Whisky · Scotland · brand
John Crabbie. Three whiskies.
From the shelf
Everything we have from John Crabbie
Click on a bottle for the rest of the details.
What is in the bottle
With this brand it differs per bottle. The whisky called Yardhead is explicitly sourced single malt from a distillery that is not named. The company even deliberately does not mention the region. Other editions do come from its own stills.
The distillery of its own has stood in Leith since 2020, at almost the same postcode as Crabbie’s original premises. Before that, a small pilot plant briefly ran in Granton, where thirty-nine casks were filled in a single year.
The bottles we have in stock
From the mixable Yardhead to expressions on new oak.
Blender, ginger wine maker and founder
- A brief history
- 1806John Crabbie is born.
- 1836He takes over an older trading house in Leith.
- 1885Co-founder of a grain distillery.
- 2007The brand passes into new hands.
John Crabbie was one of the big names of Leith in the nineteenth century. He bought whisky from dozens of Scottish distilleries and sold his own blends, and also made ginger wine from ginger that arrived through the port.
In 1885 he co-founded a grain distillery in Edinburgh, together with other Edinburgh whisky firms, because they did not want to depend on the competition for their grain whisky. That plant still exists.
The label says 1801. That year belongs to the older trading house that Crabbie took over in 1836 and afterwards used as its founding date, not to its own start. We therefore pass it on with that nuance.
Almost a century without whisky in Edinburgh, and then whisky again.
What these bottles go with
Yardhead is expressly meant for mixing: in a highball or a cocktail. That is an honest purpose, and it saves on price.
The versions on new oak are clearly fuller and woodier; interesting to put two side by side.
Call 0570 541 278 or drop in at Brink 2 in Bathmen.
Frequently asked questions about John Crabbie
How much John Crabbie does ’t Bockje have in stock?
Three bottles.
Who was John Crabbie?
An Edinburgh blender and merchant from Leith, born in 1806. He blended whisky from dozens of distilleries and in 1885 co-founded a grain distillery.
Is this their own distillate?
That differs per bottle. Yardhead is sourced single malt from an unnamed distillery. Since 2020 the brand also has its own distillery in Leith.
Is the year 1801 on the label correct?
That belongs to an older Leith trading house that Crabbie took over in 1836 and whose date he came to use. It is not the year in which he himself started.
What is Yardhead?
A bought-in single malt, intended for mixing. According to the company, the name refers to the site of the old maturation warehouses in Leith.
Can I collect these bottles in Bathmen?
Yes. You can always order online or collect at Brink 2, or simply walk in.
Order, collect or drop by
- In stock in our shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen
- Available to order online and have delivered, including abroad
- Order online or collect in Bathmen
- Personal advice via 0570 541 278 or info@bockje.nl
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 09.00–18.00, Saturday 09.00–17.00. Closed Monday and Sunday
Wij verkopen geen alcohol aan personen onder de 18 jaar. NIX18.
All 2 bottles at a glance
Each bottle shows the details from the label.
Keep browsing
Brink 2, Bathmen
All our stock is in the shop, not in a warehouse somewhere else. If you walk in with a name you couldn't find anywhere, it is often simply here on the shelf. You can also call: 0570 541 278.
Wij verkopen geen alcohol aan personen onder de 18 jaar. NIX18
- Tuesday to Friday 09.00 – 18.00
- Saturday 09.00 – 17.00
- Monday and Sunday closed