Historic Distilleries: Caperdonich

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Caperdonich Distillery was first established as "Glen Grant #2" back in 1897/1898? And they closed their doors for the first time already in 1902. Most of the equipment were transferred to Glen Grant Distillery, and Glen Grant #2 was closed for 63 consecutive years until 1965. Then it was rebuilt as Caperdonich by Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. So one can say that in reality its a pretty modern distillery. The new modern technology installed in the distillery now meant that it could be operated by just two employees. The distillery changed hands a little over a decade later and then again in 20012 to Pernod Richard which closed it just a year later. Caperdonich was mostly used as an alternative to Glen Grant for the blenders, primarily Chivas Regal, so OB bottlings therefore never saw the light of day. Some IB's made it to the market, but few of them made a lasting impression on the punters. The Coppermiths Forsyth bought the site in 2012 and later bulldozed most of the buildings, but some of the equipment was spared. One of the copper stills was sold to the Belgian Owl Distillery and lives on there, so future Belgian Owl bottlings may share some similarities to whisky from that short time operational distillery in Speyside. As you might already have spotted in the pictures, I've chosen two sittings where the 1990's distillates will be up first, before the 60's, 70's and 80's will be tasted in the next sitting. Let's make them both vertical.



#1
Caperdonich 9yo 1998-2007 43% Jean Boyer Best Casks of Scotland

Best Casks of Scotland is quite a name to live up to. This one comes from small peaty barrels, which I would assume means they're matured in hogsheads that's previously been used on Islay or anywhere else where peated whisky is usually made. Remember the Glenfiddich Chaoran Reserve? That was made by such cask experimentation. It smells sweet, vanilla, peat smoke, rubber, spicy, garam masala, dairy cream, tzatziki, pickled cucumer, a gentle one. The taste is one rye, soapy, bitter, pesto, creole spices, malty. Certainly not one of the best casks of Scotland, but it leaves a pretty decent young and "naked" Caperdonich.

Not much peat, just a hint on the nose, but its pure and clean fun: 4.5


Caperdonich 16yo 1995-2011 60.4% Dewar Rattray's cask#95052

From a bourbon cask. At a very high strength, my first ever Caperdonich over 60%abv. And its not that young either. The color is amber golden. I don't know if there's any correlation here, but it seems to me that high strength bourbon whiskies often are darker than the low strength one even at CS. It smells of vanilla, spirity notes, burnt, dark chocolate, bitter, perfumy, chopped ginger and garlic, raw onions. The taste is sweet, peppery, rubbery, earthy, cloyingly sweet, mustard, chillies, eucalyptus. I believe this one needs some water as the spirity notes pretty much runs the show now. With water it turns more peppery, iodine, sweet white wine, sauternes, flour sugar, oily, metallic, plum juice, raisins, dates, figs, the initial palate is superb. The finish is long, peaty and peppery.

Wow, this Caperdonich was reborn when I added water to it: 8


Caperdonich 18yo 1994-2012 52.2% TWA Liquid Library

Some say one indicator of how good a distillery was is to see how many IB's are bottling it. But I don't trust that thesis completely. Many reasons for that, but lets keep the focus on this one from TWA for now.
The color is sort of wet hay, dirty golden? It smells sweet, wheat, sour dough, kiwi, wheat beer, strawberries, vanilla, green tea, seaweed, much lighter whisky than the 1995, but then again it holds close to one fifth lower strength. The taste is vanilla, dairy cream, snow peas, morning glory, bok choi, very light and sweet, pancakes, orange marmalade. This really doesn't need water in my opinion. When you have that sweet'n'creamy flavor that usually comes from very active bourbon casks, they often becomes more sour and spirity with water. If that's to your liking, please add water, but its just not for me. The finish is peppery, vanilla and banana.

Lacks a bit of the #95052's complexity, but these rich bourbon notes are superb: 8


Caperdonich 19yo 1992-2011 46% Van Wees The Ultimate Whisky Company cask#46240

Van Wees is one of those underrated whisky distilleries that really knows how to pick a good cask and sell it at an affordable price. Lets see how long it lasts. But a watered down single cask usually was an inferior cask, lets hope that isn't the case here. The color is light golden. It smells of honey butter, spicy, sage, cilantro, spring onions, herbal and grassy whisky which seems more like a CS than a watered down 46%, but its just a bit too vegetal for my liking. The taste is on malt syrup, coca cola, honey, red onions, stewed onions, coleslaw, again a bit too vegetal for me, but mostly a sweet acidity that just not go well in whiskies. The finish is short and peppery.

If you want to try a decent Caperdonich, your best chance seems to be a CS I'm afraid: 3


Caperdonich 20yo 1992-2012 56.5% Part Des Anges Closed Distilleries

I can't recall ever having a PDA bottling that wasn't from the "Closed Distilleries"-series, but I'm sure they bottle other stuff as well, if not it'd be an unlikely pricy brand for the owner? But I have to say, the other PDA's I've tried have been really good. The color is light golden. It smells of radish, peppery, burnt sugar, stamp glue, raw onions, once again really vegetal and once again a 1992 distillate. The taste is leather, vanilla, stewed onions, oily, pistachio, grainy, porter beer, malty bitterness, kinda nice one, but much more like a slow-paced lowlander than a vibrant speysider. The finish is on exotic fruits, coconut milk, plum paste, dark grapes, raspberry gel.

This one is a bit slow on the nose and palate, but the finish is class: 5.5



#2
Caperdonich 27yo 1980-2007 56.2% Dewar Rattray's cask#7349

Another bourbon cask, but this time distilled more than 10 years before the 1992 PDA. I'm pretty sure this is the only Caperdonich I've ever tasted that was distilled in the 1980's. Is it anything like the #95052 from same bottler I'm a happy man. The color is golden amber. It smells of cinnamon, bananas, lemon, vinegar, lemon grass, sour and bitter, very different from the prior Caperdonichs in this session. Peppery, horseradish, really strong! The taste is of cherries, grape seeds, bittersweet, charcoal, cedarwood, unripe clementines, very bitter and sour, time to add some water. Now it turns sweeter, more bitter, bitter lemon, wool, tequila, really a hangovers worst nightmare, this reeks of bad alcohol and unripe sour fruits when water is added.

Maybe its a good thing I've never found many Caperdonichs from the 80's: 2.5


Caperdonich 19yo 1977-1997 57.5% Cadenhead's

"Sherrywood Matured" reads the label, and I think its the first one in this session. The color is hazel brown. It smells of cinnamon, tobacco, dried fruits, ground coffee, nutty, red paprika, licorice, juniper berries, chili. The taste is dry licorice, honey, dried red paprika, musty, a certain musty licoricy sweetness which are often found in older sherried whiskies. This one is surely not from a hogshead. Water often opens these old glories up a bit and lets deeper flavors emerge. With a small drop of water this turns sweeter, cinnamon, nutty, honey, caramel, spicy, nutmeg, cumin, dried herbs, oregano, basil, leather. The finish is peppery, creamy and buttery, a whisky for lavish occasions.

Amazing Caperdonich, I didn't know they came like this: 9


Caperdonich 39yo 1972-2011 57.4% Malts of Scotland cask#1144

This one's from a sherry hogshead, and matured for 20 more years than the 1977, will it be over-oaked? Lets hope not. The color is mustard brown. It smells very peppery, bitter, lime peel, nutmeg, cumin, star anise, licorice. Not nearly as refined and smooth as the 1977, more oaky and bitter. The taste is bitter, herbal, peppery, from a fino cask? I doubt that as its very sweet as well, but most of all its an uber-oaky experience. The finish is oaky and bitter. Time to add some water. Now it becomes buttery, chives, orange zest, pretty anonymous and flat. One of the oldest Caperdonich out there, but not one of the best in my opinion, rather MOTR.

