Buchanan's Red Seal Blended Scotch Whisky

A man with noble principles, James Buchanan was one of the most recognized Scotch whisky pioneers and one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his time. His peers saw him as a man of unbreakable values. James Buchanan was the perfect Victorian gentleman and a worthy guardian of the whisky’s image. The story of the success and the road to greatness of Buchanan started in Glasgow, Scotland, where he worked as an office assistant, until 1884, and first stepped into the whisky business by creating his own blend and founding James Buchanan & Co.

In 1885 James Buchanan won the call for tenders to become the only whisky supplier of the House of Commons, the Legislative Body of the British Parliament. In 1889 the Buchanan’s Blend won a gold medal at the Paris Centennial Exhibition. In 1897 Buchanan & Co was asked to fulfill a whisky order for the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII), therefore they created an exceptional blend with their finest whiskies. The product didn’t receive a brand name, it was just known as “Scotch Whisky, Specially Selected”. The following year James Buchanan received royal orders to supply Queen Victoria and Prince of Wales. In 1901 Buchanan became supplier of the British Royalty with “The Royal Household”, a whisky especially created for them. In 1907 he was asked to become the official supplier for the Emperor of Japan and the Royal Court of Spain. Meanwhile during the year of 1902 the company opened offices in Paris, New York, Hamburg and Buenos Aires.

James Buchanan passed away at the age of 85 in 1935, when he was 85. He was buried next to his wife in the small cemetery of St. Giles, in Graffham, near Petworth, England. His will was a proof of generosity towards his friends and family. He gave money to almost everyone that surrounded him in addition to gifting extraordinary retirement pensions to those who served him loyally.