This Speyside distillery was mothballed in 2002 but reopened again in 2005.
Click HERE for more information about Allt A' Bhainne.
 
 

 
Operational: 1863 - 1983
Region: Speyside
Neighbours: Glenglassaugh, Glen Deveron
Address: Inverboyndie, Banff, Banffshire, AB45 2JJ.
Last known owner: Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. (DCL / UDV/Diageo)

The first (Speyside) distillery by the name of Banff was built in 1824.
In 1863 James Simpson jr. built a new distillery on the same spot to
replace the old one, but after a fire it had to be rebuilt again in 1877.
In WWII fate farted in the face of the distillery again when it was
damaged by a bomb. It was finally closed and demolished in 1983,
apart from the last remaining warehouses that were demolished
after yet another fire that plagued Banff on April 11, 1991.
Read Ulf Buxrud's distillery profile for more information.

Banff 24yo 1977/2002 (50%, Silver Seal, Distilled 12/1977, Bottled 01/2002) - 87 points
Nose: Rubber. Bittersweet like orange zest, growing sweeter. A tad coastal. Organics. Maggi. Ginger.
Taste: Sweet. Liquorice. Fruity. Lovely tannins. Again, this one makes a slightly 'coastal' impression.
Great mouth feel, but there's a slight drop-off towards the finish, keeping it from a score in the 90's.

Banff 34yo 1966/2001 (50.1%, Signatory Silent Stills, Butt #3437) - 85 points
Nose: Lovely sherry - but not much else. This is right up my alley, but it lacks some 'width'.
Taste: Smoke & sherry. Dry tannins. Marmelade. Quite extreme. Maybe too extreme for some.

Banff 36yo 1966/2003 (50.2%, Jack Wiebers Premier Malts, Cask #3440) - 89 points
Nose: Sweet and sherried. Big and rich. Organics, cedar wood and smoke. A classic sherry monster.
Taste: Big, sweet and sherried as well. Some sulphur, but it works here. A super sherry monster.

(Check out my Track Record for more tasting notes for Banff.)
 
 

 
This Speyside distillery was closed in 2001 but reopened again in 2004.
Click HERE for more information about Benriach...
 
 

 
Bottlings of this distillery are so rare that I honestly can't be bothered to check it out.
Things aren't helped by the fact that there were actually two different Ben Wyvis distilleries.
The first one, also known as 'Ferintosh' was built in 1879 and closed in 1926. AFAIK, Invergordon was never involved here.
Then, in 1965, the Invergordon distillery (located in the same area) built an all new 'Ben Wyvis' distillery next to their own complex. This distillery has been silent since 1977 and is now dismantled.
 
 

 
Operational: 1974 - 2002
Region: Speyside
Neighbours: Knockandhu, Tomintoul
Address: Chapeltown, Ballindalloch, Banffshire AB37 9JS
Last known owner: Pernod-Ricard S.A.

One of the youngest distilleries in Scotland, Braeval / Braes of Glenlivet
was built in 1973/'74 by Chivas. It's located in the far south of Speyside,
upstream from Tamnavulin and (The) Glenlivet. In 1975 two stills were
added to the existing three and one more in 1978. Pernod Ricard bought
the distillery in 2001 and promptly closed it in 2002. Out of the the four
distilleries that were closed, I regret the closure of this one the most.
Read Michel van Meersbergen's distillery profile for more information.

Braes of Glenlivet 12yo 1989/2001 (62.1%, Cadenhead's Authentic, 294 Btl.) - 88 points
Nose: Rich & expressive. Horse sweat. Organics. Oriental spices. Smoked ham. Liquorice. Fruit sweets.
Taste: Fruity & smoky at C/S. Sweet. Quite hot in the centre. Great structure. Woodier with water.

Braes of Glenlivet 15yo (43%, Kirsch Import, 95/723, Bottle #328 of 690) - 79 points
Nose: Faintly sherried, becoming stronger. Cookies? Nice. Rounder & sweeter with time. Low profile.
Taste: Harsh start. Dusty, brightening up. Liquorice root? Sherry. Decent burn; quite dry. Sandy. Bitter finish.

Braes of Glenlivet 17yo 1979/1997 (58.1%, Signatory, C#6082, Bottle #308 of 370) - 88 points
Nose: A deep and powerful sherry symphony. Autumn forest notes. Amazing complexity. Oriental notes.
Taste: Very sherried burn, peppermint. Good wood. Marzipan in the finish - woody and dry with water.

(Check out my Track Record for more tasting notes for Breavel.)
 
 

 
Operational: 1968/1969-1983
Region: Northern Highlands
Neighbours: Clynelish
Address: Brora, Sutherland, KW9 6LR
Owner: Diageo

The story of Brora (or 'Old Clynelish') is a strange one.
Brora / Clynelish is located along the east coast of the nothern Highlands.
Founded in 1819 by the Marquis of Stafford, Clynelish distillery was managed
by many different licensees and owners until the Clynelish Distillery Co. Ltd.
acquired it in 1912. In 1925 it was sold to DCL, after which the distillery was
silent from 1931 to 1939. The name of the existing 'Clynelish' distillery was
changed to 'Brora' when a new Clynelish distillery opened just accross the road
in 1969. Between 1969 and the closure in May 1983 the old distillery produced some
more heavily peated whisky that has earned itself a solid reputation among malt afficionado's.
Clynelish is still active. Both distilleries are now owned by UDV / Diageo. But that's just the story 'in a nutshell'...
Check out Serge's 'silent distillery profile' in Malt Maniacs #17 or his impressive Brora Barnum for much more juicy details!

Brora 24yo 1977/2001 (56.1%, UDRM, bottled October 2001, bottle #1599) - 87 points
Nose: Fruity & peaty - an unusual combination. Smoke and resin. Dry Lapsang Souchon tea.
Taste: Dry and peaty start with a pinch of salt. Liquorice. Leather. No disturbing sherry notes.

Brora 28yo 1971/1999 (50%, Douglas Laing OMC, 283 bottles) - 88 points
Nose: Ah! Many of my favourite elements; salt, leather and a hint of seaweed. Sushi? No smoke.
Taste: clean and clear; brine and bourbon with fruits in the background. Pleasant dryness.

Brora 29yo 1972/2002 (59.5%, Douglas Laing Platinum Edition, 2nd batch, 240 bottles) - 93 points
Nose: Soft peat. Wet dog. Tar, Salt. Peat grows stronger. Horse stable. Ammoniac. Soda? Faint fruits.
Taste: Salt and peat, pure and clean. Sorry, no further notes.

