Glen Scotia

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > G

GLEN SCOTIA

12 years old

40 %
Glen Scotia Distillery,
Campbeltown, Argyll
A. Gillies & Co. (Distillers) Ltd,
Glasgow

GLEN SCOTIA

14 years old

40 %
Glen Scotia Distillery,
Campbeltown, Argyll

GLEN SCOTIA

12 years old

58,9%

Date distilled May 79
Date bottled 91
Society Cask No. code 93.1
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,

The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

Gelagerd in niet eerder gebruikte eikenhouten vaten. Scherp in de neus, maar met wat water toegevoegd minder agressief. Heel complex met in de geur en smaak gedroogd fruit, dadels en vijgen. Zachte, iets zoete afdronk.

CAMPBELTOWN MALT

geen leeftijd vermelding

40 %
SINGLE CAMPBELTOWN MALT
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

GLEN SCOTIA

9 years old

40 %
THE MACPHAIL'S COLLECTION
Selected Single Distilleries
Distilled 1990
Bottled 1999
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

GLEN SCOTIA

26 years old

40%
THE ORIGINAL WHISKY

COLLECTION
Distilled 1973
Bottled August 1999
Glen Scotia Distillery,
Campbeltown

GLEN SCOTIA

8 years old

66,1 %

SINGLE CASK SCOTCH MALT WHISKY
Date distilled Feb 91
Date bottled May 99
Society Cask No. code 93.4
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
'Buttermints'

Your other Campbeltown distillery, said to be haunted. This, from an American oak barrel, is sweet to the nose, and slightly minty. A pale gold that does not cloud when water is added. With water the nose opens slightly allowing a tanginess and a sandalwood perfume. A deep warm sweetness, but spiced cinnamon. The taste then is surprising. It's dry. Very dry. Tingle on the mouth, slightly bitter and medical. It has a long lingering woody aftertaste.

GLEN SCOTIA

9 years old

43 %
VINTAGE 1991
Distilled on 11th February 1991
Bottled on 26th July 2000
Cask No. 197
Natural Colour
308 Genummerde flessen
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

GLEN SCOTIA

13 years old

58,8%
SPECIAL INDIVIDUAL
CASK BOTTLING
Distilled July 1977
Bottled February 1991
Wm. Cadenhead Ltd, 18 Golden Square,
Aberdeen.

GLEN SCOTIA

12 years old

43 %
SIGNATORY VINTAGE
Distilled on: 18.03.1992
Bottled on:30.11.2004
Matured in: Refill Butt
Cask No: 304
775 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

GLEN SCOTIA

13 years old

46 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled:   25/03/92
Bottled: 08/09/05
Matured in a bourbon barrel
Cask no:   428
Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
The Ultimate Whisky Company,   N.L.

GLEN SCOTIA

over 5 years old

45 %
SINGLE CASK BOTTLING
Single Campbeltown Malt
Date Distilled:30th June 2000
Date Bottling: 16thJune 2006
Cask No: 337
Wood Type: American Oak Barrel
350 Numbered Bottles
No Chill Filtration
No Colouring
Distilled, Matured & Bottled by
Glen Scotia Distillery, Campbeltown

GLEN SCOTIA

over 6 years old

45 %
SINGLE CASK BOTTLING
Single Campbeltown Malt
Date Distilled: 23 rd July 1999
Cask No: 518
Wood Type: Ex - Bourbon Cask
Date of Bottling: 14 th March 2006
No Chill Filtration
No Colouring
Distilled, Matured & Bottled by
Glen Scotia Distillery, Campbeltown

GLEN SCOTIA

15 years old

40 %
THE MACPHAIL'S COLLECTION 1990
Selected Single Distilleries
Single Campbeltown Malt
Distilled 1990
Bottled 2005
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

GLEN SCOTIA

12 years old

61,9 %
CASK STRENGHT
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH 1992
Region Campbeltown
Distilled 4/2/92
Refill Sherry Hogsheads
Cask Nos. 90, 95, 98
Bottled 29/6/04
Proprietors: Glen Scotia Distillery Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

