IMPERIAL 30 ans 1994 30 Years of Friendship Itinéraires Elixir Distillers

Imperial is one of Speyside’s most mysterious distilleries, a name that flickered in and out of life for over a century, leaving behind very little whisky and even fewer official bottlings. Built in 1897 during the late-Victorian whisky boom, it distilled briefly in 1898 before the Pattison crash forced its first long silence. The pattern would repeat for decades. Reopened in 1919, integrated into DCL in 1925, rebuilt in 1955, expanded in the 1960s, mothballed in 1985, restarted in 1989, and finally closed in 1998, Imperial never enjoyed the continuity needed to build a lasting identity. The distillery was eventually demolished in 2013, in its place now stands Dalmunach.

What remains today are only the casks: scarce, expressive, and increasingly revered. This release is one of them.

Born from more than three decades of friendship between Sukhinder Singh (Elixir Distillers) and Thierry Benitah (La Maison du Whisky), this bottling celebrates their long-standing partnership. Drawn from a single cask distilled in 1994 and matured for 30 years, it captures the elegant fruit-forward style that made Imperial a quiet favourite among blenders and connoisseurs.

Time has worked with remarkable grace here. The whisky preserves Imperial’s signature youthful lift, orchard fruit, honeyed brightness, a breezy floral freshness, yet layers it with the depth, polish and calm authority that only long maturation can bring. Subtle waxiness, soft spices, polished oak, and a serene Speyside purity gives this 30 year old its distinctive voice.

A distillery long gone, a friendship still enduring, and a cask that speaks for both.