Highland Park 19 Year Old Magnus Label 1970s / Giaccone Whiskyteca Garten

Highland Park was built by David Robertson all the way back in 1798. The distillery's relationship with blenders, Robertson & Baxter, saw it acquired by Highland Distillers in 1937, who were subsequently bought by Edrington in 1999, who run it today. The modern Highland Park single malt brand was first officially bottled in the 1970s, with the release of an 8 year old age statement, but distillery bottlings first appeared around the 1950s. The look of the brand has changed many times over the years, but its cult following and popularity has never diminished. It remains one of the most recognisable single malts in the world to this day.

This is a fantastically rare exclusive bottling for Edoardo Giaccone. The distillery produced these in 16, 19, 20 and 22 year old age statements for his bar, each bearing the classic St Magnus labels.

Giaccone was something of a trailblazer, and was importing specially bottled official single malts for his bar from the late 1960s. He opened the famous venue in 1958, and it has been called a few different things over the years, including Garten, Edward & Edward, and La Taverna del Comandante.

Edoardo set the stage for later legendary bottlers such as Silvano Samaroli, Nadi Fiori and Ernesto Mainardi. Moon Import founder, Pepi Mongiardino said, "he was the first person I visited" when he became the distributor for Bruichladdich in 1981. Giaccone did not have any of his own labels or series, but was the first person in Italy to have official bottlings produced exclusively for him. Through his bar, Italy was treated to exclusive releases from Clynelish, Bowmore, Dalmore, Highland Park and even Jack Daniel's.

This was imported for Giaccone by Highland Park's Italian distributor, Ferraretto, in the 1970s.