Sunday Whisky Blether #3 - Rupert Patrick

In reviving his ancestor’s eponymous blended Scotch brand, Rupert Patrick didn’t just bring back a forgotten blend of sought-after malts and grain – he uncovered a piece of whisky history. Here, Patrick shares the story behind resurrecting his great-great-grandfather’s Trade Mark ‘X’…This time we present less of an interview rather than a story.

As many good stories do, this particular tale involves a bottle of Scotch whisky. And not just any old liquid, either. Bottled in 1948 with ‘Special Old Scotch Whisky’ wrapped around the label,  one of the few remaining bottles of James Eadie’s Trade Mark ‘X’ had been given to Rupert Patrick by his uncle, Alastair Eadie – the great-grandson of Scottish brewer and distiller James Eadie, who was born in Perthshire in 1827.

It was a timely gift. After 25 years in the whisky industry, Patrick had recently departed corporate spirits – having worked for drinks giants Macleod Distillers, Beam Suntory and Diageo – to launch trading platform Whisky Invest Direct with an old school friend. Encouraged by Alastair, he’d found time to visit the National Brewery Archive in Burton-on-Trent, the location of James Eadie’s brewery that operated for 90 years.

Dating from 1860 to 1900, the ledgers and records were filled with Eadie’s Scotch whisky blending notes – and plenty more besides – including the original recipe for Trade Mark ‘X’. “When Alastair handed the bottle over, he said, ‘I remem