(Check out my Track Record for more tasting notes for Brora.)
 
 

 
Operational: 1898-2002 (but silent from 1902 to 1965)
Region: Speyside
Neighbors: Glen Grant
Address: Rothes, Morayshire, AB38 7BS
Last Owner: As of December 2001, Chivas Bros / Pernod Ricard.

This Speyside distillery was built as 'Glen Grant Number Two' in
1898 by J. & J. Grant, who also built the 'original' Glen Grant distillery
(conveniently located just accross the street in Rothes) in 1840.
Other neigbours include Glenrothes, Glen Spey and Speyburn.
The Caperdonisch distillery closed again after just four years in 1902.
Caperdonich was rebuilt in 1965 by Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd. and in
1967 the number of stills was expanded from two to four. Seagram
acquired Caperdonich in 1977 and sold it to Pernod Ricard in 2001.
Pernod Ricard closed the distillery in 2002, together with its 'sister'
distilleries Alt A' Bhainne, Braeval (Braes of Glenlivet) and Benriach .
Check out Lawrence Graham's distillery profile for more information.

Caperdonich 16yo 1972/1988 (40%, Signatory Vintage, C#7130-7132) - 88 points
Nose: Wow!!! Lots of organics, beautifully combined with sherry. Then fruits. Unoffensive perfume.
Taste: Hmmmm... Not bad, but a little watery. Smoke, growing stronger. Something perfumy too.

Caperdonich 1980/1998 (40%, G&M Connoisseur's Choice, 70cl) - 75 points
Nose: Light, fruity & smooth. Early fruits (Apple?) evolving into older fruits. Faint hint of peat and smoke.
Taste: Quite rough on the tongue at first. Wood. The finish develops into a long sweety/salty burn.

Caperdonich 24yo 1977/2002 (57.3%, Cadenhead's Authentic, 666 Bottles) - 86 points
Nose: Very sherried. Rich and round. Lots of character with spicy episodes.
Taste: fruity and chewy; big with a hint of smoke.

(Check out my Track Record for more tasting notes for Caperdonich.)
 
 

 
Operational: 1897 - 1985
Region: Speyside (Lossie)
Neighbours: Glen Elgin
Address: Longmorn by Elgin, Morayshire, IV38 8 GN
Last Owner: J & G Stewart, Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd.
(a subsidiary to DCL, later UDV/Diageo)

Coleburn is another Speyside distillery that didn't survive
the 1980's. Located between the Glen Elgin and Speyburn
distilleries, Coleburn was founded in 1896 by John Robertson
& Sons. They decided to sell it to the Clynelish Distillery Co
Ltd. in 1916, who in turn transferred it to DCL (one of their
co-owners) in 1925.

There were some more changes in ownership until Coleburn
was finally closed by DCL in 1985. One year later DCL became
part of United Distillers. The license was cancelled in 1992,
which means Coleburn will probably remain silent forever.
When I write this (december 2005) I've only sampled two
different expressions of Coleburn, so I have little comments.
Check out Thomas Lipka's distillery profile for more details.

Coleburn 30yo 1970/2000 (57%, Signatory Vintage, 13/1/70, 7/9/02, C#100, 302 Bottles) - 75 points
Nose: Fairly neutral with a hint of smoke. This is far too subtle for my tastes - it's almost like a blend.
Taste: Very light and sweet on the palate, despite the high proof. Not a lot of personality, it seems.

Coleburn 17yo 1965 (40%, G&M Connoisseur's Choice Old Brown Label) - 82 points
Nose: Malty, rich and sweet. Quite a bit more expressive than most CC's. Something nutty? A nice one.
Taste: Smooth and slick. Subtle fruitiness on the palate. Gooseberry? Great body, despite being 'just' 40%.

Coleburn 19yo 1981/2001 (46%, Signatory Unchillfiltered, Sherry butt, D. 22/10/81, B. 17/5/01) - 84 points
Nose: Wow! Very expressive. A fruity surface with something evil lurking in the deep. Drops off with time.
Taste: Not quite as endearing as the nose at first, but it develops. Fermenting fruits. Antique twist in the finish.
Score: 84 points - I actually had it at 85/86 at first, but it can't quite sustain itself at that level.

(Check out my Track Record for more tasting notes for Coleburn.)
 
 

 
Operational: 1893 - 1985
Region: Speyside (Dufftown)
Neighbours: Balvenie, Dufftown, Glendullan, Glenfiddich, Mortlach.
Address: Unknown
Last Owner: DCL/SMD/Diageo)

The Convalmore distillery lies in the heart of Speyside, between Glenfiddich
and Craigellachie. It was founded in 1893 or 1894 by the Convalmore-Glenlivet
Distillery Co Ltd. and changed hands in 1905 or 1906. The new owners, James
Buchanan & Co Ltd. had to rebuild the distillery after a fire in 1909. It seems
they were feeling adventurous, because they experimented with continuous
distillation of malt spirit. The special column still was removed again in 1915.
As far as I know, Convalmore operated up until its closure in 1985.

Ownership of the site transferred from United Distillers to Wm. Grant & Sons in 1990, but there's no news on any concrete plans for reopening the distillery. Based on my fairly limited research so far that's a shame... You can read a little bit more about Convalmore in the silent distillery profile that Luc Timmermans wrote for Malt Maniacs #17.

Convalmore 15yo 1983 (43%, Chieftain's Choice, 70cl) - 80 points
Nose: Full & balanced. Sweet. Fruity start. Chemical coconut. Slightly sherried complexity with malty undertones.
Taste: Soft start; fruity sweetness. Sherry. Toffee. Very smooth, but drier and a little 'winey' in the finish.

Convalmore 16yo 1981/1997 (43%, Ultimate, Oak casks #89/604/107, Bottle #89, 70cl) - 75 points
Nose: Transparant. Citrus & apple. Subtle sweetness beneath the surface. Very 'fishy' after fifteen minutes.
Taste: Dusty start. Very sherried & winey in the center; strong fruity episodes. Woody, slightly bitter finish.

Convalmore-Glenlivet 26yo 1977/2003 (46%, Candenhead's, Sherry) - 85 points
Nose: Sweet & creamy. Something grainy. Paint thinner. Hint of smoke. Developing spices and organics.
Taste: Subtle fruits, growing stronger. Gooseberries? Orange skins? Cointreau? Interesting profile.

