Berry Bros. & Rudd is Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchant. Founded over 325 years ago, in 1698, the family-owned business still trade from their original home of No. 3 St James’s Street in London.
The company was initiated as a grocers by a woman, known as the Widow Bourne; only her surname has ever been established, along with the fact she was a widow with at least two daughters. Later, the widow’s daughter Elizabeth wed William Pickering in 1734 and their family would continue the running of the establishment – in those days they would mainly act as local grocers and suppliers to coffee shops.
Their son John Pickering would run the operation until his death in 1754, when his brother William would introduce a relation, John Clarke, as his partner. John Clarke brought his grandson, George Berry, on board in 1803 and by 1810 the Berry name was the front and centre of the business – as it has been, ever since.
It was George who had the background and knowledge to enter into the spirits and wine game. George’s sons, George Jr. and Henry, took over in 1845, and to this day the business still bears the name of these original ‘Berry Brothers’. The final part of the equation and company name was introduced in the early 20th century, as the Rudd family joined forces with the brothers.
The 20th century provided many challenges, especially in the face of two world wars, but the company continued to keep operations running in the family name and also came up with their global sensation, Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky in 1923.
Many successes and innovations would follow; BBR had the first temperature controlled wine cellar installed in 1967, were awarded two Royal Warrants (1903 and 1997) and launched the very first mail order wine merchant website, bbr.com. The 21st century has seen them strengthen globally, entering markets such as China and other previously untapped regions of Asia.
Berry Bros. & Rudd are famous for all types of wines and spirits, but we of course want to concentrate on their stunning array of rare whiskies, particularly their bottlings from the 1970s and 1980s, where they adopted the simple white label range that depicted a black and white image of the store front. This series saw some incredibly rare and exclusive releases from whisky giants such as Highland Park, Glenlivet, Glen Grant, Macallan and Talisker. We have listed a few of our favourites from The Whisky Vault archives here: -
Glen Grant 1963, BBR 1978 Bottling
This very rare Speyside malt was distilled at the Glen Grant distillery in 1963 and bottled, at 75 proof, by Berry Brothers & Rudd in 1978.
A real collectors piece, and not just for the history, for this bottle holds 26 2/3 fluid ounces of liquid gold, or at least so say the WhiskyFun critics who awarded it a massive 94 points!
The Whisky Vault Price: 1,666 GBP (Ex-VAT). Buy Here.
Glenlivet 1956, BBR 1973 Bottling
This majestic Speyside single malt was laid to rest at the Glenlivet distillery in 1956 and bottled at 70 proof and 26 2/3 Fl. Ozs by Berry Brothers & Rudd Ltd in 1973.
Bottled under the Smith's Glenlivet moniker, this exceptionally rare vintage Scotch whisky is supplied in great condition and is highly collectible.
The Whisky Vault Price: 2,083 GBP (Ex-VAT). Buy Here.
Highland Park 1957 20yo, BBR 1977 Bottling
This very rare Highland Park 20 year old single malt was distilled in 1957 and bottled at 70 proof and 26 2/3 Fl. Ozs by Berry Brothers & Rudd in 1977.
The label has slight staining to it, but as the guys at WhiskyFun agree (scoring it 90 points) it's all about the contents with this Orkney vintage!
The Whisky Vault Price: 2,500 GBP (Ex-VAT). Buy Here.
Macallan 1961, BBR 1981 Bottling
This magnificent vintage Speyside single malt was laid to rest at The Macallan distillery in 1961 and bottled by Berry Brothers & Rudd in 1981.
A hugely collectible Scotch whisky, made all the rarer the fact that vintage Macallan's from 1961 tend to be nigh on impossible to track down, that is supplied in great condition with a fill level just into the neck (see image for detail), making this a truly classic Berry Bros release.
The Whisky Vault Price: 3,333 GBP (Ex-VAT). Buy Here.
Talisker 1937, BBR Buckingham Corporation US Import
Where do we start?! This extraordinarily rare Isle of Skye single malt was laid down in 1937 at the Talisker distillery and bottled by Berry Brothers & Rudd, we believe, in the 1960's.
Bottled at 86 proof (43% ABV) and imported for the US market by The Buckingham Corporation of New York City, this is a hugely collectible expression and undoubtedly one of the rarest Talisker's ever produced!
The Whisky Vault Price: Currently Out of Stock. View Here.
With over 300 years of history and experience, BBR have always been at the forefront of the industry, their ideas and market-leading ability has set them apart in a very competitive field. They are showing no signs of slowing down! View all of our Berry Bros. & Rudd bottlings here.