Oaky, bitter, herbal, and thats about it here: 5


Caperdonich 34yo 1972-2007 55.6% Duncan Taylor cask#7435 btl.140/198

Another one from a smaller cask. The color is amber orange. This one smells honeyed, banana, vanilla, potato starch, buttery, marzipan, roasted almonds, caramel, peaty, sweet tobacco smoke. This is once again up there with the 1977, but a totally different style. The taste is sweet, on molasses, black pepper, ginger, mango chutney, cinnamon, orange zest, bitter. Lets add some water. Now it turns even sweeter, flour sugar, honey, lime juice, ginger, green bell peppers, fruit syrup, red berries, lime leaves, all in all a very good Caperdonich. And I've heard many people raving about the quality of this one. I must say I enjoyed the 1977 just a bit more, but that could very well be because I'm a sucker for old rich sherried malts.

Complex, rich, sweet, well chosen cask: 7.5


Caperdonich 36yo 1968-2004 40% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphails

A really old one, and often, to find a really good CC-bottling, you need one in the 30's or more what age is concerned. The color is copper brown. It smells peppery, butter, chili, garlic, oranges, mint, herbal, cilantro, ginger, oregano, basil, heather, cinnamon, hops. A very mellow sherried one so far. The taste is licorice, sherry, ginger, cinnamon, bitter herbs, nestles, leather, waxy, dark chocolate, ground coffee, meaty, ground beef, smoky, simply great old style sherried whisky. I won't add water to this in fear of screwing it up, its just too good to take the risk. I mean, I often use water, but if the whisky is near perfect and I don't have a lot of it, well, then there's not enough to gain by adding water in my opinion.

Caperdonich like I've never tasted it before, how would this've been at CS?: 9


Caperdonich 40yo 1968-2008 50.1% Part des Anges Closed Distilleries cask#368

Probably the oldest Caperdonich I'm likely to ever try. I don't know much about this cask, but its not as dark as the prior one or the 1977. I think really old vintages are becoming scarce at Caperdonich, get some before their all gone. I'm assuming they won't hold on to the newer stock for 30-something more years. The color is golden amber. It smells sweet, honeyed, buttery, oranges, minty, mandarin, vinegar, banana, white grapes, avocado, sweet white wine, syrup, from an old bourbon cask I presume. The taste is peppery, caramel, butter, spicy, bitter herbs, unripe oranges, lemons, lime, wax, a zesty and fresh Caperdonich that even at 40yo is sure from oaky or tired in any way. The finish is longlasting, sweet and bitter, peppery, rubbery, grapefruit.

Another great Caperdonich, a sad story that they're finished for good now: 8

Caperdonich Distillery then

Caperdonich Distillery more recently
















Next tasting: Dallas Dhu Distillery

18. of March 2013, an evening with Richard Paterson

I must admit I was a bit in aw even before this tasting started, as it was not only my second whisky-tasting in just a couple of months with an influential character in the world of whiskies (the prior one being Distillery Manager of the Year 2012, John Maclellan), but this time it was with the one person that have brought me some of my best experiences with blended whisky, the nose himself, Mr. Richard Paterson. The tasting was held in the city of Vejle, Denmark, about two and a half hours drive from Hirtshals where my ferry docked. I slept at a privately hosted B&B just outside the city centre, the walls were neon green and the interior was mostly all pink, psychedelia here I come! After an hour sleep I went to town as I was not 100% sure about the location where the tasting was to take place. best to be on the safe side I thought. I found it quickly and suddenly had two hours spare to spend. What I encountered in the streets of Vejle was a mixture of modern business buildings and 2000's architecture in amongst older characteristic danish brick houses. An unsettling mix, but I'm a bit of an old-fashioned romantic when it comes to buildings and houses. Other than that, I found this great little shop called Havnens Vin where I bought a Glen Esk Duncan Taylor for just above 80GBP, not bad at all, and even though the shop looked small from the outside, the array of beer, wines and whiskies inside was impressive, to say the least. Before the tasting started I took a walk through the corridors of the hotel at which it was held, and to my surprise they had a bar serving only SMWS-bottlings (see photo below), and in the other bar at the hotel they also had some japanese whiskies. And by the reception they had a great array of some artsy whiskies on a display shelf. Impressive! Richard Paterson was the first guy in the room at this tasting, and I quietly sneaked past the registration queue to get a seat in front (bad behavior, I know). Richard Paterson came over to our table and chatted a bit before the show started, and collected information to spice up his performance, and of course I told him of my interest in Fettercairn whisky. Oh yes, I call this a show instead of a tasting, because it really was a combination of the two with an emphasis on the show part. I was entertained, to put it gently. The show started with some funny anecdotes on americans, danes and norwegians before he started on what was a detailed history of the distilleries Jura and Dalmore, just paused by a short mentioning of Fettercairn inbetween. There was, unlike on the tasting with John Maclellan, no chances for the audience to ask questions, but with a storyteller like that, no questions could have improved this show in my opinion. The whiskies were tasted after the distilleries and their history had been thoroughly described by Paterson. The tasting was not like I usually do my tastings, Richard insisted on having the whole dram in one gulp, swirling it around in my mouth while making some noises for a while before swallowing it all. And to be fair, it actually worked very well on all the whiskies, and gave me a couple surprises on whiskies I've found a bit dull earlier. And just so that its mentioned, I believe Richard Paterson knows more facts and history about scotch whisky than what one could ever be close to consuming in 4 hours. The whiskies we tasted were:

Jura 12yo Elixir
Jura 30yo
Jura Prophecy
Dalmore Cigar Malt
Dalmore King Alexander III
Fettercairn 24yo
Whyte & Mackay 30yo
MacKinlay blended batch#2

I must say, all this, for about 14.9 GBP or 149 Dkr, it was money well spent, but the initial price of the was higher. The whiskies was a great selection with the King Alexander ending up on my "to buy" list. The MacKinlay blend had a certain Millburn character, old style whisky! After the session, and some book-signing, I got to chat some more with Richard and he told me that the year they cut the necks of the stills at Fettercairn Distillery was back in 1963. And he did, to my great surprise, offer to send me some Fettercairn distilled back then. How lucky can one guy get?

Oh, and just a bit of a tip and a funny/embarrassing story if you ever find yourself at one of the font seats at a whisky tasting. On this tasting I had a pole position and in the early stages of the seminar I found Richard Patterson waving and nodding at me, for instance right after he made a good joke. I found this a bit humbling and amusing at the same time, so after a couple nods and blinks I starting making some courteous arm gestures and nodding back at him, like old friends would do. That went on for about 10-15 more minutes until I found that right beside me sat the guy running the shifts of the powerpoint canvas behind Richard. Well, how stupid I must've looked? Thankfully I don't think anyone noticed except maybe Richard and the powerpoint guy.



A bit of the mixed architectural landscape in Vejle where old meets new, but doesn't necessarily blend that well.




Havnens Vin in Vejle, close to the dock and just a bit outside of the main streets, but a great selection of whiskies at fair prices and employees with much knowledge in spirits and wines.




The bar at the hotel, which I unfortunately do not remember the name of, that sold exclusively SMWS whisky.




A bit of a gallery on the wall opposite the reception, what an hotel for a whisky lover




Enjoying a bit of canapeers with other whisky enthusiasts before the show. The bar in the background also had some good whiskies.




Richard Paterson looks to be happy with the attendance, and more came




The tastings




How to nose a whisky




At this moment, I can't quite remember what this was all about ;-)




One lucky dane tasting the 60yo Dalmore




Signed book, stunning Glen Esk and some King Alexander III which some poor soul had left untasted. Euphoria!