(Check out my Track Record for more tasting notes for Convalmore.)
 
 

 
Operational: 1899-1983 (Silent from 1929-36 & from 1939-47)
Region: Speyside (Findhorn)
Neigbours: Benromach, Glenburgie, Glencraig
Address: Mannachie Road, Forres, Morayshire, IV36 2RR
Last Owner: Scottish Malt Distillers (subsidiary of the DCL)

Dallas Dhu was built as 'Dallasmore' in 1898 by Alexander Edward.
The distillery (the original name 'Dai leas dubh' translates as 'black
water valley') is located in the far west of Speyside, near Forres.
Some accounts list the Gaelic name of Dallas Dhu as 'Dalais Dubh'.
It was one of the distilleries designed by architect Charles Doig.
Benromach is the closest neighbour of Dallas Dhu.

The distillery changed hands a few times until it was finally closed
in 1983 under the ownership of DCL. Warehousing continued on the
premises the license was cancelled in 1992. Even though Dallas Dhu
doesn't operate anymore, it was reopened to the public in 1988 as
a non working distillery museum by Historic Scotland.

You can find some more background information about Dallas Dhu and its history in the silent distillery profile that Lawrence Graham submitted for Malt Maniacs #17. Below are my tasting notes on three of the expressions of dallas Dhu I've tried so far.

Dallas Dhu 10yo (40%, Gordon & MacPhail bottling) - 79 points
Nose: Smoke & citrus. Sweet & sour apples! Some sherry. Rich. Lovely chocolate & rum sweetness. Rhubarb?
Taste: Apples. Soft & smooth, sweeter with sherry & malt later on. Toffee & chocolate? Menthol? Long, dry finish.

Dallas Dhu 21yo 1975/1997 (61.9%, UDRM, Bottled April 1997) - 81 points
Nose: Quite feisty with coastal overtones. Sorry, no more details.
Taste: Solid and malty on the palate with a faint hint of smoke.

Dallas Dhu 22yo 1978/2000 (50%, OMC, Sherry, 408 Bottles, July 1981 / July 2003) - 83 points
Nose: Mildly sherried. Opens up with time but it never becomes very 'big'.
Taste: Quite serious. A combination of bitter and sweet that's 'caramely'.

(Check out my Track Record for more tasting notes for Dallas Dhu.)
 
 

 
Operational: 1846 - 1852 / Rebuilt 1884 - 1983. Demolished 1986
Region: Speyside (Inverness)
Neighbours: Glen Mohr / Millburn
Address: Great North Road, Inverness, IV3 5LU (B&Q Store)
Ownership: DCL / UDV-Diageo

The Glen Albyn distillery was located west of Inverness, making it a Northen
Highlander by most accounts. However, Michael Jackson seems to feel that
Glen Albyn is a Speyside distillery. That's a bit strange, because he classifies
Glen Ord (located just a drunken crawl to the north) as a Northern Higlander.

Glen Albyn was founded in 1844 by James Sutherland, a Mayor of Inverness.
Rumour has it that James ran into financial problems about a decade later; the
distillery was silent for a while before it was converted into a flour mill.

Glen Albyn was rebuilt and re-established by Grigor & Co in 1884. Between 1917 and 1919 the distillery was closed and used as a US Naval base. Mackinlays & Birnie (who already owned the nearby Glen Mhor distillery) bought Glen Albyn in 1920 and ran it until they were gobbled up themselves by DCL in 1972. Glen Albyn was closed in 1983 and (together with Glen Mhor) demolished in 1988 to make way for a shopping complex. That's the sory in a nutshell, but you can find much more information in the silent distillery profile that Michel van Meersbergen wrote for Malt Maniacs #18. Here are my tasting notes for three expressions;

Glen Albyn 10yo (40%, Noord's Wijnhandel, probably fake) - 60 points
Nose: Very light. Flat, grainy and slightly oily. Grassy. Over time it becomes a little nuttier. Hint of peat?
Taste: Sweet start, growing dustier and grittier. Slightly oily. Flat. Dry and grainy. Mwaah...

Glen Albyn 22yo 1977/1999 (43%, Signatory Vintage, Cask #1952) - 76 points
Nose: Sweet, flowery & spicy at first. Then grainier and organic elements. Apple. Coastal traits take over.
Taste: Dry. Light start, growing maltier and more powerful. Liquorice. Quite gritty. Woody finish. Tired cask?

Glen Albyn 25yo 1979/2005 (56%, DT Rarest of the Rare, C#3958) - 58 points
Nose: Fresh. Hint of lemon. Sweet. Sunlight soap. It may be very rare, but it's not too expressive...
Taste: Peculiar. Very herbal. Sweet. Weird fruits. Pine. An aspirin astringency in the finish that pulls is down.

(Check out my Track Record for more tasting notes for Glen Albyn.)
 
 

 
This Eastern Highlands distillery was mothballed by 2000 but reopened again in 2003.
A full distillery profile will be added to the profiles section shortly.
 
 

 
This distillery wasn't really a 'distillery' in the obvious sense of the word.
Glencraig (a.k.a. Glen Craig) was the name given to the malt that was produced by a set of 'Lomond' stills within the Glenburgie distillery between 1956 and 1981. That distillery is still active, but the Lomond stills were removed in the early 1980's.
When I write this (december 2005) I've sampled only two versions of Glencraig.

Glencraig 1968 (40%, G&M Conn. Choice, Old Map, 5cl, Bottled +/- 1985) - 50 points
Nose: Lemon in the nose, not much else I could pick up. (I sampled this one at the beach on Islay)
Taste: Bitter and flat on the palate. Really not many things that stand out about this malt, I'd say.

Glencraig 22yo 1981/2003 (57.5%, Cadenhead's, Bourbon Hogshead, 216 Bottles) - 79 points
Nose: Sweet. Furniture polish. Organics. Spicy. Sweaty. Whiffs of fudge? Good stuff! A nasal adventure.
Taste: Hmmm... No sweetness whatsoever. Grains. Uneven mouth feel. Fragmented. Very bitter in the finish.
 
 

 
Glen Flagler was a young Lowland distillery that never got the chance to grow up.
Built in 1965 by Inver House Distillers within the Moffat grain distillery complex, it was located closer to England than any other Scottish distillery. The complex had three sets of two stills, each producing their own whiskies - two malt whiskies (Glen Flagler and Killyloch) and a grain whisky (Garnheath). Killyloch ceased production in the early 1970's, Glen Flagler and Garnheath followed a decade later. When I write this (december 2005) I haven't sampled any malt whiskies from these distilleries yet.
 