GLEN SCOTIA

1992

14 years old

46 %
Single Campbeltown Malt
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled: 25/03/92
Matured in a bourbon barrel
Cask no. 398
Bottled: 11/01/07
Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltering
The Ultimate Whisky Company, NL

GLEN SCOTIA

15 years old

46 %
1992
Single Campbeltown Malt
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled: 18/03/92
Matured in a bourbon barrel
Cask no. 410
Bottled 22/01/08
Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
The Ultimate Whisky Company, NL

GLEN SCOTIA

Aged 16 years

64.6 %

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Society Single Cask No. 93.32
THE ANNIVERSARY 25 YEARS
1983 - 2008
Distilled March 1992
Cask type Refill barrel / Ex Bourbon
Outturn 197 Bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
'Old puffer by the harbour wal"

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for release

as a Society bottling. Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and

delight our members are selected, true to our motto: ‘To leave no nose upturned’

The nose evokes old fisherman smoking pipes of vanilla tobacco by harbour winches.

also oranges, heather honey, sawdust and soot. A quite challenging palate; tobacco,

leather and aniseed flavours. With water it develops smoke, cedar – wood and a finish

of salty gooseberries

This is one of the only two distilleries in campbeltown. First registered in 1835, it was

overhauld in the early 1980’s. The nose transported Panel members to various places;

charity shops (old clothes) and stables (leather and hay) while the malt – meister painted

a convincing picture of an old Amsterdammer sitting on harbour – side machinery,

smoking a meerschaumpipe of sweet vanilla tobacco – some imagination ! The unreduced

taste was challenging with tobacco, leather, woody spice, aniseed balls and salt. With

water, the nose retained a whiff of industrie, but also orange, refreshers, heather honey

sawdust and soot. The taste became sweetly smoky with cedar and a salty gooseberry

finish. It animated the Panel

2006 A peated version distilled in 1999 is released!

GLEN SCOTIA

Aged 16 years

55,1 %

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Distilled March 1992
Cask type: Refill Butt / ex sherry
Society Single Cask No. 93.34
1 of only 176 bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults,
Leith, Edinburgh
"Absolutely delicious !"

We, The Tasting Panel verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been passed

under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for release as a Society

bottling. Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members are selected, true to our motto: To leave no nose upturned”

The initial nose had ham, caramelised onion, wax polish and tobacco. With water there is treacle and ash. The taste has smoked cheese, dark chocolate and salty liquorice. Amazing,

complex and warming.

The Panel thought that this was a wonderful variation of a Campbeltown malt. Initially on the

nose we found lots of ham, there was also caramelised onion, fragrant wax polish and pipe to-

bacco. The full strength taste had smoked apple wood cheese, dark chocolate and salty

liquorice notes. With water the nose was rich and sweet – molasses, butterscotch, tobacco and

leather. The reduced palate had Peking duck, treacle and ash. The palate had a good texture

and tasty long finish of woody notes with rum and raisin. Absolutely delicious ! From the other Campbeltown distillery

GLEN SCOTIA

1 9 9 2

15 years old

43 %
THE MACPHAIL'S COLLECTION
SELECTED SINGLE DISTILLERIES
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled 1992
Bottled 2007
Specially selected produced and bottled by
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

GLEN SCOTIA

Aged 17 years

57.5 %

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Distilled February 1992
Cask Type: Refill Butt
Society Single Cask No: 93.36
1 of only 329 bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults,
Leith, Edinburgh
"Spicy sausage and chocolate"

The nose is meaty, but also has fruity elements, coconut and pipe tobacco. Water brings

out orange, dried fruit and scorched wood. The palate has spicy sausage and plum pudding

with a chocolaty mouth – feel

In reduction, the sweetness has some smoke

We, the Tasting Panel verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been passed

under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for release as a Society

bottling. Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our mem-

bers are selected, true to our motto: “To leave no nose upturned”

On the nose, we initially indentifed prunes, plums and meaty characteristics (Leg of lamb),

