Linlithgow was a lowland distillery who produced a single malt known as st.Magdalene, therefore its often referred to as either one, or even both names. It got closed back in 1983 alongside many other scottish distilleries, and there are unfortunately little chances of ever re-opening. If still open it would be one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, and operated illegally for some decades. In 1927 the distillery was revamped into the machinery that's made the whisky we find in a few whisky shops today. There used to be 5 stills operating at st. Magdalene/Linlithgow, before being reduced to 4, before closure. Which meant at their heyday they produced a significant number of liters a year compared to most other distilleries. Wether Linlithgow did triple-distill their spirit or not I've found little information about, but as most lowland distilleries did, I would guess as did Linlithgow. Since this session is dominated by two IB's, I've decided to take a break in between those two with a mixed second sitting.
St. Magdalene 23yo 1982-2006 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#2918
First starting off with no less than 6 different St Magdalene's from Douglas Laing. Seemes they've piled up on those casks, a bit like they did with Port Ellen. The color is light golden. It smells sweet, vanilla, barley sugar, honey, white wine, stewed onions, dry citric notes. The taste is citric, burnt, oaky, zesty, grape fruit, citron, lime, white grapes. The finish is bitter, raw onions, grape sode, grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange peel. This is a tight whisky, hard to get a real feeling of the palate, it's just a too concentrated. Adding some water. Now it turns more sweet fruity, kiwi, strawberries, melon, mango, pears, white tea.
A citric and intense whisky, which is mellowed by water, a two-edged sword: 6
St. Magdalene 24yo 1982-2007 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#3560
This one comes from a refill bourbon hogshead. bottled one year later. Perhaps its mellowed a bit more? The color is white wine. It smells vanilla, mint, sugar, orange liqueur, pear spirit, kiwi, big vanilla, creamy coffee and caramel notes in this one. The taste is sweet, citric, concentrated, lime, lemon, vanilla, white grapes, grape fruit, cranberries, oranges, pretty similar to #2918. The finish is more drying, peppery, gingery, red onions, dry grapes. Time to add some water. Now it turns sweeter, melon, oranges, kiwi, papaya, strawberries, mango, plums, pears. Fruity extraordinaire, and light as it gets.
Little change, score remains the same: 6
St. Magdalene 26yo 1982-2008 50% Douglas Laing Old malt Cask cask#4712
Small changes here as this one comes from a refill butt, so perhaps a bit less concentrated as this cask held about 200 more bottles than the prior two. The smaller the cask, the more concentrated the oak impact is, very often. The color is light golden. It smells melon, apple cider, cod liver, junipers, star anise, licorice, melon, cream. The taste is acidic, leather, raw onions, peppery, peaty, dry white wine, ginger. The finish is bitter, lemon, peppery, acidic, it doesn't derive much from the other DL's so far, but that just shows its a clear distillery profile. I just wish they did all of these at CS. Water added. Now it turns sweet and fruity, mango, fruity, strawberry, plums, pears and so on, sweet and fruity.
A little more change now, and just a little more to my liking: 6.5
St. Magdalene 27yo 1982-2010 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#6478
More recent bottling, lets see if holding on to these cask more time, for more profit, or more quality, hopefully both. From a bourbon hogshead. The color is golden. It smells vanilla meringue, lemon meringue, papaya, sweet bakery, heather, caramel, stewed onions, white wine vinegar, marzipan, honey, cooked pears. The taste is wheaty, peppery, intense, rich, butter, caramel, richer and more complex than the prior ones. And less concentrated on citric fruits this time. The finish is peppery, gingery, bitter. Adding water. Now it turns honeyed, mango, lentils, fruity, strawberries, bananas.
Slightly richer and more rounded whisky this time: 6.5
St. Magdalene 28yo 1982-2010 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#6810
Comes to mind now, all these bottlings was distilled in 1982, so even if Douglas Laing have chosen to keep them a couple thousand cask numbers apart, they could very well be sister casks when they spent their first years at the distillery warehouses. The color is light golden. It smells caramel, licorice, onions, honey, burnt sugar, roasted chestnuts, orange zest, cilantro, asparagus, some light green notes. The taste is onions, leather, earthy, butter, vanilla, camphor, ginger. The finish is cinnamon, sweet pineapples, white grapes, watermelon, melons, vanilla.
Great stuff, really one of the finer lowland expressions I've had: 9
St. Magdalene 26yo 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask
Another one of those miniatures with no cask reference. But I wouldn't be surprised if this is another 1982. The color is golden. It smells cinnamon, sweet, phenolic, orange zest, sweet licorice, burnt sugar, wheat beer, hops, caramel, stewed onions, vanilla, rubbery. Great oak!?! The taste is rich, strawberries, cinnamon, grapefruit, honey, lemons, vanilla, buttery, stewed onions, stout, chili, sweet spices. I won't add water to this as my instinct tells me this is a whisky which needs to be this concentrated on the flavors it has. The finish is peppery, vanilla, licorice and cinnamon, hay and leather.
