Longmorn
Chivas-owned filling for blends.
Queen Anne Profile
Blended Scotch Whisky
‘He’ll adore you for choosing Queen Anne,’ declared a 1960s advert featuring a woman in a long dress teasing her man with a bottle behind her back. The blend, which was created by Edinburgh merchant Hill, Thomson & Co. some 80 years earlier, and carried a Royal Warrant, grew to become one of the shining stars of The Glenlivet Distillers’ portfolio. With access to famous malt whiskies from the Glenlivet, Grant Grant and Longmorn distilleries, later adverts boasted that Queen Anne offered the taste of ‘three of Scotland’s finest malt whiskies in one bottle.’
Despite its longevity and the reputation of its portfolio stablemates, this once popular blend has virtually disappeared from sale.
Queen Anne History
Queen Anne was first released by Hill, Thomson & Co. in 1884, and registered in 1902. The blend was established and promoted by the firm’s export salesman, William Shaw, who had recently joined the company. Hill, Thomson & Co. was established in 1857, though its roots go back to William Hill’s licenced grocer’s shop which opened in 1793. It remained at 45 Frederick Street in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town for two centuries.
Queen Anne became its flagship blend alongside Something Special, and was being sold in over 100 countries by the 1980s, principally in Sweden, Italy, Venezuela, Australasia and South America.
Meanwhile Hill, Thomson & Co. had become part of The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd in 1970, its Queen Anne blend taking a starring role in the portfolio. The group later became part of Canada’s Seagram and finally rested with French drinks giant Pernod Ricard in 2001.
Today Queen Anne continues to be registered to Hill, Thomson & Co., although its availability has somewhat diminished.
Timeline
- 1793 William Hill opens for business as a licensed grocer in Edinburgh
- 1857 The firm becomes Hill, Thomson & Co.
- 1884 The Queen Anne blend is launched
- 1912 Queen Anne’s sister blend Something Special is established
- 1970 Hill, Thomson & Co. becomes part of The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd.
- 1977 The group is acquired by Canadian distiller Seagram
- 2001 Hill, Thomson & Co.and its blends are acquired by Pernod Ricard
Owners
See also
-
Distillery & brand
-
Distiller & blender
The Glenlivet Distillers
The group formed by the merger of Glenlivet, Glen Grant, BenRiach, Caperdnoich and Longmorn.