Whisky in a Year of Protests
The year 1968 was filled with protests and social upheaval, including the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. The Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia was crushed by Soviet forces.
By 1968, the whisky industry was well attuned to the evolving palate of its global audience. Blended Scotch still held its dominant position, but single malts were breaking new ground, finding favor in markets previously untouched. This year was significant for distilleries making strides in sustainability and efficient production methods. Meanwhile, independent bottlers were increasingly acting as custodians of rare and unique expressions, ensuring that whisky enthusiasts had access to a diverse range of flavors and profiles. The industry's adaptive nature during this period set the stage for the boom that the Scotch whisky market would experience in the subsequent decades.