The history of Arthur Bell & Sons dates back to the mid-19th century, but it was not until the 1930s that they became a big name player in the Scotch industry, acquiring the Blair Athol and Dufftown distilleries from P. Mackenzie & Co in 1932, and Inchgower from Moray Town Council four years later. The company placed its focus on the domestic market, and commanded 35% of it by the 1970s, with Bell's Extra Special the best-selling brand in Scotland. The firm was bought over by Guinness in 1985, who in turn procured DCL the following year. Today Bell's blends are still produced by its modern iteration, Diageo.

The eponymous Arthur Bell was resistant to brand names in his time, but upon his death in 1900, his sons inherited the company and Bell's Extra Special was first market just four years later. Its meteoric rise to the top of the market over the next 70 years saw the addition of several new products, including this 20 year old age statement, the Royal Reserve. This was bottled in the 1970s.