Whisky Forum - Information please on Watson No 10 Whisky from Dundee

minesascotch

A friend of mine has found an old miniature bottle of Watson No 10 Whisky in an attic and would like some history/ information about it I have been unable to find very much on the interweb.

Slainte in advance Smile

William · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:19 pm Post subject:

I know a little about James Watson and Co., they were wholesale whisky merchants based in Dundee. It was quite a large set up at one time. They are remembered in the city for the 1906 fire of Dundee when one of there bonded warehouses went up in flames,

The fire took place in the six-storey bonded store of James Watson & Co, which contained nearly a million gallons of spirits, principally whisky and rum. It raged for two days and caused "rivers of burning whisky" to flow down Dundee streets. The fire spread to a neighbouring bonded whisky warehouse belonging to John Robertson, it was one of the most destructive fires in Dundee's and Scotland's history.

New bonds designed by David Baxter were built on the site in 1907 and are now listed buildings.

James Watson & Co's main business was blended whisky where Watson's No.10 was a principal blend. At one time James Watson & Co i believe owned 4 distilleries including Glen Ord which they bought in 1896. For the time Watsons sold high quality whiskies, particularly Watson's No. 10. Watsons went into voluntary liquidation around 1923 and Thomas Dewars & Sons of Perth bought the Glen Ord distillery.

I am not sure when they stopped producing Watson's No 10 blended whisky but whisky blending at Watson's Bond ceased in 1981 and the bonds closed in 1987.
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There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.

Carson · Master Of Malts Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 468

I think Watson No 10 blend was still around up until the 1960s and 70s as i have seen full bottles at auction in the past, i cant recall what they fetched at auction but i dont think it was a great deal. With no bottle size or strength on your bottle from what i can see from the pictures your bottle may well be a lot older than the 1860s

Quaich1 · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 8:38 pm Post subject:

Mark · Master Of Malts Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 1669

An interesting style of screw top. As it is a miniature and with a screw top my guess would be it is from 1960s - 1980.

minesascotch · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:58 pm Post subject:

Thanks everybody for your input I will pass it on.

Cheers

jcarrick · Master Of Malts Joined: 18 Apr 2011 Posts: 951

Full size bottles of Watson's No.10 appear at the whisky auctions every once and a while but i dont think they fetch that much.

William · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:59 pm Post subject:

A bit more info, i mentioned above that James Watson & Co. owned four distilleries, these were Glen Ord, Balmenach, Parkmore and Pulteney until 1923. During the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century James Watson & Co also bought all malt whisky which was produced at the Cragganmore distillery.
_________________
There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.