The Nose of Whyte & Mackay, Richard Paterson, with the Norwegian of the Evening, Jonas Bratteli

Historic Distilleries: Littlemill

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Littlemill was a lowland distillery closed as recently as 1996, which means there are still good possibilities to get your hans on a couple of bottles and still have money left for milk and bread. The distillery was, according to themselves, established as early as 1772, but there seems to be a little lack of documentation for that statement. The distillery itself never got much of a following as a single malt, but recent bottlings that have gotten more years on their back thn the standard OB's have shown there can be great quality in Littlemill too. Though being a lowland distillery it used highland water for production, which is the case for their malt as well. So in that matter, those who believe whisky is only a product of their Flora and Fauna might find hard to argue that if tasting Littlemill, as this is nothing like a highlander. Their stills, which are unique in Scotland, a pot still with a column still head, were made to produce a whisky that would mellow faster and therefore speeding up the income by cask using less time in the warehouses before being shipped off to blenders. There is little information about this distillery other than that it was driven in experimental manners with very varied success, I suppose. And a personal tip for any who wants to purchase a full bottle of this increasingly pricy lowlander, try a couple of samples or taste one of your pals opened bottles first, the quality of this malt varies a lot and its easy to spend good money on inferior whisky. Since I've got quite a number of Littlemill samples and minis I'll have this session in two sittings, #1 and #2 as stated above the photos.


#1
Littlemill 20yo 1985-2005 40% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice cask#1685

From a refill sherry hogshead, cask#1685, I didn't know they used cask references on the CC-series, or even stated which cask the whisky comes from. I'd prefer it this way anyway. The color is pale, white wine. It smells raw, peppery, drying, latex, rubbery, yarn, wool, burnt plastic, not very pleasant I'm afraid. The taste is sweet, peppery, dried figs, dried red grapes, dried peaches, intense sour and sweet dried fruits, much better than the nose suggested. However its not a marathon runner, this is a nice palate and when its down its out, no finish. Some glue and grassy notes appears after a while of breathing but all in all this is a Littlemill with a bit of charm.

Easy drinking, light Littlemill with a fruity palate: 5


Littlemill 21yo 1991-2012 49% Whisky-Doris cask#554

From a bourbon cask, and quite low strength already for a CS of this age. But Whisky-Doris is a very good cask selector so I hope they've struck gold again. The color is white wine. It smells of sweet and peppery notes, black pepper, mustard, grassy, orange peel, bitter herbs, agricultures, not very pleasant nosing this one either. The taste is sweet, floral, spirit marker, grassy, spirity, a better linkup with the nose on this one, but not a better whisky. Let's add water. Now it turns sweeter, more dry, papery, oily, grassy, and one of the most floral whiskies I've ever had. I'm struggling abit with this spirity floral style, so if you're into that my tasting notes might seem even a little less universal than they usually do, if that's possible.

Littlemill character from start to finish, but you gotta like that: 3.5


Littlemill 17yo 1992-2009 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing cask#3028

I bought a full bottle of this not long after the remaining parts of the distillery was demolished, thinking I might not get so many more opportunities. But then a whole brigade of 20-something Littlemills started arriving on the market. And now all I have left is this sample, and I remember it as a whisky I i hindsight should have tried as a sample first as I probably wouldn't have bough a full bottle then. But maybe times have changed me, as now a more experienced taster. From a refill hogshead. Bourbon or sherry? I have no idea, lets taste. The color is pale golden. It smells of sweet spirity notes. White rum and grassy notes springs to mind. This is more like vodka than whisky I'm afraid, some sweet vanilla and banana notes, but other than that its just like any other cheap booze. After some breathing more grassy and minty notes appears. The taste is peppery and sweet, cinnamon and kiwi on the palate as well as dried figs and dates, very good indeed. The finish is long, bitter and peppery. Certainly a Littlemill with more finesse.

Smooth and easily sip-able whisky: 6.5


Littlemill 21yo 1991-2012 50.6% A. Dewar Rattray cask#560

From a bourbon hogshead, let's hope its more palatable than the Whisky-Doris #554 at same age. The color is Pale golden. It smells of honey, waxy, heather and vanilla. Another rather simple nose. The taste is sweet, butter, peppery, tonic water, bitter, grassy, herbal, no hiding place for the slightly harsh Littlemill character here either. The taste is herbal, spicy, oregano, basil, peppery, nutmeg, chives, kinda refreshingly herbal. This is a great quality herbal lowlander, reminds me even a bit of some older Rosebanks or even St Magdalenes.

Herbal whisky, very well made: 6


Littlemill 21yo 1990-2012 53.3% The Nectar of the Daily Dram joint with LMDW

A joint bottling, I had a Strathisla of that kind recently and it was superb. But then again it was close to 40 years old. Up a bit in strength. The color is deep golden. It smells of strong, musty, earthy, floral notes, mustard and perfumes, a very different profile on this one. And I believe at least one of the casks in the mix is a sherry cask. The taste is sweet, honey, burnt, oaky, cinnamon, swiss cheese, leather, very nice indeed. Once again an honest dram that doesn't need any water or breathing to be enhanced in any way, just good whisky from a good cask, but as it lacks distillery character merely representable as a Littlemill, but then again, I'll have more sherried Littlemills in #2.

The black sheep of this session so far, but this cask has risen Littlemill to a new level: 7


Littlemill 18yo 1990-2008 53.5% Murray McDavid

A sample I purchased for Master of Malt back when they shipped to Norway. I'm sad those days are gone. Golden color. Murray McDavid unfortunately does not exist anymore as Bruichladdich was purchased by Remy Cointreau. Its sad as they had a lot of good bottlings back in the days. It smells of sweet, honey, peppery, flour sugar, marshmallows, vanilla, a real active bourbon cask I assume. Its a bit fun that these 1990s in this session seems so much more balanced than the 1991s. The taste is buttery, drying, leather, metallic, ginger, very strong and peppery. I believe this needs some water. With water it turns more floral, spirity, choriander, rubbery, burnt sugar, gasoline. This is one to have neat.

A macho whisky for the extremists: 4


Littlemill 21yo 1990-2012 54.7% SMWS 97.21

This one is called "Laurel, meadowsweet and honeysuckle". I guess that is what the bottlers recommend me to find in this whisky. There's been quite some honey and herbal notes in this session so far, I'll give them that. From a 1st fill bourbon cask. The color is golden. It smells of peppery, sweet leaves, oregano, honey, camphor, burnt sugar, cloves, toothpaste. One for the sweet-tooths? The taste is buttery, salty, vinegar, radishes, red onions, vegetal peppery notes, rhubarb, bok choi, really herbal, I can see what they mean by laurel. The finish is on honey, peppery notes, oaky, coal, rubber and rhubarb. I'd say that so far it seems the higher alcohol strength the less spirity these Littlemills becomes, which often is a good thing. But it also seems they prefered less tight casks at Littlemill than at many other distilleries.

Clean cut bourbon matured whisky: 6


Littlemill 20yo 1990-2010 56.2% First Cask cask#726

From a bourbon barrel. The color is golden. I have not tried much whisky from First Cask which I think is a german bottler. It smells austere, burnt, oaky, spirity. We're more towards the 91's in this, not very pleasant so far. The taste is sweet, drying, honey, very bitter, unripe apples, grape seeds, lime peel, barely drinkable at this point. Time to add some water. Now it turns sweeter, more honey, vanilla, watermelon, banana, white grapes. The finish is short and peppery. One with little off-notes on the palate, but a rather complicated nose, a bit like the 1985 CC. Not very interesting whisky, but an enjoyable dram that will fit most occasions. I must admit that there were not much variety in these casks, likely du to that the vintages and cask types are pretty similar. These sessions are all fun, but can get a bit exhausting for the palate, vive la contraste...

Finishing this seating of with another alright, okay, middle of the road Littlemill: 5


#2
Littlemill 5yo 40% OB

Time to start of this session with an older youngster. At a time many scottish distilleries bottled 5yo's, amongst them Macduff (Glen Deveron), Glen Grant, Auchentoshan, Glen Scotia. Maybe this age will see its renaissance soon as the OB bottlings seems to become younger and younger these days. Some evaporation in this oldie. It smells of wheat, peppery, bitter, herbal, licorice, oregano, citrus, lemon. The taste is bitter, peppery, lemon meringue, vanilla, dry licorice, very one-dimensional, all the nuances is gone in seconds and I'm left with a short and peppery finish. I think poor OB bottlings like this have contributed massively to the measly reputation Littlemill received when operational.

