A famous and very popular blended scotch whisky, VAT 69 comes with a great deal of history. It was first made in 1882 by William Sanderson – a liquor manufacturer from Leith, Scotland. To create the perfect blend, Sanderson made up 100 different vattings of whisky and hired a panel of expert whisky tasters to select the finest one. They chose the 69th vatting, thus the name, VAT 69. Blended using forty different malt and grain whiskies, this is a smooth, balanced spirit and a perennial favourite with blend drinkers.
VAT 69 Reserve, a deluxe edition of the brand was launched in 1980.
VAT 69 Whisky History
It was first made in 1882 by William Sanderson – a liquor manufacturer from Leith, Scotland. As the story goes, to create the perfect blend, Sanderson made up 100 different vattings of whisky and hired a panel of expert whisky tasters to select the finest one. They chose the 69th vatting, thus the name, VAT 69.
VAT 69 blended Scotch Whisky is an invention of William Sanderson & Son Limited, based in South Queensferry, Scotland. VAT 69 Scotch later became a part of Diageo plc, a British multinational alcoholic beverages company. The original VAT 69 Whisky bottle with its famous bulbous neck was nothing short of iconic, and the bottle remained unchanged for the next one hundred years after it was first produced.
By the time Sanderson died in 1908, VAT 69 was already well established. By 1933, it was one of America’s most popular whiskies.
Some of the whisky produces by Sanderson in Germany are: VAT 69 Finest Scotch Whisky, VAT 69 Reserve de Luxe Scotch Whisky, Glenesk Single Malt Highland Scotch 12 Years Old, The Antiquity de Luxe Old Scotch Whisky 12 Years Old. Whisky products available from Sanderson in Australia includes 700 ml VAT 69 Fine Scotch Whisky.
The brand is highly regarded and has a reputation of selling about a million cases per year, with its core markets being Venezuela, Australia and Spain. VAT 69 Whisky is also locally bottled in India.
VAT 69 Whisky Popular Culture
According to popular trivia, VAT 69 Scotch Whisky also has gained fame as a ‘cameo artist’ in Hollywood: appearing in movies such as ‘Our Man in Havana’ and as the favourite drink of Captain Lewis Nixon in the US TV series ‘Band of Brothers’. It was also pretty popular with our Bollywood villains from the 1970s!
VAT 69 Whisky Blend
Despite the name that it carries, VAT 69 is not a vatted malt. It is actually a blend of about 40 malt and grain whiskies. And because of the combination of the malts and grains, VAT 69 Reserve carries no standard age statement.
Since autumn 1980, Glenesk (a 12-year-old Highland Single Malt, 40%), is available from Sanderson in Germany. Glenesk is stored for at least 12 years in sherry barrels. William Sanderson & Sons Ltd. has produced “Antiquary”, in 1964, which is a 12-year-old De-Luxe-Scotch-Whisky (40%).
VAT 69 Scotch Whisky Tasting Notes
Nose
Hints of spice and caramel, notes of barley malt, with a soft wheat character. A touch of pear juice.
Finish
Woody, spiced finish. Caramel.
Palate
Ground almonds and barley malt. Slightly biscuity, more of those pear notes, a little pepper. Sweet, and rounded.