Classic Islay Single Malt - Berry Bros. & Rudd

This single malt is a well-balanced Islay whisky with harmonious smoke. Ideal for Islay newcomers.

With two Royal Warrants (authorization to supply as a British purveyor to the royal household) and more than 300 years of history, Berry Bros. & Rudd is one of Britain's oldest wine and spirits merchants.

The story can be traced back to 1698 when an enterprising woman, Widow Borowski, opened an "Italian grocery store" at No. 3 St. James Street, selling tea, snuff, spices, and the trendiest drink of those days, coffee. The sign of the coffee grinder still hangs at number 3 today, as a tribute to the company's roots.

Over time, Berry Bros. & Rudd's focus shifted to something "stronger". As wine became more important to the business, spirits also grew. In the early 19th century, they began bottling casks under their own label. This made BBR Britain's oldest independent spirits bottler. Three centuries later, the family business continues to be among the largest wine and spirits merchants on the British Isles.

The company's colorful history includes episodes such as supplying alcohol to smugglers in America during Prohibition and housing Napoleon III in the cellars beneath the shop. In 1994, BBR was the first wine and spirits merchant to be present on the World Wide Web. In 2010, another branch was opened at BBR: the brokerage business focusing on wine trading.

Although much has changed over the years, BBR is still owned and run by members of the Berry and Rudd families and continues to supply the British royal family, as it did during the reign of King George III. From time to time, customers are weighed on a huge coffee scale, a tradition that began in the 1760s. Lord Byron, William Pitt, and Beau Brummell are among those whose weight is recorded in BBR's business ledgers.

Berry Bros. & Rudd's company philosophy boils down to a simple question: "Is it good to drink?"