The Last Drop is Seeking Out and Bottling Remarkable Spirits from Around the Globe
By
1 year ago
The Last Drop is a Great British Brand 2023
The Last Drop is an entry in our Great British Brands 2023 book.
The Last Drop: Great British Brands 2023
‘We seek out and bottle rare spirits in small volumes. Rarity and age are supporting pillars for how good they taste; the liquid quality matters more than any age statement; age is a quality not a number. Discerning collectors can only appreciate what they collect by drinking – and the greatest pleasure is sharing.
Last year saw a new bottle and packaging, bringing new magic to how we present our releases. But one of our founding principles still holds true: the bottle is a vessel for the magic within and we showcase remarkable liquids. We also travelled again to meet people, particularly in the USA, home of Sazerac, our owners since 2016, where the appetite for spirits has grown exponentially.
We love the wonderful spirits we discover, but there’s always pressure – where’s the next release coming from? So we founded The Last Drop Assembly, a small international panel of blenders from different aged spirits categories; experts who create bespoke signature blends, future-proofing our business. This year they will finally gather
in person.
We loved the inaugural Worshipful Company of Distillers One of One charity auction, which raised over £3 million. Our successful bidders came to Scotland to create their own unique blended whisky.
We now have a bi-annual release pattern: spring brings three small curated bottlings (last year a Japanese whisky, a single malt Scotch and a cognac), and autumn promises a signature blend from an Assembly member (Colin Scott’s 50-year-old signature blend came in 2021, and it was Drew Mayville’s turn in 2022, the first in our new bottle).
Every year is different. We have no permanent collection – a release ends when the bottles run out. We don’t create scarcity; whether a release is 20 bottles or 200, that’s all there is. Our original slogan, “before there is no more”, still resonates.’ Rebecca Jago, Managing Director
Brand Timeline
2008
The Last Drop Distillers is founded by renowned pioneers of the spirits industry, James Espey, Tom Jago and Peter Fleck.
2010
Rebecca Jago and Beanie Espey, daughters of co-founders Tom and James, join the company as second-generation founders.
2016
The Last Drop joins the US-based Sazerac Company, expanding its global footprint while maintaining its creative independence.
2018
Celebrates its 10th anniversary with the creation of Tom’s Blend No 1: an 18-year-old blended whisky, it’s the not-for-sale house pour.
2021
The First Signature Blend is released, a 50-year-old blended Scotch created by legendary master blender Colin Scott.
DID YOU KNOW?
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The Last Drop has been referred to as the ‘Indiana Jones of the spirits world’, seeking out the rarest liquids, from Scotch and cognac to bourbon, rum and beyond.
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One of the oldest discoveries by The Last Drop was an 1870 Old Colheita tawny port, released as the Centenario duo of ports from 1870 and 1970.
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The Last Drop’s unique intuitive decanter, Phoebe, is used to pour Tom’s Blend at events, and is named after Rebecca Jago’s daughter.
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Before World War II, a single barrel of 1925 Grande Champagne cognac was hidden behind a wall, lying undiscovered until 2017. It was bottled in 2018 at 93 years – then the same age as co-founder Tom Jago.
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The formation of the Assembly, a panel of experts from the worlds of Scotch, Irish, Indian and American whiskies, cognac and rum, inspires The Last Drop’s mission to create remarkable spirits, as well as curating them.
The Last Drop Distillers
60 Marina Place, Hampton Wick
Kingston upon Thames KT1 4BH
+44 (0)1932 252100
