Established in Scotland in 1933, Ian Macleod Distillers was named after the chieftain of Clan Macleod. Bought by the Russell family in 1963, they've amassed an extensive and enviable collection of casks from Scotland's finest distilleries. Ian Macleod Distillers currently produces and sells over 15 million bottles of spirits per year from their renowned portfolio which includes Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky, The Chieftain's and Smokehead Islay Single Malt. The recipe for Isle of Skye was created by Ian Macleod in the 19th century and is still used today. It contains an unusually high proportion of aged Island and Speyside malts, each of which is aged to maturity (8-15 years) at its distillery of origin. Once the final blend is determined, mature whisky grain is added and the whisky ages in cask for at least six months. This last step is expensive and labor intensive but necessary to create the smooth and mellow characteristics unique to an Isle of Skye whisky.