Annandale Distillery, which is based in Dumfries and Galloway, invited the Scottish rugby star to visit them in December 2014, where he filled the very first cask of Annandale’s Man o’Sword peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
Accompanied by family and friends, including Finlay Calder and Gary Armstrong - two other giants of Scotland and Lions rugby - Doddie was welcomed back to the distillery on December 1st 2017, to fill the first five bottles of Annandale’s Man o’Sword.
Now, the whisky makers are auctioning off the first four bottles of the new single malt in honour of the sports legend and his charities - the My Name’5 Doddie foundation and Doddie Weir’s Trust.
Linny Oliphant, visitor experience manager, said: "Since Doddie filled our very first cask of peated spirit back on December 1st 2014, we were always going to invite him back today to finish the job.
"However, when Doddie recently announced his personal battle against Motor Neurone Disease, today’s event suddenly acquired far greater significance.
"As brave and bold are the defining characteristics of how we think of Man o’Sword…we thought it highly appropriate to fill the first 99 bottles to be drawn from this very first cask of Annandale Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky and name them ‘Doddie Weir – Man o’Sword’. Number 99 is significant because it’s 99 years since Annandale Distillery last produced Single Malt Scotch Whisky…on the 1st December we just filled the first 5 with the rest of the 99 to be bottled later."
Although five bottles were filled on the day, only four bottles were put up for auction, with bottle #1 being kept at the distillery for posterity.
All four bottles feature a silver collar engraved with Doddie Weir’s signature and are presented in a bespoke, handcrafted box, however number 5 is extra special because Doddie played No.5 for Scotland, it is housed in a special presentation box and for the purposes of the auction, it will be paired-up with one of Doddie’s No.5 Scotland shirts duly signed by the rugby legend.
• The bottles are currently being auctioned online running from 8th – 17th December and can be viewed here
