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Scotland's Iconic Taste - The Story of Bell's Whisky
If you have been following our Clan of the Month posts, you will know that this month our featured family is Clan Bell, and what better way to celebrate their heritage than through Scotland's legendary taste, the blended whisky!
When researching our June Clan of the Month, Clan Bell, I came across their association with the well famed Bell's Whisky, and as the keen whisky enthusiasts we are here at ScotlandShop, I knew I had to investigate a little further into the successful brand which is rich in Scottish heritage.
The Brand Bell Story
Arthur Bell & Sons Ltd originally stemmed from a wine merchant company founded in Kirkgate in the city of Perth by a gentleman named Thomas Sanderman. However, in 1837 just as the business was starting to find its feet, Sanderman passed away and the business was pre-empted by one of his employees, James Roy. He was joined by Alex Miller, with the company being renamed Roy & Miller. Then, in 1845, Arthur Bell was employed as a traveller for the business, and when Miller left in 1851, Arthur stepped in to fill his shoes and the company became Roy and Bell.
After Roy retired in 1862, Arthur offered partnership to his nephew T. R. Sanderman, but this was short-lived as they disagreed over expenses and Sanderman tended to neglect the business, ending in him withdrawing his shares and leaving the company after only three years. Subsequently, Arthur did not take on another partner and became the sole owner of Arthur Bell Wine Merchants. By this point, Arthur was always striving to create the ultimate whisky but he was most stubborn in not having his name on the bottle, with no trademark whatsoever. He is quoted saying that his numerous years in trade had taught him:
"That several fine whiskies blended together please the palates of a greater number of people that one whisky unmixed, consequently I have long adopted that practice, and never found it necessary to send out showcards but just allowed the qualities of my goods to speak for themselves."
Eventually, in 1895 the company became known as Arthur Bell & Sons after Arthur made both his sons, A K and Robert, junior partners. They were both eager to expand the business and keen to actually start advertising. It wasn't until after Arthur's death in 1900 when the company name appeared on the label which originally read; "Arthur Bell and Sons Extra Special Old Scotch Whisky, Perth N.B., established 1825". After the sons joined, they managed to double the companies profits and they were both ambitious to keep growing the family business. From 1933 onwards they built on their collection of distilleries across the country acquiring both the Blair Athol Distillery in Pitlochry and the Dufftown-Glenlivet Distillery at Dufftown as well as the Inchgower Highland Malt Distillery in Buckie (all still open to visit if you fancy a tasting tour). However, after the brothers died, the family connection to the business went with them and Bell's became a public company in 1949.
The Bell's - What were they like?
Arthur Bell was born on the 30th of November in 1825, and was seven out of fifteen children. There is little known about Arthur's upbringing until he was employed by James Roy in 1845. When Bell became the sole owner of the company, he was recognised as being a highly cautious businessmen with very conservative methods. He was always extremely adamant in not using any form of advertisement and wanted 'the qualities of my goods to speak for themselves', and he made this very clear! Arthur was seen as someone truly consumed by business and meticulous in every attention to detail, potentially why the brand became such a phenomenal success.
As Arthur began to withdraw from the everyday running of the company and his sons joined as partners, the business grew larger than it ever had before. His eldest son Arthur Kimmond Bell, otherwise known as A.K. Bell, was born in 1868 in Craigie in the city of Perth where he resided throughout much of his life. He studied at both Perth Academy and Craigmount School in Edinburgh and after an apprenticeship with a blending firm, he joined the family business with high ambitions for prosperity. True to his dreams, profits shot through the roof and with his younger brother, Robert, even established agencies in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand during a tour in 1892
By the late 1890's, A.K was well known across the whisky trade as he carried the impressive growth of the family name, and once modest advertisement began it added to the advancement of the company, which carried on even throughout the turbulent times of the First and Second World War. With profits of £100,000 by 1941, the future of the company seemed assured, but when A.K died the following year and his brother shortly afterwards, there was no longer a family link to the business. Although there was no longer a Bell connection to the company, the original blend matured in oak casks stood the test of time and the whisky is still consistent with Arthur's quality and passion and enjoyed across the world today!
The A.K. Bell Library
In honour of Arthur Kimmond Bell, Perth's multi-million-pound A.K. Bell Library was named after him, celebrating the huge role he played in the city's history and whose legacy had such an everlasting impact, a true tribute to the Bell Clan! The library officially opened in 1995 and you can of course visit this magnificent building today if you are in town.
Visit Pitlochry's Blair Athol Distillery
The Blair Athol Distillery stands at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands in the scenic town of Pitlochry in Perthshire, and remains the main distillery for Bell's blend. It is set just south of the town in open moorland at the foot of the Grampian mountains with the Allt Dour water source flowing through the grounds, adding to the whisky's quality finish. The distillery has a traditional and picturesque courtyard with the building walls cladded with ivy, and invites tourists and visitors to take a look at the ins and outs of the operating distillery. It offers tours and tasting experiences allowing you to truly immerse yourself in the makings of the whisky and learn even more about Bell's family stories and a history of adventures!
Bell's Whisky Today
Bell's is now owned by the multinational beverage alcohol company Diageo, which operates in more than 180 countries and produces in more than 140 sites worldwide. The blended whisky is the best selling in the UK with their leading markets also including South Africa, the Nordic region, Spain and Brazil and is currently the 10th best-selling in the world - Arthur's conscientious attitude really did pay off! The whisky continues to be distilled at the Blair Athol Distillery in Pitlochry and is made from several fine grains and malts from the Islands and Speyside, with the unique flavour of Bell’s remaining just as Arthur envisaged. The whisky is still matured in selected oak casks for that richer taste with the superb combination of different malts giving Bell’s their unique fruity and spicy balance and smoky finish.
How to Serve - and of course enjoy!
The simplest way to enjoy Bell's is neat, which means cleansing your palate with cool water in between sips. Some also prefer to add a few drops of water to open up the flavours further or even with a splash of lemonade. As Bell's is a blended whisky, it is also acceptable to enjoy you dram 'on the rocks', which is the whisky undiluted served with ice cubes.
However if you prefer something a bit different, you can enjoy the classic smoky and spicy pairing of Bell's Whisky with ginger ale;
RECIPE:
- 50ml Bell's
- 100ml Ginger ale
PREPARATION:
- Fill a highball with cubed ice
- Add Bell's and top with ginger ale
- Stir and garnish with a lemon wedge.
Fun Fact - during the war years, Bell's whisky was given as a farewell gift to soldiers before they fought in the war along with the phrase "afore ye go". This is still printed on the Bell's bottle neck today, and literally means 'before you go', but it was really a way of saying 'stay a little longer and share a dram'.