It's not bad, just very bland: 3.5


Littlemill 10yo 1990-2001 43% Signatory Vintage cask#2958

I think this whisky was part of a combo pack of one Littlemill and one Rosebank miniature from Signatory. Then I guess the former owner kept the Rosebank and put the Littlemill for sale on ebay, I wonder why... Mature in an oak cask, which I believe will mean some sort of 2nd or 3rd refill cask. The color is lighter than white wine, almost like water from a pothole. It smells grassy and spirity, some floral and weak herbal notes. Hard to detect any real odors here. Seems a bit like some Bladnoch newmake I once had. The taste is very weak, some sugary sweetness and little hint of vanilla, stewed onions and wheat beer, but not much more. One of the lightest and easiest whiskies I've ever come across. No finish at all on this.

I've had non-alcoholic beverages with more stamina than this one: 2.5


Littlemill 12yo 1984-1996 43% Signatory Vintage cask#2440,2441 btl.1000/1340

The 1985 in #1 was kind of a nice surprise, perhaps this one is as well? Let's give Signatory a chance of redemption after the dreadful 10yo. Another one probably from a good used cask. The color is once again borderline water, very pale. It smells of light sugary, white tea, peach ice tea, sweet white wine, once again very light and far from interesting. The taste is peppery, bitter, butter, white wine, mint leaves, bok choi, scallions, very light once again. The finish is short and slightly bitter-ish. Almost a copy of the #2958, but it tops it just by the smallest of margins. I'd say bottling these young Littlemills from nearly dead wood as single casks can't be good for you reputation Signatory? Well, I know there's plenty more superb SV's out there than there is inferior ones.

Another that one can find similarities of in many blend ranges: 3


Littlemill 21yo 1989-2011 51.3% The Whisky Agency

I had a full bottle of this called "crazy crocs" or something like that, there seems to be a new trend with very alternative bottling names these days. This comes from a refill sherry hogshead. The color is amber orange/light brown. It smells of butter, chili, red bell peppers, dried paprika, cinnamon, oaky, dark grapes. One cannot deny the sherry in this one. The taste is sweet, peppery, bitter, orange zest, honey, grape fruit, red wine, very good, but I will still add some water to this one as its very drying on the finish. Now it turns sweeter, oranges, honey, peppery, leather, nutmeg, custard, rich sweetness, nutty, cashew. The finish is bitter, dry licorice, peppery, cinnamon, a bit grassy, hints of distillate? I must say that even though there aren't much distillery character in this one and it doesn't strike much as a lowlander, but its still one of the best Littlemills I've ever had.

Great sherried Lowlander, I'd thought this was a first fill: 7


Littlemill 22yo 1989-2011 52.2% Liquid Sun

Another one from a refill sherry cask. Same vintage as the TWA as well. Superb! I have not tried much Liquid Sun but the ones I've had have held good standard. The color is mustard brown. It smells quite restrained, not much actually, some cinnamon, honey, raspberry jam and licorice. This is one that needs breathing time, lots of it, and possibly some water as well. Now after 15 minutes of breathing the nose have become even more "hidden", time to taste. The taste is soft, leathery, creamy, ashes, perfumy, stout, dark chocolate, coffee, bailey's cream, really a dessert malt in my opinion, one to have beside a chocolate tart.

Very good sherried Littlemill once again: 7.5


Littlemill 22yo 1989-2011 52.8% Malts of Scotland cask#2511

Another sherried Littlemill, could I be in for another treat? The color is mustard brown. I'll actually have two different sherried Littlemills from MoS now at the end of this session, lets hope they can keep up the good work even with lesser desired malts. It smells of sweet bell pepper, honey, caramel, paprika, yoghurt, rubbery, cinnamon, orange zest, creamy vanilla, starchy, another good sherried Littlemill it seems. The taste is sweet, cinnamon, orange zest, lime rind, butter, red apples, grassy, much sweeter and gentler on the palate than the former two, maybe a more tired cask. But not any less pleasant. The finish is buttery, onions, red onions, sage, buttery, very nice one.

This just lacks a bit of complexity, but a very nice dram indeed: 6


Littlemill 19yo 1990-2010 54.3% Malts of Scotland cask#915

A younger and higher strength from MoS, this time from a bourbon barrel. I'd thought the hogsheads would be bottled prior to the barrels, but that's just my opinion. The color is golden amber. Bigger cask less color? It smells of butter, fresh baked cupcakes, peat, herbal, grassy, nestles, duck liver, trans fat, frying oil, garlic, getting the sense of being in a street food joint. The taste is sweet, cinnamon, chillies, peppery, spicy, cumin, herbs d provence, oaky, zesty, unripe apples, honey, nectar, apple juice, kiwi, melon, mead, orange liqueur. This is a whisky that lets the spirit speak as much as the oak. Balanced, aren't that what they call it? The finish is peppery, sugary, blackcurrant, red wine, roasted almonds, charcoal, very good whisky. One might say that the hogsheads (I'm assuming) the prior three whiskies has been maturing in gave way to more sweet sherry notes, this one seems to be perfectly balanced.

A shame this distillery won't produce more like this: 8.5

Littlemill of older glory

New flats on what used to be the premises of Littlemill Distillery












Next tasting: Caperdonich Distillery

Historic Distilleries: Glenesk/Glen Esk(?)

Glenesk (also known as Glen Esk, Hillside, Highland Esk, North Esk and Montrose) used to be a flax-spinning mill. However, at the end of the 19th century a huge whisky bubble was growing in Scotland. Entrepreneurs were building dozens of new whisky distilleries - or converting mills and other factories to distilleries. Hillside / Glenesk was one of those distilleries. In 1897 the mill was converted into a malt whisky distillery by wine merchants Septimus Parsonage & Co. After operating for a little over a decade, the malt whisky distillery was closed during the first world war. It remained silent until 1938, after which it was turned into a grain whisky distillery and reopened by the new owners Joseph W. Hobbs and Associated Scottish Distillers Ltd. The distillery was closed in December 1985 and the distilling license was cancelled in 1992. Except for the maltings, the buildings of Hillside / Glenesk were demolished in 1996. I don't have that much information nor samples or bottles from this distillery as they're very few and far between.




Glen Esk 30yo 1971-2001 49% Old Malt cask Douglas Laing

I got full bottle of this at a rather fair price a couple of years ago, 70€, thankfully I put a 5cl aside for times like these. But I remember it as a kind of lowland-style highlander, floral and grassy. But lets try it once again. The color is golden. It smells of peppery notes, flawless, but one-dimensional, some glue and peppery notes, even though some very mild rubbery notes. The taste is sweet, camphor, mint leaves, dried apricots, also some honey and nougat, great stuff! The finish is all on hops, camphor sweetness, ginger, watermelon, clementines, peaches, sweet, minty and zesty.

Just a great whisky that really open up with some time in the glass: 7


Glen Esk 29yo 1983-2012 54.6% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#4929

From the great IB series Raw Cask. This one comes from a refill sherry butt. The color is golden amber. They've not let any of the cask sediments into this sample bottle, unfortunately, I really like those. It smells of min, vanilla, hay, gin, burnt, cinnamon, light oily notes, chili oil, sulphur. The taste is sweet, heather, creamy, peppery, wheat, cloves, butter, stewed onions, wheat beer, kinda fruity but its hard to pin down exactly what it is. I'm amazed of the quality here. The finish is on cashews, pistachios, licorice, wheat crackers and chalk.

