There’s something special about owning a piece of history. Whether it’s an old Victorian bottle stopper that’s washed up on the beach, a piece of ceramic from centuries ago, your grandparent’s old Betamax player, or a bottle of whisky from a now-silent distillery, it’s a magical feeling you can’t quite explain.

Scotch whisky is a beverage that is steeped in history, and can be traced back centuries. Despite the fact that it’s so popular, and is produced on such a vast scale, occasionally you’ll come across something very special, a hidden gem that only a lucky select few will ever get to sample. If you’re lucky enough to own this amazing offering from GreatDrams.com you’ll know just how amazing it really feels.

From Great Drams comes this exquisite Port Dundas 13 Year Old Ruby Cask Finished Scotch whisky, and take it from us, this really is something special.

Port Dundas Distillery – ‘The Blending Powerhouse of Scotland’

Built back in 1811, Port Dundas distillery was once the biggest distillery in all of Scotland.

This Glasgow landmark dominated the skyline as it was built in the highest point of the city, yet many people didn’t actually know what the building was for.

Located next to the banks of the Forth & Clyde Canal, it merged with the Cowlairs distillery in 1860 and business really took off.

The distillery had a prime location in the centre of Glasgow, and had great transport links and quickly became the biggest in Scotland. Port Dundas was producing vast amounts of whisky each year – more than two million litres in fact, using a combination of rye, barley, and American corn.

In 1902 the distillery absorbed neighbouring Dundashill distillery which featured an imposing 138-metre brick chimney, which was the tallest in the world for a while.

Known as the ‘blending powerhouse of Scotland’ the distillery was one of the founding members of the Grain Distiller’s Conglomerate and saw its fair share of adversity in the 20^th century. Two fires at the start of the century put the distillery out of action temporarily, though like a Phoenix, it rose from the ashes.

The distillery would remain closed during WW2, and neglect, along with a lack of investment, started to take its toll. In the 1970s the distillery was starting to show its age and was in need of modernisation. They installed a dark grains plant, and this certainly helped for the next few decades.

In 2010 however, owners Diageo, decided to focus their attention on other distilleries. Rival companies made offers to buy the distillery, which was once the biggest in Scotland, but sadly these deals fell through. In 2011, the Port Dundas distillery story ended as the distillery was demolished. This once iconic landmark in the heart of Glasgow was no more.