 

 
Glenglassaugh is a 'coastal' distillery, located on the north coast of Speyside near Banff and Glen Deveron.
The rivers Spey and Deveron flow into the North Sea nearby. Glenglassaugh was founded in 1875. It fell silent from 1907 to 1931 and operated again until 1959. Glenglassaugh was completely rebuilt in 1960 but then it was mothballed again in November 1986. The current owners have no plans for reviving the distillery.

Glenglassaugh 1986/1998 (40%, MacPhail's Collection, 70cl) - 80 points
Nose: White wine? String beans. Chicory. Dust. Sweeter & sherried with time. Rum filled chocolate. Shoe polish.
Taste: Soft & smooth start. Sweeter and fruitier with time. Menthol? Flat, bitter centre. Woody and winey.

Glenglassaugh 1973 (40%, Family Silver, Bottled +/- 1999, 70cl) - 86 points
Nose: Distinguished. Sherried, fruity & sweet. Slightly herbal. Spicy. Butter? A whiff of smoke. Lemon drops!
Taste: Ooof... Sherry & smoke. Soft & sweet. The finish lingers on and on and on. Like Glendronach 15yo.

Glenglassaugh 31yo 1967/1998 (55.8%, Silent Stills, D 6/67, B 6/98, Cask #2893, 217 Bottles) - 83 points
Nose: Grainy & a little sour. Slightly creamy. Rhubarb? Gooseberries? Medicinal with time. Hint of menthol? Maggi?
Taste: Very odd. No real body. Something smoky? Pine? Something 'historical'.
 
 

 
Glen Keith was built in 1957-1960 on the site of a corn mill by Chivas Brothers, who also owned the existing Strathisla distillery nearby. It was one of the first new malt distilleries in Scotland since the late-Victorian whisky boom. Glen Keith (a.k.a. Glenkeith) originally had three stills; the distillery was designed for triple distillation - very unusual for a Speyside distillery. The number of stills was increased to 5 in 1970 when they switched to double distillation. The new stills were a novelty; they were the first gas-fired still in Scotland. The distillery was mothballed in 1999 and sold to Pernod Ricard in 2001.

Glen Keith 1983 (43%, OB, Bottled +/- 1994, 70cl) - 74 points
Nose: Restrained; slightly sweet & oily at first. After some breathing: wood, ginger and whiffs of citrus.
Taste: Very nice. Simple, sweet start grows more malty after a while. Ends in a dry and bitter finish.

Glen Keith 10yo (40%, OB, sample) - 70 points
Nose: Quite grainy. Oily. Sweetish with something citrussy. Ginger? Woody; raw pine rather than polished oak.
Taste: Fairly weak. Sweet and toffeeish at first. Malty. Some fruits. Flat centre. Needs a higher proof?

Glen Keith-Glenlivet 22yo 1973/1995 (57.1%, Cadenhead's, Distilled 04/1973, Bottled 10/1995) - 79 points
Nose: Deep & complex. Organics, Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte. Sweetens out. Tea leaves? Smoke? Spicy punch.
Taste: Surprisingly light fruitiness. Honeyish. Drinkable at C/S. Breaks up with some water but bounces back.
 
 

 
The Glenlochy distillery was founded in 1898 by the Glenlochy-Fort William Distillery Co.
It gets it name from the Lochy river that flows through the town of Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis mountain. Glenlochy was silent from 1919 to 1924 and from 1926 to 1937, while the distillery changed hands a few times. Ownership transferred to DCL /SMD in 1953 but they didn't manage to turn it into a winner. Glenlochy was closed in 1983; the buildings are now used as offices.

Glenlochy 24yo 1980 (58.6%, SMWS, 6.211) - 80 points
Nose: 'Serious', but not very expressive. Apple pie. It improved with some time and water.
Taste: Feels good on the palate, although just like the nose it's not very complex or expressive.

Glenlochy 27yo 1974/2002 (53.3%, Signatory Vintage, 29/11/1974, 11/11/2002, C#4459) - 87 points
Nose: Sweet and polished with some sherry - but not too much. They have got the balance just right.
It was just delightful on my tongue; sweet and creamy. Lovely stuff! A highly recommendable dram.

Glenlochy 49yo 1952/2001 (43%, DL Old Malt Cask, Bourbon Refill) - 88 points
Nose: Wood & tobacco. Heavy fruits. You can smell the time. Maggi! Pipe smoke? Crayons? Clay? Pine? Sorrel?
Taste: Oy... A tad perfumy in the start. Mellow fruity centre. Salt. Bubblegum. Something faintly metallic.
 
 

 
The history of Glen Mhor is closely linked to that of the nearby Glen Albyn distillery, also located in Inverness.
It was founded in 1892 by Mackinlay & Birnie; the first whisky was produced in december 1894. Glen Mhor was acquired by the DCL in 1972 and licensed to SMD, together with Glen Albyn. Glen Mhor was closed in 1983 and demolished in 1988. The third distillery in Inverness, Millburn, was closed in the 1980's as well.

Glen Mhor 12yo (40%, G&M, bottled early 1990's, 70cl) - 76 points
Nose: Rich and malty, then fruitier. Spices? A distant hint of rancid butter? Not very 'pronounced'.
Taste: Smooth & a little bittler in the start. Malty, sweeter center. Long, hot finish. Not a lot of individuality.

Glen Mhor 20yo 1977/1998 (43%, Signatory Vintage, 70cl) - 71 points
Nose: Starts off rather strange & sweet - not your typical Speysider. Smoky too. And of course the liquorice.
Taste: Assorted sweets and liquorice. Menthol. There was also something 'fishy' (literally) in the taste.

Glen Mhor 22yo 1979/2001 (61%, UDRM, 70cl) - 80 points
Nose: Very spicy. Deep, dry sherry elements. Banana. Great complexity. Some liquorice. Sherry.
Taste: Very hot and powerful at C/S. Sour and woody. Not really drinkable. Becomes grittier with some water.
 
 

 
The Glenugie distillery (a.k.a. Invernettie) was located near Peterhead, at the mouth of the river Ugie.
That makes it the only eastern Highland distillery north of Aberdeen. The first whisky was distilled at the location in the 1830's, but until Scottish Highland Distillers Co Ltd. rebuilt it in 1875 the site was also used as a brewery. Glenugie was closed and sold many times after that. In 1975 Whitbread acquired Long John International, owners of the distillery at the time. Glenugie was just one of the distilleries that didn't survive the year 1983 - around a dozen single malt distilleries were closed in that year.
The buildings have now been demolished.

