Sheep Dip is a quirky and characterful blended malt Scotch whisky with a history rooted in rural ingenuity. The brand was first bottled around 1974 by a farmer in Gloucestershire, where it served as the house whisky of a local pub under the name The Original Oldbury Sheep Dip. The curious name has genuine historical roots: farmers would cleverly label their homemade spirits as 'sheep dip' — the chemical solution used to treat livestock — to avoid detection by excise officers. Inspired by this tradition of Scottish farmers venturing into illicit whisky production, the brand pays homage to that spirited era of bootleg distilling. Sheep Dip is a blended malt Scotch whisky — what used to be known as a vatted malt — meaning it contains no grain whisky, only a selection of single malts blended together. The current expression was crafted by the renowned master blender Richard Paterson of Whyte & Mackay, resulting in a smooth and approachable whisky with notes of dried apricots, oak, honey and a hint of vanilla. The brand was relaunched in May 2013 at the Speyside Whisky Festival under Ian Macleod Distillers, who now own the brand alongside other notable Scotch labels.