Gravy browning, peppery pork sausage) but gradually it turned sharper and sweeter with

opal fruits, chocolate, coconut and pipe tobacco. The unreduced palate had the spiciness

of pepperoni or merguez and a lovely chocolate mouth – feel; “like whisky chocolate sauce

over plum pudding”. With water, the nose seemed more sherried; dried fruits, orange sher-

bet and scorched wood. The reduced palate reminded the Whisky – bard of a matchbox –

puffing competition, while the Lady – poet was swirling sugar – sticks in Lapsang Souchong

tea

Duncan MacCallum, who drowned in Campbeltown Loch, haunts the distillery

GLEN SCOTIA

Aged 17 years

58.0 %
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Society Single Cask No. 93.38
Distilled: February 1992
Cask type: Refill Butt
Outturn 304 bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
"Stirs the atavistic soul"

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been passed

under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for release as a Society

bottling. Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our mem-

bers are selected, true to our motto: To leave no nose upturned”.

The nose is challenging but fascinating, with charcoal leather, wool, oily lawnmovers and Victory V’s in reduction, beach barbeques and cinder toffee. The palate is hugely powerful,

With treacle, burnt twigs. Liqueorice, caramel, dark chocolate and loads of dry smoke.

Something on the nose stirred our atavistic souls, such a fascinating combination of challenging aromas; charcoal, nectarines, wool, leather, lawnmovers and Victory V’s.

The unreduced palate was even more challenging; salty, treacle, charred chicken, burnt

twigs, dry smoke, dark chocolate, liquorice, caramel – “like being hit in the face with

a basketball”someone said. The reduced nose had the smoke, salt and char of a beach barbeque, with cincer toffee for afters. Even watered down, the palate was powerful,

dry and smoky; inspiring comments like”dragon breath”and “like trying to smoke a

rolled up newspaper”The distillery name contains Scotland.

GLEN SCOTIA

Aged 11 years

61.8 %

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

FROM A SINGLE CASK

Distilled July 1999

Cask Type: Refill Barrel / ex Bourbon

Outturn 220 Bottles

Society Single cask No: 93.44

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,

The Vaults, Leith.

A harbour side journey

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for release

as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: “To leave no nose upturned “

Aromas of smoked prawns, Arbroath Smokies, sea air, tarGermolene, tastes of smoked

Mussels, seafood chowder and cinnamon doughnuts without water; with water aromas

of creosote fences, pine resin, incense while to taste it was oily, fatty, spicy, hot and ashy.

As I was walking down to the harbor, chewing herbal bubble gum I passed smoked prawns,

Arbroath Smokies, and Frazzles crisps; the beautiful fresh sea air carrying a whiff of Ger-

molene, Elastoplasts and samphire calmed the stench of petrol and tar.

I could’t but enjoy tasting some fresh smoked mussels, smoked seafood chowder, miso

soup and cinnamon doughnuts.

After a glug of water I smelled creosote feces, incense, pine resin, hay and perfumed

ladies , fur coat , while tasting oily, smoky Chinese five spice pork belly that was hot,

fatty and ashy.

This distillery is said to be haunted by Duncan MacCallum.

GLEN SCOTIA

Aged 12 years

59.8 %

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

FROM A SINGLE CASK

Date Distilled 30 th Jun 1999

Society Single Cask No. 93.46

Cask Type: Refill Sherry Gorda

Outturn: One of 796 Bottles

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,

The Vaults, leith, Edinburgh

“ Tar; tea – chests and engine oil “

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re-

lease as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: ‘ To leave no nose upturned “.

Wood polish shifts to honey and toffee on the nose, then grilled lamb shops and a coal –

miner’s overall’s; water brings citrus, banana and candle – wax.

The palate has putty, tar liquorice, leather, tea – chests and engine oil against toffee and

fudge sweetness.

The nose started out with wood polish and pear, before turning sweeter (strong honey,

toffee crunch ice – cream ).

It also had a smoky, oily meathiness, like grilled lamb chops and a coal – miner’ s overalls.

The palate was somewhat challenging at full strength – putty, plasticine, tar and liquorice

root but with big toffee and fudge sweetness.

