🥃 Cutty Sark
Scottish blended whisky created in 1923 by Berry Bros. & Rudd; named after a tea clipper; owned by La Martiniquaise-Bardinet since 2018.
Cutty Sark is a blended Scotch whisky, a light, pale blend that the partners of the London firm Berry Bros. & Rudd decided to create on 23 March 1923. The name comes from the famous British tea clipper that had recently arrived in London. Since 2018 the brand has belonged to the French group La Martiniquaise-Bardinet.
History. According to Whiskypedia, Cutty Sark was created for the American consumer during Prohibition, and the USA was the key market. In 1961 it became the first Scotch to sell over a million cases in the USA. Berry Bros. & Rudd owned the brand until 2010, after which Edrington held it. On 28 November 2018 its sale was announced to La Martiniquaise-Bardinet, the owner of Glen Moray.
How it is made. The base is grain whisky from North British and Invergordon, to which about 40 single malts are added, among them Highland Park, Glenrothes, Macallan and Bunnahabhain. For a transitional period Edrington kept blending and bottling. As a Scotch, it is matured in oak for at least 3 years by law and is bottled at no less than 40% ABV; there is no age statement on the basic bottling.
Why this matters to you. Older reference material still names Edrington as the owner, but the current owner is La Martiniquaise-Bardinet. This is a blend, not a single malt; the pale colour and light taste are a style, not a sign of a weaker drink: the strength is not below 40% ABV. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 23 March 1923, Berry Bros. & Rudd (London) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Blended Scotch Whisky) |
| EU category | 2 - whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | grain whisky from North British and Invergordon; about 40 single malts |
| Cask type | oak casks; the type is not specified in our sources |
| Minimum maturation | from 3 years in oak by law; no age statement |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | from 40% ABV by law |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Cutty Sark → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker, 🥃 Chivas Regal, 🥃 The Famous Grouse, 🥃 The Famous Grouse, 🥃 Johnnie Walker, 🥃 Haig, 🥃 Ballantine's, 🥃 Ballantine's, 🥃 Caol Ila, 🥃 Caol Ila
Frequently asked questions
Is it a single malt or a blend?
A blend: mainly grain whisky from North British and Invergordon with about forty single malts.
Why was it aimed at the American market?
It was created during Prohibition for American drinkers, and in 1961 it became the first Scotch to sell over a million cases there.
How is the strength shown on a US bottle?
In ABV and often in proof; eighty proof means 40% ABV, the legal minimum for Scotch.
How do people drink it in Britain and America?
Neat, with ice, or in a highball with soda or ginger ale.
Who owns it today?
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet, since 2018; older references may still name Edrington.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Scotch from a single distillery: only malted barley, water and yeast, distilled in pot stills; at least 3 years in oak, 40% ABV (80 proof in the US) or more. Not the same as single cask.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
Similar
🥃 The Famous Grouse · 🥃 Black & White · 🥃 Vat 69 · 🥃 Dailuaine · 🥃 Glen Ord · 🥃 100 Pipers
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Cutty Sark (Berry Bros. & Rudd, 23.03.1923, composition, 1961 US record)
- Scotchwhisky.com: Cutty Sark sold to Glen Moray owner (28.11.2018; La Martiniquaise-Bardinet)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)