Glenugie 16yo 1980/1997 (43%, Signatory Vintage, 70cl, Sherry casks # 3660-61) - 63 points
Nose: Very restrained. 'Farmy' is the first thing that comes to mind. A little woody as well - more pine than oak.
Taste: Not too appealing. Smoky and medicinal with a complete lack of sweetness. Quite unpleasant.

Glenugie 25yo 1979/2005 (50%, DL OMC, 291 Bottles, DLREF 1094) - 80 points
Nose: Grainy, light and a little creamy. Herbal? String beans. Vegetables. Freshly sawn wood (not pine).
Taste: An odd contrast; it tastes woody, but it's a 'young' kind of woodiness. Grows sharper with water.

Glenugie 26yo 1977/2004 (46%, MmcD Mission III, 498 Bottles) - 82 points
Nose: Ooaaah. Big and sweet. Some citrus? Raspberry. Something metallic. Many subtle sherry traits. Cookies.
Taste: Surprisingly smooth at first, growing sweeter, then dry. A little fruity. Metallic, woody and quite simple.
 
 

 
Glenury Royal (a.k.a. Glenury) was founded by Robert Barclay in 1825 near Stonehaven, south of Aberdeen.
That makes it an eastern Highland distillery, just like its 'coastal' neighbours Glenesk, Lochside and North Port. The ownership of the distillery changed a few times and Glenury even fell silent a few times before it was rebuilt in the mid-1960's. The number of stills was expanded from two to four in 1966. Glenury (Royal) was closed in 1985 by DCL who owned it at the time. United Distillers bought the distillery in 1986. The license was cancelled in 1992 and in 1993 the site was sold for residential development.

Glenury Royal 23yo 1971/1995 (61.3%, UDRM) - 88 points
Nose: Not very expressive at first. Quite delicate with some faint organics. Developing spices. Perfume.
Taste: Full, big and spicy. This is my kind of profile. Just like the nose, it improves further over time.

Glenury Royal 26yo 1975/2002 (52.6%, Signatory, C#5240, bottle 91/192) - 80 points
Nose: Classic. Malty. Hint of lime? Light and accessible, but it has substance. Hint of something grassy?
Taste: Malty with citrussy overtones as well. Gooseberries. Unique texture; smooth with something 'lumpy'.

Glenury 30yo 1973/2003 (57.5%, Blackadder, Cask #6861) - 89 points
Nose: Wonderful! Rich & sherried. Surprisingly fresh fruity notes grow dusty quickly. Sweet. Subtle wood.
Taste: Very drinkable at cask strength. Sweet and smooth. Liquorice. Quickly fading finish.
 
 

 
Glenesk (a.k.a. Hillside, a.k.a. Highland Esk, a.k.a. North Esk) used to be a flax-spinning mill, but in 1897 it was converted into a malt whisky distillery by wine merchants Septimus Parsonage & Co. The distillery was closed during WWI and remained silent until 1938. Glenesk is located in Montrose (in the eastern Highlands) and operated intermittently as a grain whisky distillery under that name from 1938 to 1964. In that year it was transffered to SMD, who converted it back to a malt distillery under the name 'Hillside'.
The name was changed to 'Glenesk' in 1980, but that didn't do much good...
the distillery closed in 1985 and their license was cancelled in 1992.

Glenesk 12yo (40%, OB, Silver Import, 1980s) - 60 points
Nose: Extremely restrained. Maybe something oily? Something sour with hints of pine and menthol. Oxidised.
Taste: Flat and gone within seconds. Clearly, this bottle has died. The score of 60 is merciful.

Glenesk 1984/1997 (40%, G&M Connoisseur's Choice, 70cl) - 58 points
Nose: A little spirity. Paint thinner. String beans? Rotting hay? Vinegar? Some light 'grainy' fragrances.
Taste: Warm and malty. Sweet in the middle, gritty in the tail. Hint of pine and resin. Better than the nose.

Hillside 25yo 1971/1997 (62,0%, UDRM, Bottled Sept. 1997, Bottle #1512, 70cl) - 66 points
Nose: Strange. Pine? Resin? Triplex? Unimpressive. It improves a little later on, with the smell of cookies & fruit.
Taste: Very light, almost drinkable at 62%. The primary impression is menthol. Diluted, pine and resin emerge.
 
 

 
The Imperial distillery was built in 1897 by Thomas Mackenzie.
It was transffered just a year later to Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries Ltd. who also owned the other distillery in the town of Carron: Dailuaine. Imperial was closed and opened several times until it was rebuilt and reopened in 1955. Ten years later, in 1965, the number of stills was expanded from two to four. Just like Glenury Royal, Imperial was closed in 1985 by DCL and sold to United Distillers a year later. Surprisingly enough, Imperial was acquired and re-opened by Allied Distillers (later: Allied Domecq)
in 1989 - only to be mothballed again in 1998.

Imperial 1979/1995 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, 70cl) - 75 points
Nose: Rich and oily. A heavy sweetness with more peat after some breathing.
Taste: Malty & sherried at first, then sweeter. A lot of development, but it loses some points in the finish.

Imperial 18yo 1982 (43%, Chieftain's Choice, 70cl) - 73 points
Nose: Alcoholic & slightly grainy. Oily as well. Flowery sweetness. Dust? Rotting hay? String beans? Organics.
Taste: Minty freshness. Creamy & malty - quite powerful. Peanuts? Slightly winey in the finish.

Imperial 1990/2003 (+ 60%, G&M Special reserve for Whisky World, Holland) - 82 points
Nose: starts off powerful & sweet with more grain & organics over time. Then fruitier with a hint of pepper.
Taste: Hot, sweet and chewy in the mouth. Very pleasant, but the nose is what pushes it into the 80's.
 
 

 
Inverleven (a.k.a. Dumbarton) was built relatively recently (1938) by Hiram Walker & Sons.
It's classified as a Lowlander by Michael Jackson, but the Loch Lomond distillery a few miles north is a western Highlander. The huge distillery complex in Dumbarton is licensed to George Ballantine & Son Ltd. and still produces whisky for the Ballantine's blend to this day. Next to a column still for the production of grain whisky there used to be two pot still houses that produced malt whisky - a conventional still (producing Inverleven) and a so-called 'Lomond' still (with a rectifier) that was installed in 1959 and that produced the 'Lomond' malt until 1991. Both malt distilleries on the site were closed in 1991 and mothballed in 1992.

