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




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Next tasting: Glenesk/Glen Esk Distillery