Great Glen Esk, could this be a hidden gem in the world of list distilleries?: 9


Glen Esk 13yo 1982-1995 66.5% Cadenhead's

Crazy high strength in this one. You'd ask why they bottled it so early. Perhaps its all a matter of quality, lets hope so. The color is white wine. It smells burnt, raw onions, spirity, leather, ginger, extremely spirity, seems the alcohol is doing most of the talking here. But lets taste before we add any water. The taste is buttery, sweet, honey, malt syrup, gingerbread. It's a fin palate, but I believe it could open up with some water. Water added. Now it turns more herbal, stewed onions, caramel, buttery, vanilla, honey, white grapes, malt syrup, a great concentrated sweetness on this youngster. But its far from a light whisky, this is heavy, rich and sweet whisky. The finish is peppery, rubber, raw garlic, chillies, curry, as spicy as it gets for a finish, and longlasting.


Amazing youngster, extremely concentrated, but beyond the nose, not spirity at all: 9




Glen Esk thriving and distilling.



Whats left of Glen Esk today



Next tasting: Littlemill Distillery

Historic Distilleries: Millburn

Founded in 1807, Millburn would be some of the oldest distilleries in Scotland if distilling today. Back then it was known as Inverness Distillery. The distillery may or may not have been closed, or used as a mill between 1830 and 1876. Little historic information are available about the distillery these years. In 1876 Millburn was reconstructed and used for whisky distillation only. Andrew Haig & Co. bought the distillery in 1892 and changed its name to Millburn Distillery in 1904. Distillation continued for a few years, except of WW1, before it was damaged by fire in 1922. The then owners, Booth's Distillers Ltd, acted immediately and repaired the distillery the same year, so that it was up and running in just months. Booth's Distillers are the latest small scale group to own Millburn as they later on merged with other companies, then bought by bigger companies and in the end ended up as part of Diageo. Located by a river in Inverness, there were small possibilities of expanding the distillery. This is cited as the main reason for its closure back in 1985. Closed in the 80's were also the two other distilleries in Inverness, Glen Mhor and Glen Albyn. Today many of the buildings are destroyed and the distillery itself is a restaurant. Millburn was never bottled as a single malt by the distillery itself but by independent bottlers, so nearly all output went to blending. As you might be able to spot, have I also tasted this distillery in two sittings. I find that a bit amusing, trying the same distillery two sittings in a row. Try it one time, you might be surprised.



Millburn 16yo 1966-1982 40% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

The color on this one is brown amber. Surely one of the oldest vintages out there from Millburn. One might wonder if theres some sherried wood in the mix here, or if its tainted with some Es. It smells leather, bitter, sulphury, burnt, rich, sure there is some sherry notes here. The taste is peppery, gunpowder, dry licorice, cinnamon, salty licorice. This is quite perfect old style sherried whisky. I'm not sure wether to add water to since its perfectly archtypical sherried malt but also watered down by G&M. The finish is sweet, cinnamon, dried tomatoes, licorice, really a perfect sweet and dry wherried whisky, what happened with the CC-range since the 80's is less worth talking about. Now lets water this baby down a bit. Then it turns more cinnamon, more peppery, some hay and rotting oranges.

Millburn you say? Exactly!: 8.5


Millburn 27yo 1971-1988 40% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

Distilled about half a decade later, there'll be some 70's in this session, that's usually good news. The color is amber golden. It smells of vegetal stock, boiled carrots, herbs, boiled veggies, a very faint nose, not much more than some salt water. The taste is papery, cardboard, wheat, lemon, squash. Once again a very faint whisky thats gone in seconds, no finish at all. Once again I could add some water, but i don't think it could enhance what nearly isn't there. Let's try. Now it goes into blend mode, really no taste at all except some spirity notes and a weak minty finish.

Can't complain about any off-notes, but there aren't much notes at all: 4


Millburn 23yo 1972-1995 40% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

Lets hope 1972 was better than 1971, but lets not forget the x-factor, the casks, which probably is just as important, or maybe even more so, than the vintage. The color is golden amber, another one that's likely adjusted with some caramel. It smells of gunpowder, phenols, butter, peanuts, salty, bacon crisps, pub food, leathery, dark berries. The taste is buttery, caramel, vanilla, oranges, sour milk, basil, oregano, fish sauce. The finish is cinnamon, buttery and peppery, really classic great stuff. This is a really clean and fun whisky, but complex enough to keeps the conversation going. I won't add water to this one.

Great Millburn, a discovery malt: 7


Millburn 24yo 1974-1998 40% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphail

Another 70's Millburn, I wish I had all of these at CS, but I think as much I'd be a richer man in spirit, but economically a poorer one. The color is golden. It smells of onions, garlic, ashes, bitter herbs, wheat, really light and easy. The taste is banana, vanilla, peppery, grassy, licorice, hay. Another perfectly enjoyable Millburn, easily drinkable and enjoyable in both small and bigger portions, could probably go well with food too. But no Complexity or finish notes, just like a good blend, but that isn't the goal with bottling a 24yo single malt?

Almost similar to the 1971: 4


Millburn 34yo 1972-2006 46% G&M Rare Vintage

The 1972 was the second best of the four vintages from the "Connoisseur's Choice"-series. It turns my hopes up for this one. And its upped to 46%abv. as well. The color is golden. It smells of wheat and pepper, white wine, leather, licorice. The taste is drying, licorice, wheat, very light, even lighter than the 40%'s from same bottler. The finish is peppery, with some vanilla and banana, nutty. I gotta say this whisky is bland, and hard to get excited about, just a MOTR whisky in my opinion.

Again its just hard to criticize, this millburn, but not very interesting to taste: 4


Millburn 35yo 1969-2005 51.2% OB Rare Malts

It's fun these "OB's" in the Rare malts-series are often bottled way after the distillery ceased to exist, but then, if you've closed down a distillery why not make some PR of it. The color is golden amber. It smells of wheat, coal, onions, lemon, rubber. The taste is buttery, salty, peppery, bitter, coal, ashes, phenols, cedar wood, dried ham, salty beef, iodine, dark protein, really a great palate. The finish is on heather, bitter, peppery, rhubarb, bok choi. To me this is a great whisky of old style. I imagine many snobs(excuse my language) would have trouble with this today because of its "unclean" notes, but I love this style. Its how a whisky should be. Makes me feel a bit masochistic.

This isn't for everyone, a bit of a challenge: 7



#2
Millburn 12yo 1983-1995 43% James MacArthur's

A young Millburn, as one of the few distilleries closed in 1983 there are actually some younger whiskies still available of Millburn single malt. Only from IBs. The color on this one is wheat beer. It smells of vanilla, spirity, oregano, rubbery, wheat, very light and clean spirit once again. The taste is wheat, lemon, citrus, grapefruit, bitter. Lets add some water. Now it turns light, heather, wheat, light white wine, wheat beer, extremely light, a bit like some new-make corn spirit I once tried, and spit out again. The finish is drying, glue, oily.

Initially bittersweet and rubbery, fades out when waters added: 3


Millburn 13yo 58.8% Cadenhead's

While sitting one was dominated by Gordon & Macphail, the second is so by Cadenhead's. It's a shame there is no vintage on these miniatures with different colored bands in the middle of a black label. The color is amber. It smells of grape fruit, heather, peppery, chillies, ginger, cinnamon, burnt, raw garlic. The taste is rubbery, butter, peppery, wasabi, peppercorns, earthy, beware, this is a really hot one. Time to add some water. Water doesn't change much, this is still a rough edged whisky thats very hard to enjoy beyond the spicy notes. I imagine this would be perfect with a cube of ice, but I don't allow that in my tasting notes. The finish is minty, waxy, cinnamon, dark grapes, raspberries, rather excellent despite the harsh palate.

The palate apart it'd be a winner, but again, there's not many like this around: 7


Millburn 12yo 1983-1996 58.8% Cadenhead's

So, the 1983 JMcA wasn't quite to my liking, lets hope this one fares better. And, probably by sheer coincidence, the strength is just the same as the 13yo, which would make a vintage of that much more interesting to know. The color is amber orange. It smells of biter, peppery and spirity notes. This really raw, burns my nostrils. Time to taste it. The taste is sherried, phenolic, leather, orange zest, sulphury, rubbery, a raw monster of how a sherry cask can go wrong. Lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, caramel, cinnamon, cloves, ashes, orange zest, bitter. The finish is on licorice, burnt oak, honey, garlic, raw onions.