Inverleven 1984 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, Bottled +/- 1995, 70cl) - 74 points
Nose: Very soft, some grassy sweetness. Light. Some sherry. Oilier over time, and lasts for quite a while.
Taste: Very warm; becomes extremely oily after a few seconds, in 'mouth feel' too. Long, sweet finish ends dry.

Inverleven 1989/2003 (45%, G&M, Bulky bottle, bottled for LMdW, 70cl) - 87 points
Nose: Fruity & mellow. Liquorice. Coebergh. Fruity like heart candy or bubblegum. Soap perfume. Tobacco.
Taste: Salt liquorice in the start. Pine? Very fruity and sherried. Not as stupendous as the nose, but quite good.

Inverleven 21yo 1966/1988 (46%, Cadenhead, Distilled May 1966, Bottled February 1988, 70cl) - 64 points
Nose: Watery and a little 'farmy' at first. Pine and cedar notes. Some salt; a hint of malt, smoke and toffee.
Taste: A bitter disappointment. Short but numbing, with a bitter burn on the tongue. Completely oxidised.
 
 

 
Located on Moffat Street in Glasgow, the Kinclaith (malt) distillery was built as an addition to the existing Strathclyde (grain) distillery complex in 1957. Even though the vast majority of the malt whisky was used by the owners (Strathclyde & Long John Distilleries Ltd.) for their 'Long John' blend, some independent bottlings were released in the 1960's. In 1975 Long John was sold to Whitbread, who dismantled the 'Kinclaith' part of the distillery in 1976 or 1977 to make way for 'Strathclyde' facilities.

Kinclaith 20yo (46%, Cadenhead's, Bottled +/- 1992?, 75cl) - 57 points
Nose: Flat and grainy. Maybe a faint whiff of smoke. Not at all what I expected from a malt this old.
Taste: Flat as well; spirity and very dry. No obvious character. It might have been a blend just as well.

Kinclaith 1966 (40%, G&M CC old map label, 5cl) - 81 points
Nose: A little creamy, quite sweet and the faintest hint of oil. Then more organics emerge. Mint. Toffee.
Taste: Oooh... Flat, bitter and a little soapy at first, growing fruitier in the centre. Metallic. Winey finish.

Kinclaith 26yo 1975 (52.3%, James McArthur) - 88 points
Nose: Sweet, sherried and polished. Very rich. Grand Marnier. Turkish delight. It grew spicier over time.
Taste: Lots of tangerine on the palate as well. Marmelade; a highly enjoyable interplay of bitter and sweet.
 
 

 
After William Grant & Sons Ltd. built a grain distillery at Girvan in 1963, they added the 'Ladyburn' malt distillery in 1966. The main purpose of both distilleries was production of whisky for the Grant's blends, but some 'official' single malts were bottled as well. The malt distillery was closed some time during the 1970's, but the (single) grain whisky from Girvan is still sold today under the name Black Barrel. When I write this I've only sampled one expression of Ladyburn.

Ladyburn 27yo 1973/2000 (50.4%, OB by William Grant) - 82 points
Nose: Very peculiar, but not unpleasant at all. A strange combination of peanuts and cinnamon.
Taste: Pretty peculiar on the palate too. Sardines! Then lots of wood & fruit. Good mouth feel; quite 'chewy'.
 
 

 
The Littlemill distillery is quite possibly the oldest Lowland distillery with roots going back to ca. 1750.
Littlemill saw many different owners in its long history. Until the 1930's the traditional triple distillation technique of the Lowlands was used, they switched to double distillation since then. Littlemill was closed in 1984 but re-opened again in 1989 by Gibson International. Closed again in 1994, it was then sold to the Loch Lomond Distillery Co Ltd. Dumbuck (heavily peated) and Dunglass (unpeated) were experimental set-ups that didn't operate for very long. As a result, bottlings are extremely rare.

Littlemill 8yo (40%, OB, Bottled +/- 1999, Code L4/170/85 1?4?, 70cl) - 62 points
Nose: Very oily at first, growing sweeter & slightly smoky. Hints of peaches & melons under an oily blanket.
Taste: Surprisingly sweet & malty for a Lowlander. Short, grainy finish. It has its moments, though.

Littlemill 14yo 1989/2003 (61.9%, Cadenhead's Authentic, Bourbon Hogshead, 294 bottles) - 83 points
Nose: Very sweet. Polished. Malty. Very rich. Coffee. Creamy. Peanuts. Much better than the 8yo OB.
Taste: No sweetness in the start, but with time the sweetness grows and grows. lemon drops.

Dunglass 5yo (40%, OB, Bottled +/- 1970's, 5cl, Sampled in Italy) - 60 points
Nose: Very, very grainy. Restrained. Oil. Sweetens out with time. maybe a little 'verggy'. Nutty.
Taste: Flat. Short and bitter. Sweetens out as well.
 
 

 
Lochside (located in Montrose in the eastern Highlands) was rebuilt in 1957 from Deuchars' Brewery as a malt and grain distillery by Macnab Distilleries. The Coffey still that produced the grain whisky was removed in 1973. Lochside was bought in 1972 by a subsidiary of Domecq, who were in turn acquired by Allied Distillers in 1992. The distillery was closed down right away in 1992 as well. The warehouse was closed in 1997.

Lochside 10yo 'MacNab' (40%, OB, Bottled +/- 1991, 75cl) - 65 points
Nose: Oily. A little sweet. Raisins. Slightly grassy. A little smoky. A hint of smoked nuts after a while.
Taste: Malty start. Warm, but not sweet. One-dimensional. Sweeter after a while. Bitter; dry & gritty finish.

Lochside 1991/2003 (43%, G&M CC, JC/FG) - 82 points
Nose: Oily with hints of citrus. Sweetness of early fruits. Paint thinner. Maltier & more organics. Dusty. Spices.
Taste: Weak, gritty start. Then a dusty, fruity explosion. Dry. Powdered milk. Rough & gritty on the palate.

Lochside 20yo 1965 (40%, G&M CC, Bottled +/- 1985, 5cl) - 89 points
Nose: Sherry & furniture polish. More sherry with time. Not a hint of the oil I found in the 10yo MacNab.
Taste: A little bit flat & woody at first. Develops into a mellow, fruity centre. Menthol freshness, coconut.
 
