The most significant whisky event of the year is Diageo’s Special Releases in late autumn. The world’s largest spirits company didn’t invent modern single malt but has spread the gospel more than anyone else. Classic Malts were born in 1988, the core consisted of Lagavulin, Talisker and Glenkinchie. Later on Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie and Oban closed the ranks.

For many years Balblair was just one of Inver House’s blending malts. Pulteney was the starred single malt. Balblair disappeared into lesser-known blends as Inverhouse, Hankey Bannister, MacArthur’s and the whiskey liqueur Heather Cream. Only 5 percent was sold as single malt, from 1998 onwards called Elements with the exclamation: “A spirit of the air”.