These young sherried Millburns are extremely complex, but maybe not that pleasant: 7


Millburn 11yo 1983-1994 59.7% Cadenhead's

This one comes from a bourbon cask so it might be a bit more easier on the palate. The color is amber orange. It smells sweet, banana peel, vanilla, minty, perfumy, lavender, rosemary, ginger. No sign of the high strength on the nose, rather pleasant. The taste is peppery, drying, bitter greens, herbal, chili, raw onions, earthy, garlic, licorice, great stuff. Now lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, some butter, honey, pistachio, peppery, port wine, dry sherry, at this point I'm thinking this just might be from a sherry cask, but they usually states that on the label at Cadenhead's, at least back then they did. The finish is long, peppery, cinnamon, dry licorice, cigars.

Great whisky, so strong, the youthful charms paired with the heavy wood notes of a 40yo: 8


Millburn 16yo 1979-1995 60.8% Signatory Vintage cask#1102 btl.308/1250

An older vintage, lets see if it differs. The color is amber orange. It smells of vanilla, orange marmalade, butterscotch, orange zest, iodine, sweet vanilla. The taste is peppery, grassy, peat, rubber, licorice, bitter herbs, lime zest, iodine, mint leaves. The finish is rich, creamy, vanilla, ashes, vanilla, great stuff. I will be the first to admit I left this one little chances, but it is a refreshing bourbon casked whisky at great strength. Time to add some water. Now it turns more sour, lemon, grapefruit. Turns oddly bitter with water, not recommended. The finish is now more yeasty and peppery.

Tasted neat it does have a certain charm even at its high strength: 5.5


Millburn 34yo 1967-2002 50% Douglas Laing Old malt Cask

Many youngsters in this second sitting, time to try an oldie then. This one comes from a sherry cask. Red copper-ish color. Its smells of barbecue sauce, port wine, malt syrup, red wine vinegar, plum pulp, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, sulphury. This one needs a lot of time to open up, let it breathe for at least half an hour. The taste is drying, cinnamon, oranges, leather, honey, great sherried style, salmi, sweet licorice, onions, tannic, red wine, superb classic sherry style. The finish is drying, peppery, licorice, spicy cinnamon, sulphury, a bit short. Old style classic sherry, dry, tannic and spicy.

Lovely: 8.5




Active Millburn Distillery



Restaurant Millburn Distillery 2011



Next tasting: Glenesk/Glen Esk Distillery

Historic Distilleries: Glen Mhor

Glen Mhor was founded in 1892 and started distilling in 1894. The distiller was situated in inverness, along with Glen Albyn and Millburn, which all have gone to sleep now. Glen Mhor was the first ever distillery to use a saladin box for the malting process. They stopped doing that in 1980 to cut costs. The distillery were not only the first to install a saladin box, but also one of the first distilleries to use steam heating for their stills. DCL took ownership of the distillery in 1979 and closed it some 14 years later as they also did with Glen Albyn Distillery. Today the distillery site is a Coop grocery store, needless to say, times have not been kind to old Glen Mhor Distillery. Glen Mhor never released any OB bottlings and made little produce altogether. I apologize for the rather leaning photo.



Glen Mhor 14yo 1978-1993 43% The Master of Malt cask#4041,4042

A youngster from some casks The Master of Malt shared with Signatory, I remember they did that with some casks where all the output went into miniatures. It smells of raw spirity notes, lemon, lime, sodium, acidic, fizzy drinks, rather unpleasant. The taste is sweet, bitter, peppery, dry white wine, grape soda, grape fruit, bitter fruitiness. As this whisky progresses on the palate it just becomes more and more hard to enjoy, more spirity and more citric as it goes along. Water changes nothing here, just becomes a tad sweeter. The finish is sweet, peaches, dried fruits and honey.

The finish is one of the few shining lights in this one: 3.5


Glen Mhor NAS 1980 43% Gordon & Macphail

Two years older vintage, but the label states nothing about how old it is, but I imagine it's not any older than 12yo. The color is golden. It smells bacon, cheddar, citric, dry white wine, oranges, peppery and spirity. The taste is peppery, vanilla, citric, acidic, lemon, grape fruit, lime, dry white wine. Not far from the #4041&.. in my opinion. But this is not very good anyhow, light and spirity. I'll add some water. Now it turns vanilla, estragon, citric, acidic, burnt notes. I does improve with water. The finish is gone with the wind from my Mac-fan, nothing at all.

Similar to any MOTR blend: 3


Glen Mhor 25yo 1970-2005 45% Campbell & Clark Ltd. cask#1164,1165,1166

Time for a real oldie then. I have no information about Campbell & Clatk Ltd. The color is brown amber, it smells of spirity, pear spirit, sour apples, rubbery, cinnamon, glue, wheat, peppery, grape fruit. The taste is cinnamon, oranges, papaya chutney, strawberries, licorice, yoghurt, curry spices, red bell peppers. The finish is medium long, on heather, honey, cinnamon and pistachio. I must add that although this whisky is both clean, soft and very sip-able, it has some old style sherried charm.

Great Glen Mhor, old sherried style: 7


Glen Mhor 28yo 1982-2010 47.2% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#1232

Unfortunately they've not managed to transfer any of the cask sediments into this 3cl sample. Low strength. From a bourbon hogshead. Blackadder bottled all casks#1231-1234 as single in the Raw Cask-series. The color is golden. It smells citric, vanilla, honey, creamy, banana peel, light and bitter. The taste is citric, acidic, sour, hops, ginger, raw onions, pickled cucumber, leather, herbal. I must admit that even at CS Glen Mhor does strike me as a bit light and boring. The finish is wheat, biscuits, drying, coal.

At this age, strength and presumably price, I'd expected a bit more: 4.5


Glen Mhor 28yo 1982-2010 56.8% Signatory Vintage cask#1328

Another bourbon cask filled in 1982, this time bottled by Signatory and at almost 10% higher strength. Lets hope that can have some more impact on the register of flavors in this one. The color is golden. It smells wheaty, peppery, black peppery, oily, onions, light, easy. seems to come from some tired wood. The taste is sweeter, honey, peppery, creamy, vanilla, by far the richest and fullest expression in this session. The finish is gingerbread, cream cheese, marzipan, peppery.

Seems Glen Mhor improves with strength: 7.5


Glen Mhor 20yo 1977-1997 59.3% Signatory Vintage cask#1552

This one comes from a series called "Silent Stills", which one would believe consisted of whisky only from closed distilleries. And back then it was, but some of those distilleries have been resurrected since then. This series, which have been discontinued are reaching extreme prices online these days. The color is golden. It smells peppery, wheat, hay, olive oil, garlic, vanilla, kinda raw and spirity, oaky. The taste is peppery and spirity, strong, licorice, restrained and spirity, I hope some water will help it open up. Water added. Now it turns just a bit more hay and porridge. The finish is spicy, licorice, camphor and vanilla.

Glen Mhor, sadly lost, never to return: 6


Glen Mhor 8yo 40% Gordon & Macphail

Flat miniature, white cask on pink backdrop printed on the label. These flat miniatures from G&M are only 4cl, not 5cl as most guys selling them online claims. Just a curiosity, but worth mentioning I think. The color is dark amber. It smells peppery, burnt, sugar, honey, gingerbread, cinnamon, drying, licorice, waxy. The taste is licorice, ginger, soy, butter, oloroso sherry, sweet red wine, honey, creamy sweetness, shallots, kiwi, I bet there's some older stock in this, as it seems much more mature than 8yo. The finish is earthy and peppery.

