William Sanderson and Son
Sanderson's
Scotch whisky distillers and blenders, proprietors of VAT 69, of Charlotte Lane, Leith
1863 Established by William Sanderson.
1880 His son William Mark joined him in the business.
1882 Company folklore suggests that the origin of its most famous blend was in a tasting from numbered casks. The blend from Vat 69 was deemed the best.
1885 Sandersons were instrumental, along with other blenders, in the creation of the North British Distillery Co in Edinburgh. This was, in its time, the largest distillery in the world and secured a source of grain whisky beyond the control of the Distillers Co.
1886 The firm took a 50% interest in the Glen Garioch distillery.
1896 Sandersons were part of a consortium that constructed Tamdhu Distillery.
1915 The Leith business of Robertson, Sanderson and Company Limited, also blenders as well as wine merchants, went into voluntary liquidation. The two businesses were associated by family ties, affected by wartime losses of family members and came together thereafter.
1925 The business was incorporated as William Sanderson and Son Limited.
1933 The company went into voluntary liquidation, their assets were subsequently acquired by Booths Distilleries.
1937 Booth's came under the control of the Distillers Co.
1966 The company name re-emerged when John Robertson and Son Limited changed its name to William Sanderson and Son Limited.
2020 Vat 69 remains a popular brand in the portfolio of Diageo.
See Also
Sources of Information
- National Records of Scotland BT2/13721
- https://scotchwhisky.com/whiskypedia/2628/william-sanderson-son/
- http://www.leithlocalhistorysociety.org.uk/businesses/william_sanderson.htm
- https://www.glengarioch.com/eventful-past
- Edinburgh Gazette January 7 1916, December 1933