Superb! The last two whiskies in this first sittings shows what Linlithgow was capable of IMO: 9.5
#2
St. Magdalene 18yo 1981-1999 40% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice
Starting with the first Linlithgow distilled before 1982, how refreshing! Bu then its watered down to 40%abv, rarely a good sign, but I could be wrong here. The color is golden, right, E150. It smells buttery, brioche, fat cream cheese, brie, heather, chives, floral, rose water, green peppers, grassy, olive oil, pickled olives, pickled cucumber, well done! This is authentic lowland style. The taste is sweet, floral, rubbery, ginger, shoe polish, burnt rubber, tonic water, bitter, grassy, apple core, sour grapes, a lot of green herbal notes thats not too pleasant. The finish is grassy, herbal, a bit like chewing flowers, as I remember from childhood tasting experiments. Time to add some water. Now it turns more grassy, rose water, herbal liqueur, green tea, boiled onions.
Drink this neat, it has a great lowland character: 5.5
St. Magdalene 34yo 1975-2009 43% Gordon & Macphail Rare Old
Time for a real oldie, this one comes from a refill sherry hoghshead. I don't think G&M bottles the "Rare Old" series anymore, just like the "Macphail's Collection", but I remember they had some real good Rare Olds. The color is amber. It smells licorice, honey, mustard, rich, cinnamon, certainly an active old refill cask. The taste is rich, creamy, ripe cherry tomatoes, red grapes honey, ginger, sweet licorice, butterscotch, cinnamon. The finish is cinnamon, oaky, dust, dairy cream, leather, hay, grassy, sweet onions, star anise, pumpkin seeds. Well, lets add some water now. Water makes this one fall flat, more dry licorice and spirity notes appears. Remember, most older bottlings does well with water, because they are bottled at cask strength. Water helps it open up. But this whisky was opened up by, probably quite some water prior to bottling, therefore it might be hard to get something from adding more of it.
A good whisky that surely could've done wonders at CS: 6
Linlithgow 28yo 1982-2011 46% The Ultimate... Rare Reserve cask#11
This one comes from a wine treated butt. Murray McDavid did made that almost a trademark some years back. I've not had too many shining moments with that sort of oak. But then again, this one is much older than most malts from wine-invigorated casks bottled these days. The color is pale golden. It smells drying, tannins, wheat, bitter, grassy, lemon, lime, raw onions, cotton. The taste is sweet, bitter, white wine, lime rind, waxy, great stuff. The finish is drying, minty, lime, white wine, rich and fun. I'm starting to think they added some white wine to rejuvenate this butt, and if so, it sure was no bad alternative. Lets add some water now. With water added it turns more bitter, and quite plane.
A wine-treatment that actually works, not too many of those around: 6
Linlithgow 30yo 1973-2004 59.6% OB
So, the oldest whisky in this session is a post-mortem OB. I guess they've had every best chance to choose a perfect combination of casks for this release. The color is amber. It smells of honey, vanilla, orangey, buttery, leather, oaky, powerful, gingery, waxy, nail polish remover, oil based paint. The taste is peppery, intense, waxy, peaty, leather, citric, lime, lemon rind, peppery. This one needs a drop of water to open up. Now it turns sweeter, oranges, papaya, honey, bitter, lime, dried sage, hops, yeasty, flinty! Wow, it really seems Linlithgow produced a stronger palate back in the the early 70's. But then, this is the first CS in this session. The finish (with added water) is, green apples, grapefruit, lime, peppery.
I's a well-mannered monster, with these bitter citric notes I've come to enjoy: 7
St. Magdalene 25yo 1982-2007 63.4% Silver Seal cask#789
The 7th 1982 in this session, but the first CS of that vintage. And what a strength after a quarter of a century in an oak cask. The color on this one is golden. It smells peppery, citrus, lime, citron, grape fruit, seems pretty restrained, and I can already at this point suggest that water will be needed in this one. The taste at 63.4%abv is sweet, peppery, citric, oranges, kiwis, mangos, papayas, sweet citric fruits. Hold the water, wait, no fire? Yes, this is rather light and delicate despite its strength. The finish is peppery, cinnamon, vanilla, sugary. No water needed, but just for fun lets add some and see what happens. Now it turns much more grassy and peppery, peaty, numbs my tongue, it surely opened up, but was it an improvement? A bit like if they made Laphroaig in the lowlands, maybe, I don't know, this is a monster!
