Up until the 1990s, only a 12 year old bottling was available on the market. But in 1994 a new bottle was introduced with a round and full shape, proudly harbouring within a 1979 vintage. This vintage expression pays testament to the vision of Berry Bros & Rudd, a company known for the quality of its cask selection, a process over which it takes particular care. This bold action brought into question the very concept of age, behind which the majority of single malts hide, and questioned consumers’ perception of the link between a whisky’s age and its aromatic maturity. However, although the year of distillation is important, it is the choice of casks (mostly Spanish wood) that has the biggest influence on the aromatic profile of its “vintage” years, each one with a different balance of spice, citrus and oak.