 

 
Millburn, said to be founded in 1807, was located in Inverness - just like Glen Albyn and Glen Mhor.
They operated under different ownership though, and Millburn predates the other two. The distillery changed hands many times until it was acquired by Booth's (Gin) Distillery Ltd. in 1921. Just a year later, they had to rebuild Millburn after a fire. DCL finally closed the distillery in 1985. In 1988 the site was sold for property development and since then the buildings have been transformed into a 'Beefeater Distillery Restaurant'.

Millburn 1971/1993 (40%, G&M Connoisseur's Choice, 70cl) - 74 points
Nose: Big, changes from oily/menthol/eucalyptus to sherry/sweets/fruits over time. Lacks some cohesion.
Taste: is smooth and sweet. A little sherry, a little malt, a little smoke. Maybe a pinch of peat. Unbalanced.

Millburn 1974/1998 (40%, G&M Connoisseurs Choice) - 45 points
Nose: Surprisingly citrussy. More like a liqueur, almost - but much subtler and quite uneven.
Taste: Once again the citrus is quite dominant. Very little else to get excited about, I'm afraid.

Millburn 1974/2000 (40%, Connoisseurs Choice) - 74 points
Nose: Slightly oily, then menthol & eucalyptus. Cannabis? Perfumy. Developing into sweets / fruit cake.
Taste: Very smooth, sweet & malty at first. The sweetness vanishes. Perfume & eucalyptus in the finish.
 
 

 
Just like Glencraig, Mosstowie isn't a 'real' distillery in the sense that you can visit a set of buildings.
Mosstowie is the name for the malt whisky that was produced with a set of 'Lomond' stills at Miltonduff between 1956 and 1981. That distillery is still active, but the Lomond stills that produced Mosstowie were removed.

Mosstowie 12yo 1970 (40%, G&M, Australia) - 78 points
Nose: Smooth & elegant. Soft fruits. Shoe polish. Malty. Lemon drops off. Soap? Pine? Pepper & spices.
Taste: Sweetish start. Smooth. Pine? Toffee. Chocolate bitterness. Dry. Sherried finish - doesn't last long.

Mosstowie 1975 (40%, Connoisseurs Choice, IC/FG, New Label) - 83 points
Nose started out quite sherried, followed by organics. Apple treacle? Mighty pleasant.
Taste: solid for quite a while, but then the finish grows too woody, winey and thin. So, finish this quickly!

Mosstowie 1979/1999 (40%, G&M Connoisseur's Choice) - 81 points
Nose: Wow! Very big. Rum and cognac. Sweet and something fruity. Wonderful, but a little uni-dimensional.
Taste: Powerful. Burnt toffee. Woody & sherried. Great, but (like the nose) a bit one-dimensional.
 
 

 
The North Port (a.k.a. Brechin, a.k.a. Townhead) distillery lies in Brechin, on the eastern coast of Scotland.
It was built in 1820 as 'Townhead' by David, John & Alexander Guthrie. In 1823 it was renamed to Brechin, in 1839 to North Port. The distillery was closed during WWI and sold to DCL/SMD in 1922. It re-opened in 1948, but closed again in 1983. A decade later North Port was demolished to make way for a shopping centre.

North Port-Brechin 1981/1998 (40%, G&M Connoisseurs Choice) - 62 points
Nose: Restrained. Light citrus and vanilla? It's hard to pick out any distinguishing characteristics.
Taste: Smooth. Warm. A little flat. Raw beans? Dry in the finish. Very drinkable but below par for a malt.

North Port 1974/1993 (40%, G&M Connoisseur's Choice) - 70 points
Nose: Clean. Grainy. Not very expressive. Closed. Fishy? Those were all my notes. I need bigger glasses.
Taste: Sweetish and watery.  Malty perhaps? Once again there wasn't much more to write down.
Score: 70 points - certainly not a bad whisky, but it simply lacks character and personality.

Brechin 26yo 1976/2003 (50%, DL OMC, cask 3351, 282 bottles, 6 months sherry finish) - 70 points
Nose: Polished, flat & sweet. Paint thinner. Then more 'veggy' and fruity elements emerge. Melon. Oatmeal?
Taste: Hot and flat. Dry, boring centre. Tannins in the numbing finish. What a bummer...
 
 

 
Pittyvaich is one of the youngest distilleries in Speyside - or in the whole of Scotland for that matter.
It was built in 1975 by Arthur Bell & Sons next to the Dufftown distillery. Shortly after United Distillers released the first official (Flora & Fauna) bottling in 1991, Pittyvaich was closed in 1993. That means the distillery operated for less than two decades. The Pittyvaich distillery was demolished in 2002.

Pittyvaich 18yo 1976/1995 (43%, Sigantory, Distilled 22/6/1976, Cask #8633-34, 70cl) - 73 points
Nose: Spirity. Sparkly. Some citrus. Maybe a distant echo of smoke. Clearly Bourbon aging.
Taste: Light. Cool burn. Surprisingly juvenile for a whisky this old. Soft and strong. Very long, soft finish.

Pittyvaich 21yo 1976/1998 (43%, Signatory Vintage, Sherry Butt #12241, Bottle #116 of 420) - 88 points
Nose: Very sherried. Old fruits. Wood. Pipe tobacco. Mint? Rubber? Complex organics. Amazing complexity.
Taste: Rather woody at first, but still smooth. Develops into a subdued rum or coffee heat. Bitter and shallow.

Pittyvaich-Glenlivet 13yo 1977/1991 (58.4%, Cadenhead's, Black Label, Distilled 9/1977) - 89 points
Nose: Antiquity. Sweet, fruity and very sherried. Some organics as well. Maggi? Some rubber perhaps?
Taste: Big sherry character with lots of good, solid wood - although the finish was a little too woody for me.
 
 

 
As far as many people are concerned, Port Ellen is one of the great lost distilleries of Scotland.
Port Ellen was founded in 1825 by A.K.Mackay & Co on the south shore of Islay, a few miles west of Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. Between 1825 and 1836 the distillery changed hands a few times, but after John Ramsay acquired Port Ellen in 1836 it was run by him and his decendants until it was sold to the Port Ellen Distillery Co in 1920. The ownership of the distillery saw a few more changes before it was mothballed by DCL / John Dewar & Sons in 1929. No whisky was distilled at Port Ellen for almost 40 year, although the maltings and warehouses remained in use throughout this period. In 1966/'67 the number of stills was expanded from two to four and Port Ellen started producing whisky again. The distillery was closed again in May 1983 and the license was cancelled. The nearby drum maltings built in 1973 are still used by UDV.

