As part of the National Museum of Scotland’s new gallery Scotland: A Changing Nation, the oldest unopened case of Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky goes on public display this week. Scotland: A Changing Nation explores how cultural, social, political and economic influences have impacted on people in Scotland since the First World War.

The history of the oldest unopened case of Glenfarclas is intriguing. It was one of fifty shipped to H Albrecht and Company of Illinois in the 1930s. Mr Shrive, an engineer, purchased six cases. Surprisingly, despite the recent repeal of prohibition, the stock was not consumed very quickly. By 1994 there was one case and one bottle remaining. Mr Shrive’s son wrote to Glenfarclas offering the remaining bottles to the distillery.

Realising the significance of the case, John Grant, Chairman and 5th generation of the family that own and manage Glenfarclas, and the distillery’s Sales Director at the time, Malcolm Greenwood, travelled to the US to collect the whisky. So precious was the consignment that British Airways arranged a First Class seat for the case on its journey home.

The Scotland: A Changing Nation gallery opens at the National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street, Edinburgh, on Friday the 11th July.  For further details on the National Musem of Scotland, please visit  www.nms.ac.uk

Glenfarclas has won two awards for The Family Casks at the 2008 International Wine and Spirits Competition.

Gold, Best in Class, and the IWSC Trophy for Cask Strength Scotch Whisky for Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1970 Cask No. 566.

and

Silver for Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1973 Cask No. 2578

The judges tasting notes for the 1970 read, ‘A deep and rich whisky, intensely marked by sherry. Damp cellar, mushrooms, wet earth. Dark chocolate. Molasses, sultanas. The palate delivers the nose promises with an additional oaky tone. Christmas cake and chocolate. Sweet lingering finish. A superb old timer.’

The International Wine and Spirit Competition was founded in 1969. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world's best wines, spirits and liqueurs. This standard is achieved through a rigorous two-stage judging process of professional blind tasting and detailed technical analysis that takes place at The Competition's headquarters in England.