Dangerously drinkable when neat, add water and it'll numb your palate for hours: 7
#3
St. Magdalene 24yo 1975-2000 41.6% Cadenhead's
From a leaking cask? Certainly another strength than the #789. The color is amber. It smells fresh, thyme, sage, grassy, lavender, caramel, cinnamon, coriander, basil leaves, honey, beautiful sweet herbal style. The taste is salty, herbal and salty, fried mushrooms, crisps, barbecue, oily, heather, soy, leather, really pungent despite its young age, but whats most alluring are these great salty notes. The finish is peppery, light, malty, white pepper. Lets add water. Now it becomes more grassy, moss, engine oil, no water here please.
Reminds me of some 50+% older sherried Bunnahabhains: 8
St. Magdalene 25yo 1964-1989 44.2% Cadenhead's
Even older St. Magdalene, but also at low strength for a CS its age. But if the 1975 from same bottler was anything to judge by, this should be a winner as well. The color is amber orange. It smells peaty, peppery, chopped onions, vanilla, herbal, citric, acidic, flinty. To be fair its hardly a complex nose, but the clean peaty character is interesting and unusual enough to make this a must-have dram. The taste is caramel, peppery, peaty, honey, quite extreme peatiness, seriously, if blind-tasted I'd thought this might be a Caol Ila. Did they ever use peat at Linlithgow? After a while it becomes more peppery, iodine, raw garlic, I swear I've had less peaty Laphroaigs than this. The finish is peaty, peppery, heather, cinnamon, oranges, buttery. I just won't add water to such peaty whiskies.
Fantastic, a lowland peat-bomb: 9
Linlithgow NAS 48% The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
I'd sure like the bottler to put a bit more information on this bottle, but I guess the less hooks to put a whisky on, the more openly one can enjoy it. The color is white wine. It smells grassy, green leaves, thyme, herbal, basil leaves, oregano, leathery, perfumy, quite refreshing. This is more what I'd presume to find in a lowlander, but not necessarily better though. Remember, its usually the ones that stand out that puts me into love or hate mode. The taste is green leaves, herbal, perfumy, oily, honey, peppery, licorice, vanilla, spirity. A peculiar one. The taste is peppery, citric, bitter, lemons, grapefruit, unripe oranges, reminds me of some of the 1982s. Lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, syrup, sugary, lemon, grapefruit, citric. The finish is lemonade and grassy notes.
I'd say it has a classic lowland profile: 6
Linlithgow 25yo 58.8% The Single Malts of Scotland
My guess is that this is another one distilled in the early 1980's. I can't find much more information on this one. The color is golden. It smells honeyed, perfumy, feta cheese, caramel, dried fruits, agave tequila, peppery, grassy, dried herbs, spearmint, gasoline, indian pale ale, hops, yeasty. The taste is honey, smoked salmon, oysters, cherry wine, rhubarb, red wine vinegar, strawberries, red berries liqueur, almonds, marzipan. The finish is sweet and dry, licorice, cardamum, parsley, quite liqueur-ish, Dirty Harry? Water will not help here, don't add.
The initial sweet coastal notes are most pleasant: 9
St. Magdalene 10yo 1982-1993 62.3% Cadenhead's
Ahhh, back at the vintage of 1982, but its certainly different with this crazy strength and young age. The color is apple juice/darker white wine. It smells grassy, herbal, intense, dry white wine, peppery, gingery, spirity, vanilla, banana, creamy. Mostly its herbal, but with added time it turns really nice and sweet, fennels and bourbon notes. The taste is waxy, gingery, creamy, black pepper, green chillies, vanilla, apple cider. Rich, fruity and waxy, it doesn't get much better than this at this age. The finish is bittersweet, granulate, cherries, honey, quite superb. Lets add some water. Now it turns more sour, grape fruit, ketchup, nutty, fish sauce. It's a completely different whisky now and I really should've had enough for 2 tastings, one with and one without water. Nothing is classic lowland here when water is added.
As a 10yo this surely makes my top three list: 8.5
St. Magdalene 11yo 1982-1994 62.6% Cadenhead's
How could we stop with those 1982's after the last one? Let's have another even stronger one. It's always a sign of initially good output if an IB bottles the same vintage two years in a row. But why aren't there any 1982's bottled in 1995 from Cadenhead's? Yeah, that was a bit farfetched.. The color is pale golden. It smells very spirity and oaky, some leather, cigar smoke, ashes, raw, spirity, as pungent and powerful as it gets, this is rocket fuel! The taste is vanilla, peppery, chillies, grapefruit, moonshine, really strong and bitter. The finish is drying, vinegar, apple cider and spirity. This really is a hate it/love it whisky. No one should try this unless they want what most other men can't handle. To me it seems pretty decent, adding enough time and water it actually gets kinda minty, eucalyptus, grassy, honey, ginger, olives, strawberries.
Hard one indeed It'd grown to a beautiful 20-someting, but for now its just a bit too spirity: 5
Linlithgow/St. Magdalene then
Linlithgow/St. Magdalene now
Next tasting: Banff Distillery
Ingen kommentarer:
Legg inn en kommentar