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This
is an example of one of the page spreads from The Malt Whisky Guide. Below
is the text from the pages, illustrating the detail of information on
each distillery. Valueable for any enthusiast, bar or retail outlet.
Glenlivet it has castles three,
Drumin, Blairfindy and Deskie,
And also one distillery,
More famous than the castles three.
In the days before marketing and brand loyalty there were reputations. Reputations made or destroyed business and industries; they were the advertisements of their day. In the same way that Campbeltown was destroyed by whisky of ill repute, The Glenlivet's reputation made it the most sought after whisky. This was before, however, there was ever such a thing as The Glenlivet Distillery. The river Livet was awash with illicit distillers, over 200 at one time. The land became renowned for its quality of whisky, so much so, that royalty would request it (despite it being illegal).
George Smith was one such illicit distiller who was also a crofter on the Duke of Gordon's land. When the Duke pushed for the legalisation of distillers in 1824 it was likely that his influence over Smith forced/helped him to take out the first license. Fellow, illicit, distillers met this 'selling out' with some animosity. Threats were made, violence no doubt ensued and several attempts were made to burn down Smith's distillery. Eventually the Laird of Aberlour came to Smith's aid by giving him two hair-trigger pistols that Smith kept with him at all times and allegedly slept with them under his pillow.
