Without wasting any time, the partners created their own blended whisky, Whyte & Mackay Special Reserve and began to market it in Glasgow and the West. At the end of the First World War the partnership became a limited company, and Whyte's sons became directors.

North America
Like several other whisky companies during the 1930s Whyte & Mackay concentrated on developing their export markets, particularly in North America, but soon after the Second World War they consolidated stocks and launched the brand in to the British market - with great success. Much of this was due to innovative advertising and the company was also one of the first to involve itself in the sponsorship of sporting events.

40oz bottles
In 1960 Whyte & Mackay introduced a unique bottle closure, which also served as a whisky-measure, and pioneered the introduction of 40oz bottles (which have since become standard).The same year the company acquired Dalmore Distillery through merger, and in 1972 Fetter-cairn and Tomintoul Distilleries were added to the portfolio, when Whyte & Mackay was bought by Scottish & Universal Investments.

During the 1980s the company acquired the rights to a number of major DCL brands, including Haig and The Buchanan Blend in the UK, and also bought William Muir (Bond 9) Ltd of Leith, an established blending and bottling company. Haig has since been repatriated to United Distillers.

Gallagher Ltd
In 1990 Whyte & Mackay was bought by Gallagher Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the major U.S. corporation, American Brands Ltd, and in 1993 the Group bought lnvergordon Distillers, which brought in four further malt whisky distilleries and the lnvergordon grain distillery