Ambassador Royal 12 Years Old 1960’s

Ambassador Royal 12 Years Old 1960’s

$450 AUD

This we believe is the 1960’s version by Taylor & Ferguson and imported into China – or possibly Taiwan – given the Mandarin lettering at the bottom of the label. No volume or alcoholic strength stated, which is an indicator of its period of origin.

With original box which has some wear. Good general condition for its age with the fill to the top of the shoulder.

This product is located in the United Kingdom.

 

Distillery

Ambassador

This was once a very well known export brand in the United States, belonging to Taylor & Ferguson, who set up as blenders in 1931. They were acquired by Bloch Brothers (Distillers) Ltd., after the Second World War, the latter having also bought Scapa Distillery near Kirkwall in the Orkneys (and also owned Glen Scotia in Campbeltown from 1930). The whole shooting match was sold in 1954 to the Hiram Walker group, which had come to Scotland from Canada to establish what became a very substantial whisky business, only to sell out in 1987 to Allied Lyons. (Most of the Hiram Walker assets are now owned by Pernod Ricard).

It is not clear who originated the Ambassador brand  - Taylor & Ferguson or Bloch Brothers.  Here is a label from the 1940’s clearly showing it as Bloch Brothers and showing them as owners of Glen Scotia and Scapa distilleries. Taylor & Ferguson, under Hiram Walker, became the licensee of Scapa Distillery and the latter’s product featured strongly in the Ambassador blend. It was promoted as ‘Scotch at its World’s Lightest’, and Ambassador continued to be available, as Deluxe, Deluxe 8 and 12 years old, and Royal 12 and 25 years old, principally in the US, until the late 1980s. Bloch Brothers was dissolved in 2010 and Taylor & Ferguson the following year.