_old_solstice_second_edition31c361.webp

benriach_17_years_old_solstice_second_edition364828.webp

bunnahabhain_12_years_old_2021_cask_strength.jpg

55.1%

2021 Cask Strength

Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old

bunnahabhain_12_years_old_2021_cask_strengthca60b4.webp

bunnahabhain_12_years_old_2021_cask_strength4a710a.webp

lagavulin_11_years_old_offerman_edition.jpg

Offerman Edition

Lagavulin 11 Years Old

lagavulin_11_years_old_offerman_editionad6429.webp

lagavulin_11_years_old_offerman_edition9735d2.webp

bimber_ex_bourbon_small_batch_no012020.jpg

51.8%

Small Batch No.01/2020

Bimber Ex-Bourbon

bimber_ex_bourbon_small_batch_no012020e2e9be.webp

bimber_ex_bourbon_small_batch_no0120206c4a7d.webp

Assorted Miniatures X8 Incl Bowmore 18 Years Old (8x5cl)

Specifications

Similar Other results

Assorted Miniatures X3

Assorted Miniatures x6 Incl. Dalmore, Highland Park

Assorted Miniatures x 6

Bidders also considered

Springbank 10 Years Old

Hibiki 17 Years Old Miniatures (2x5cl)

Glenrothes 18 Years Old 1990