Port Ellen 22yo 1978/2000 (60.5%, UDRM, Code L15N03802610, Bottle #2204, 70cl) - 93 points
Nose: Powerful start, becoming very complex. Organic. Salted peanuts. Fresh peat. Farmy ammoniak. Rubber?
Taste: Undiluted it's very sweet. With water more transparant. Wood & a pinch of peat in the long sweet finish.

Port Ellen 23yo 1979/2003 (46%, Wilson & Morgan Barrel Selection, Butt #6769) - 94 points
Nose: Heavy sherry! Fruity and woody notes. Cough syrup. Pipe tobacco. Fruit sweets. Soy Sauce. Mint?
Taste: Smoke & sherry. Cool & dry. Coffee. A little bit 'winey'. Fruity. Woody towards the finish.

Port Ellen 24yo 1978/2002 2nd Annual Release (54.3, OB, 70cl) - 84 points
Nose: Peaty and smoky. Ammoniac and other horse stable aroma's. Austere like an Ardbeg from the early 70's.
Taste: Softly medicinal with a salty burn later on. Lemon and other fruity elements as well. Surprisingly subtle.
 
 

 
The history of Rosebank starts in the late 18th century. Some claims state that the distillery was founded as early as 1773 but more conservative sources date it somewhere in the 1790's. Many details are fuzzy. Rosebank may have operated under the name 'Cameron' for a while and it seems the Rankine family played an important part during the first century of its existence. The distillery was rebuilt around 1865 and became part of SMD in 1914. The traditional Lowland method of triple-distillation was used at Rosebank. In 1986 it was acquired by United Distillers who were part of the Guiness Group at the time. UD (United Distillers) merged with IDV (International Distillers and Vintners, part of Grand Metropolitan Group) in 1998 to form UDV (United Distillers and Vintners). Diageo owns UDV. Rosebank was closed in May 1993 and sold to the British Waterways Board in 2002.

Rosebank 8yo 1983/1992 (43%, OB, Bristol Brandy Company, American Oak Casks, 70cl) - 73 points
Nose: Soft and fresh; something lemony. Sweeter and heavier after a few minutes. Becomes very fragrant.
Taste: Not as spectacular. Particulary dry. Clean and a little bit sweet.

Rosebank 10yo 1992/2002 (46%, Murray McDavid, MM 1413, Bourbon Casks) - 72 points
Nose: Citrus & paint thinner. Orange skins. Sweeter & polished with time. Coastal & salty in the background.
Taste: Fairly weak start. Definite citrus. Sweet & sour like lemonade; hot centre. Bone dry finish; a tad winey.

Rosebank 20yo 1979/1999 (60.3%, UDRM, 70cl) - 87 points
Nose: Smels like the attick of a grain warehouse. Menthol and some smoke. Salt. Vanilla. Wash.
Taste: Lemon. Sweet. Orange skin.
 
 

 
Saint Magdalene (a.k.a. Linlithgow) is one of the lost distilleries I weep for. After pretty much neglecting Lowland malts for almost a decade, an encounter with the 1979 Rare Malts bottling set me straight. The distillery may have been established as early as 1765 by one Sebastian Henderson. The location (some 10 miles west of Edinburgh) was used as a leper colony in the 12th century and as a convent after that. It seems the Dawson family was involved with production at Saint Magdalene between 1798 and 1912, when it was acquired by the DCL. The distillery was refitted in 1927 and (like so many others) closed in 1983. The site was sold for residental development.

Saint Magdalene 19yo 1979/1998 (63.8%, UDRM, 70cl) - 95 points
Nose: Apricots. Oak. Oriental tones; ketjap & soy sauce. With water more liquorice, fruits & smoke. Complex!
Taste: Sweet & sherried straight; long malty burn developing into a surprisingly peaty finish. Liquorice & toffee.

Saint Magadalene 24yo 1978/2002 (50%, Douglas Laing OMC, 504 bottles, 70cl) - 91 points
Nose: Very classy. Good sherry & wood. Fruity sweetness. Tobacco. Gunpowder. Toffee. Mighty complex.
Taste: Fruity. Woody and sherried - almost like a Macallan? Lovely, lovely, lovely. Smoke? Hint of peat?

Linlithgow 18yo 1982/2000 (61.6%, Scott's Selection) - 82 points
Nose: Sweet, but grainy and oily in the back. Faint organics. Maybe just a tad fruitier after adding water.
Taste: Hot and sweet at c/s.. A little bit malty. Grows drier and even picks up some medicinal traits.
 
 

 
Tamnavulin (Gaelic for 'mill on the hill') was built relatively recently (1965/'66) by a subsidiary of Invergordon.
Some sources use an alternative spelling; Tomnavoulin. The distillery had six stills that mainly produced whisky for the Mackinlay blends. After acquiring the Invergordon group, JBB (Greater Europe) closed the distillery in 1996. JBB was the new name for 'American Brands' from the USA. They were taken over by Kyndal International in 2001.

Tamnavulin 10yo (40% - Distillery bottling - Tamnavulin Glenlivet Distillery Co Ltd.) - 71 points
Nose: Something very different. Oily & grassy.  Wonderful lightness. Undemanding but quite nice.
Taste: A fresh sweetness with a nice long finish. Some bitterness. Not really my "type" of whisky.

Tamnavulin 12yo (40%, OB Ltd.) - 72 points
Nose: Oily. Chemical. Vegetables - raw cabbage? Quite restrained. Seems a little 'grainy'.
Taste: Slightly off, like rotten fruit. Hint of pepper? Grappa? Lack of sweetness. A little 'chemical'.

Tamnavulin 12yo (40%, OB) - 58 points
Nose: Veggy. Oily. Light. Spirity. Something more floral after a while. Early fruits. The oily grows stronger.
Taste: Smooth & quite flat. Dusty, veggy & bitter in the start. Coffee? The centre & finish are very oily.
 
 

 
This Midlands distillery was mothballed in 1995 but now distills again, mainly for tourists.
A full distillery profile will be added to the profiles section shortly.
 
 

 
 
 
And that concludes my notes on the 'silent distilleries' - let's hope the list doesn't get any longer...
Click HERE for a short list of some projects currently in development. Let's hope that list grows a lot longer soon ;-)
Profiles on all active distilleries can be found in the appropriately named 'distillery profiles' section.