The Last Drop Distillers was founded by drinks industry icons Tom Jago and James Espey OBE in 2008. The duo – who had previously developed the likes of Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Chivas 18 – set out to bottle rare single malts but changed course when they discovered three barrels of a 47-year-old blended Scotch. To the day he died, Jago said this was the best whisky he had ever tasted.
In 2014, Jago and Espey’s daughters (Rebecca Jago and Beanie Geraedts-Espey) joined the business. Two years later, The Last Drop was sold to US drinks group Sazerac for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition has enabled the team to buy more aged spirits to sell now and lay down for the future and provided the opportunity to venture into liquid creation. Chivas Master Blender Colin Scott has joined as a consultant and Last Drop Whisky Master Blender.
To date, the fine spirits curators have bottled 20 different spirits, including Cognac, rum, Bourbon, single malt and blended Scotch. The team continues to look at all aged spirits and is considering bottling a tequila and the world's most popular spirit, baijiu.