Like a lighter version of the "C&C" bottling, light sherried style: 5.5


Glen Mhor 8yo 57% Gordon & Macphail

Another flat square bottle from G&M, this time at 57%, or at 100 Proof, as G&M used to bottle back in the days. The color on this one is golden. It smells rich, vanilla, coffee beans, caramel, glue, honey, stewed onions, milk chocolate. The taste is peppery, syrup, honey, cinnamon, really rich, sweet, sugary, plums, thick and sweet. The finish is buttery, oregano, basil, leeks, bay leaves, banana leaves, a most herbal Glen Mhor. Adding water. Now it turns drying, wheaty, red onions, grassy.

Great young whisky, flawless, but not much complexity in this one: 5


Glen Mhor 15yo 1976-1991 60.9% James MacArthur's

Quite some vintages of Glen Mhor in this session, but none of the seems supreme, or very different from another in any sense. This seems perhaps that they had a clear steady style "house style" at Glen Mhor, which really is a fundament for any successful distillery. The color on this one is white wine. It does seem to come from a tight cask, or bigger cask, with this its strength. I'd like to speculate that this one comes from a european oak barrel of some kind, but I could be dead wrong. It smells of acorns, oaky, nutty, honey, vanilla, bourbon, hay, buttery. This seems a bit young and underdeveloped, but lets taste first, the judge. The taste is light, sweet, biscuits, white wine, drying, wheat beer, really light and easily drinkable.

A pretty standard whisky to end this variable session, but Glen Mhor will be missed!: 6

Glen Mhor when in business

Glen Mhor in 2011, behind PC World, a sad sight...













Next tasting: Millburn Distillery

Historic Distilleries: Glen Albyn

Glen Albyn was a highland distillery of much history but less appreciation. Its water being sourced from Loch Ness might have something to do with it? It was founded in 1844 and began distilling in 1846. The first Glen Albyn soon closed due to a fire in 1849, before a new one was founded in 1892, and that's the Glen Albyn I'm about to try (surprise, surprise!). It had same owners as Glen Mhor and those distilleries has since suffered much the same fate. No expenses were spared and new Glen Albyn had state of the art equipment when distillation began. And they kept the stream of whisky flowing until WWI. It started distilling again in 1920 and kept on in good manners until 1972, when it was bought by DCL. DCL wanted to make whisky in cheap manners and rushed out some of the good equipment before mothballing it in 1983. What many people don't know about Glen Albyn is that they actually peated their whisky. Along with Glen Mhor and many others the distillery has now been demolished to make room for a supermarket. Time to try these 9 Glen Albyns of which I've saved up for quite a while.



Glen Albyn 12yo 43% Master of Malt cask#2947

Not many 12yos from Glen Albyn left in the world today I think, thankfully I got the opportunity to try one for my site. I know the Master of Malt a while back rebottled some Signatories into miniatures, could this be one of those? The color is lighter than white wine, borderline water. It smells of white wine, white pepper, licorice, dry, grassy, orange zest, yellow tea, tobacco, lemon. A bit like Cardhu 12 if you ask me. The taste is apples, pears, sweet fruits, agave juice, honey, white grapes, melon, peaches, a real fruity symphony. The finish is peppery and sweet, hanging for a while, then gets pleasantly bitter.

A great everyday dram in my opinion: 7.5


Glen Albyn 22yo 1972-1994 40% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

Seems Glen Albyn can perform very well at both young age and low strength, lets try this older one from Gordon & Macphail. The color is amber orange. It smells orange zest, aubergine, agave liqueur, peat, leather, ripe pears, plums and peaches, dried fruits, kind of bland but rather flawless. The taste is sweet, peppery, slightly peaty, bitter lemon, banana, grape seeds, avocado, peppermint, pistachio, again very light and easily drinkable in huge quantities, and such it is a dangerous malt. But it is far from an interesting one. The finish is a bit dry and peppery, but very short. Typical MOTR CC-bottling from Gordon & Macphail, a good introduction malt whisky for newbies, but unlikely to be chosen for that purpose.

Light and flawless, could be used to mix drinks with: 4.5


Glen Albyn 27yo 1979-2006 53.2% Part des Anges Closed Distilleries cask#362

Part Des Anges is a fairly new independent bottler, but it seems they've already been putting out some more exclusive bottlings, especially in their "Closed Distilleries"-series. The color is deep golden. It smells of vanilla, mandarin, kiwi, exotic fruits, coconut milk, old books, attic dust, thyme. A bit like a two-dimensional nosing, at first its fruity and exotic, then old and rustic. The taste is smooth, creamy vanilla, honey, plum juice, cream liqueur, vanilla ice cream, milk chocolate, sambuca, aniseeds, a most delightful Glen Albyn. The finish is drying, sweet, buttery, vanilla, dark chocolate, roasted almonds, pesto. Superb, I'm glad I've been able to collect this many whiskies from this, in many peoples perception, little missed closed distillery.

Creamy, honeyed, fruity, not much complexity, but that's for someone else to long for: 8


Glen Albyn 27yo 1975-2002 54.8% OB Rare Malts Selection

A bottling by Diageo I think. As you see most bottlings in this series were done some years ago and I'm not sure how many casks of Glen Albyn there's around anymore. Tasting a bit of scottish history? I think I sure am. The color is golden. It smells of aniseed and spirity notes, vodka, lime peel, perfumy, a bit less enticing than the single casks. The taste is peppery, marzipan, sweet liqueur, really intense, needs a bit of water to open up? Now waters added. It now tastes sweeter, moss, grassy, earthy, spirity, burnt sugar, honey. This one is quite frankly a bit off. Not a very good whisky in any way. The finish is spirity. I think perhaps that Diageo bottled this just to fulfill a series? Who knows...

Let's hope this was a one-off for Glen Albyn: 2.5


Glen Albyn 25yo 1979-2005 56% Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare cask#3958 btl.218/238

One that I got a full bottle of after I discovered a great Glen Mhor from the same series, but as I remember it, I was perhaps a bit optimistic, but its been some years since last time I tasted this. The color is golden. It smells of peppery, nutty and spirity notes, peanut butter, salty butter, oily, sweet, vanilla, green paprika, lemonade. The taste is really sweet, honey, vanilla, spirity, sort of sulphury and spirity, what I'd imagine gasoline to taste like. Some notes of burnt plastic. This is a Glen Albyn that's really hard to follow. I was pleasantly surprised by the nose, but then it alt went pear shaped for me. I stand by my word that this is not a worthy bottling for either Duncan Taylor or Glen Albyn.

A few good sweet notes: 2


Glen Albyn 20yo 1969-1989 55% Signatory Vintage cask#483,484 btl.403/1000

This is an even earlier distillation than what I've tried so far. How was Glen Albyn in the late 60's? The color is hazy, amber orange. It smells of sweet and spirity notes, vodka, black pepper, horseradish, wasabi, a very raw and spirity one. The taste is peppery, zesty, cigar smoke, intense smoke and cigar notes, parsnip. I believe its a bit raw and due for some water. Now it turns sweeter, red onions, heather, cinnamon, oranges, milk chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, a real treat. I'm conflicted whether this could be a sherried whisky or not, but its a rich one anyway. The finish is sweet on cinnamon and cranberry.

Beautiful stuff, but water is a necessity here: 8


Glen Albyn 25yo 1964-1989 58% Signatory Vintage cask#942,943 btl.648/1200

In some aspects quite similar to the #483,484, but this is an even older distillate, one can usually only imagine what a Glen Albyn distilled almost half a century ago will taste like. So, the oldest and strongest one, what casks? The color is hazy golden. It smells of bitter sweet notes, honey, thyme, orange zest, gingerbread, gingery notes, cointreau, white wine. The taste is sweet, caramel, honey, milk chocolate, oranges. But once again its very dry and needs some water, I think. Water added. Now it tastes sweeter, more oranges, white grapes, lemon, pistachio, not a favorite I'm afraid, but a very complex, peppery highland malt. The finish is peppery, malty, red onions, coleslaw, wax, but very stale, rubbery, not a very good one, I think all in all Glen Albyn is an either hit or miss whisky.

