The aroma was all over the place, with buttered fruit loaf, mango-filled doughnuts, brandy snaps, rum and raisin ice cream and, not to forget, apple-scented shampoo. On the palate it settled down nicely with a slice of banana loaf straight out of the oven, marshmallows dipped in chocolate, and a warm black and blueberry sauce. After reduction we found treacle toffee, butterscotch and a whiff of hot miso soup on the nose. To taste, simply delicious, sweet and juicy medjool dates bursting with honey, toffee and caramel-like flavours. Following 11 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a first fill American oak PX hogshead.

About Glen Elgin

Fruitiness is the key to Glen Elgin’s character – a lush fruitiness at that – which is achieved through clear wort, long fermentation and slow distillation in its six stills to clean out sulphur, but then condensing takes place in worm tubs which adds weight and complexity. Complicated stuff.

Little surprise perhaps that Glen Elgin has been a major contributor to blends, White Horse in particular (there was a legendary 12-year-old exclusive for Japan which heavily promoted the White Horse link on the label). It was a member of Diageo’s ‘Hidden Malts’ range which appeared, briefly, at the start of the Millennium before being dropped in favour of the higher-volume Singleton family. As a result, it remains a minor cult among malt aficionados and is revered by blenders.

Located in the strangely-named hamlet of Fogwatt, Glen Elgin’s early years were somewhat precarious. It started production in 1900 just as whisky was entering one of its periodic slumps and promptly was mothballed twice before being sold in 1906. It joined DCL in 1929 and was licensed to White Horse Distillers. Electricity only arrived at the distillery in 1950. Up until then it was operated by paraffin.

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