It really lacks some depth, an one-dimensional whisky: 3.5

Glen Albyn back when the district was thriving

What once was the back of Glen Albyn Distillery, dreary...















Next tasting: Glen Mhor Distillery

Btw: Today is the annual celebration of women in Norway, congrats!

Historic Distilleries: Glenlochy Distillery

Most of what used to be Glenlochy Distillery are now demolished and there are raised vacation flats on the ground and the remaining buildings are used as offices. The distillery had a chequered history with multiple mothballings, different owners and never getting much word of mouth. In 1983, alongside a lot of other distilleries, Glenlochy went out of business and most of the buildings were destroyed in 1992. Although never missed like Brora or Port Ellen Distillery, this peppery and spicy highlander have gained a bit of a following lately. A couple of decades too late, but well deserved in my opinion. Unfortunately there are slim to none chance of a revival of this distillery. In this area of the western highlands, Fort William, there used to be 3 operating distilleries, Nevis, Ben Nevis and Glenlochy, now there's only one left. If you ever have the chance, try some Glenlochy beside some older Ben Nevis, and you'll clearly see some similarities, I guarantee! What's really sad is that all, or at least nearly all output from the distillery went into blending and it first became available as a single malt after 1983, and then both rare and expensive. One of my absolute recommendations to get a sip of before its too late! I've only got five bottlings rom this distillery, but I think it'll be enough for this, very likely to be the last time, I try more than one Glenlochy in one session, but one should never say never.



Glenlochy 17yo 1974-1991 40% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphail

The Connoisseurs Choice series is probably your most affordable option when it comes to tracking down whiskies from closed distilleries, but beware, not all the bottlings in this series are containing whisky thats representative of some of the best whisky the distillery had to offer. Some are even far from that. The color on this one is deep golden, most certainly with some E's added. It smells of oaky, spirity, battery acid, burnt sugar, little zing in this one, more like a blend gone bad so far. The taste is sweet, burnt sugar, peppery, chillies, lime zest, morning glory, thai food, chili. I'll add some water now. Now it turns more herbal and peppery, pickled cucumbers, vinegar.

One to take neat, nice young Glenlochy: 6


Glenlochy 27yo 1980-2008 53.9% Signatory Vintage cask#2823 btl.92/231

From a hogshead, presumably an ex-bourbon cask. The color is golden. It smells of spirity, peppery, vanilla, hay, smoky, grapefruit. This is just too raw and young-ish for a 27yo. It's more like a 12-14yo at CS from a tired cask. The taste is sweet, vanilla, jackfruit, coconut milk, banana, sour milk, pretty raw and young-ish still. The finish is zesty, bitter and long. Now lets add some water. And now we're really talking BITTER whisky, vinegar, lime peel, pickles, red onions, grape seeds, grapefruit, it's frankly a bit hard to enjoy if you don't wanna put it under a magnifying glass in a tasting session. Certainly not for everyone.

Like them bitter, please add water, if not, its quite alright neat as well: 4.5


Glenlochy 27yo 1980-2007 58.3% Part Des Anges Closed Distilleries cask#2826

Same age and vintage as the #2826, and not many cask between them either, but a significantly higher %abv on this one. The color is golden. It smells of honey, peppery, ginger, apple cores, oaky, wheat biscuits, mild cheeses, goat cheese, feta. The taste is sweet, drying, gingerbread, cinnamon, black pepper, salty butter, popcorn, vanilla, peanut butter, waxy, vegetable oils, brown sugar, sweet licorice. The finish is long, waxy and peppery. A splendid version which highlights the sweet and peppery style of Glenlochy.

One of the better Glenlochies I've tried: 7.5


Glenlochy 16yo 1977-1994 59% Cadenhead's

A young CS Glenlochy, how rare is that nowadays? I love these old CS Cadenhead's as they're usually very good value for money and often contains whisky from distilleries which are often hard to obtain whisky from. The color is pale yellow. No cask sediments. It smells of honey and wheat beer, soy, buttercups, daffodils, onions, raw bacon, grease, waxy. Floral and meaty style, not an usual one. The taste is very dry, peppery, leather, vinegar, but much more concentrated than the prior ones, this is bitter hardcore Glenlochy. Time for some water. Now it turns even more floral, some rosé water, acrylic paint, grassy, apple cider, really nice now.

One to add water and enjoy in small sips, it's a BIG whisky: 7


Glenlochy 32yo 1980-2012 60.1% Signatory Vintage cask#1759

From a refill butt, and butt matured whiskies do often have a very high strength when compared to the age of the spirit inside. Is it because its bigger than hogsheads, or that they're more often european oak which is a bit tighter than american? Lets just be happy there's still high strength 30-somethings out there. The color is golden. It smells of white wine, rhubarbs, sun-dried tomatoes, peppery, peaty, spirity. This quite nice, but as I've found in some of these Glenlochy's, they're kinds spirity and immature for their age. The taste is bittersweet, grape seeds, dry herbs, red onions, rhubarb, burnt oak, dark chocolate, cornflakes, smoked cheddar, buttery, red wine vinegar, salty. A good one. The finish is bitter and peppery, much like I expected, but there's something honest and charming with these longlasting peppery notes at the end of a good swallow of whisky.

A rich and complex Glenlochy, I'm sad there won't be many more: 7.5

Glenlochy before closing

Glenlochy, flats for rent in 2012














Next tasting: Glen Albyn Distillery

Historic Distilleries: Ladyburn

Ladyburn was another lowland distillery situated within a grain distillery, such as Glen Flagler, Inverleven and a couple of others. These stills, within Girvan Distillery that used to produce Ladyburn was only active for 12 years, from 1963-1975. Their main purpose was to distill single malts to be used in Grants blends. William Grant & Sons Co. owned and Girvan Distillery. There was never released any young Ladyburn, so what its reputation is based on are a few scarce OB's and indies from the 2000's and forth. The reception of these bottlings was however far from great, and the expensive prices comes foremost from a reputation of being a very rare malt, which probably is true. Some difficulties on the ownership of the name Ladyburn led to many IB's naming their Ladyburn bottlings "Rare Ayrshire", or just "Ayrshire". The Ailsa Bay Distillery which should be up and running in a couple of years are also located within Girvan Distillery, so perhaps a copycat that can make shame on those that put the distillery down so many years ago. Although I would like to think the distilling methods varies a bit from 1975 to 2013. Lets enjoy two rare whiskies from this distillery.



Rare Ayrshire 35yo 1975-2010 45.5% Signatory Vintage cask#553

The last year of Ladyburn production within Girvan. It should be pretty solid stuff after 34 years on oak. The color is amber golden. It smells honeyed, floral, peaches, dried fruits, figs, dates, nutty, coffee, barley cream, vanilla, floral. This is a surprise, a well-rounded, creamy, rich lowlander. The taste is drying, white wine vinegar, strong licorice, honey, porter, oily. Not nearly as refined as the nose suggested, time for some water. With added water it turns richer, caramel, burnt, oaky, sulphur. Looks like the oak got the best of this in the end. The finish is sugary, menthol eucalyptus, fresh.

A good whisky, but I believe the age have had a tiring effect: 4.5


Rare Ayrshire 34yo 1975-2009 46.9% Signatory Vintage cask#562 btl.78/172

This seems to have been a rather small cask to hold a whisky for such a period, lets hope its not over-oaked. I think this is a sample of one I bought right after they started showing up on the market, Ladyburns from SV. Today they are much more expensive, and as it seems, over-priced, but that may not be true for this one. The color is amber. It smells grassy, nutty, caramel, oranges, buttery, perfumy, heather. Another one that surprises me positively on the nose. The taste is peppery, grassy, licorice, mint, feints, herbal. This is weird as theres once again little or no coherence between what I find on the nose and on the palate. The finish is peppery, rubbery, spirity.

35yo, it seems much younger than that: 4


Unfortunately there's no photo's here, but a few photos of Girvan Distillery is out there. Go fetch!



Next Tasting: Glenlochy Distillery