Water turned the nose cleaner – citrus, banana, cabdle – wax and honeycomb, but with

distant singed mackerel or breakfast kipper.

We agreed the reduced dram was eminently drinkable – bourbon cream biscuits and

brandy snaps balancing leather, tar, tea – chests and engine oil.

This distillery’s cast – iron mash – tun is painted bright red.

GLEN SCOTIA

Aged 12 years

61.4

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

FROM A SINGLE CASK

Distilled: 31st July 1999

Cask Type: Refill Barrel / ex Bourbon

Society Single Cask: 93.51

1 of only 219 Bottles

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,

The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

"Matron's sick bay and Angustura Bitters"

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for release as

a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: ‘To leave no nose upturned’

The immediate impression is mineralic – we were strongly reminded of W D 40 lubri-

cating oil – with a growing medicinal aroma, a passing phase of quality wax shoe polish,

becoming ‘grilling lamb chops and black cherries on a beach barbeque’.

The taste at natural strength is sweet and reminiscent of ‘matron’s sick bay’-‘Friar’s

Balsam, crepe bandages, arnica, cloves – and Christmas spices.

A little water makes it more medicinal, with scents from a workshop ( again , W D 40,

with light smoke), raspberry ripple, ginger creams, the Angustura Bitters.

Sweet and gingery to taste; mouth – cooling, with a lightly smoky finish.

Bags of character from Campbeltown’s ‘other’ distillery.

W D 40 lubricating oil, then medicinal, with grilled lamb chops and cherries; a medicinal

taste, with some Christmas spices. Water introduces raspberry ripple to the medicinal

notes, then Angostura Bitters, and ginger th the lightly smoky taste.

GLEN SCOTIA

34 years old

45.0 %

THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT

SCOTCH WHISKY

RARE RESERVE

Campbeltown Single Malt

Distilled: 05/09/77

Matured in a Hogshead

Cask no: 2748

Bottled: 29/11/11

229 Numbered Bottles

Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company.NL

GLEN SCOTIA

Aged 10 years

46 %
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Quintessentially Scottish
Non Chill Filtered
Natural Colour
Glen Scotia Distillery, Highlstreet,
Campbeltown, Argyll

GLEN SCOTIA
Aged 16 years

46 %
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Quintessentially Scottish
Non Chill Filtered
Natural Colour
Glen Scotia Distillery, Highstreet,
Campbeltown, Argyll

GLEN SCOTIA
Aged 18 years

46 %
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Quintessentially Scottish
Non Chill Filtered
Natural Colour
Glen Scotia Distillery, Highstreet,

Campbeltown, Argyll

GLEN SCOTIA

Aged 12 years

46 %

QUINTESSENTIALLY SCOTTISH

Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Non Chill Filtered

Natural Colour

Matured primarily in premium quality

bourbon casks to our cooperage specification

Glen Scotia Distillery, Campbeltown

GGLEN SCOTIA INFO

Aged 13 years

61.4 %
SINGLE MALT WHISKY FROM A
SINGLE CASK
Date distilled: 31st July 1990
Cask : Refill Barrel / ex Bourbon
Outturn: One of only 217 Bottles
SOCIETY SINGLE CASK NO: CODE 93.55
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Leith,

The Vaults, Edinburgh

"Lamb kebab with apples and peppers "

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re-

lease as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: “TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED “.

Neat on the nose salty bacon crisps, prok cracklings and tempura prawns.

The taste, like fat dripping on hot barbeque embers but also creamy and

fresh. Water turns it into a kebab with apples and peppers next to marina-

ted carrots – Delicious !

This sample, from the lesser known distillery in Campbeltown, made us all very

hungry. The nose reminded us of salty smoky bacon crisps, bbq sauce on spare

ribs, pork cracklings, fried ciabatta bread with balsamic oil and tempura

prawns.Every now and then a whiff of Worchester sauce and that of burnt spark-

lers make an appearance. The taste is ashy, bbq embers, like fat dripping on coal

but at the same time it leaves a creamy and frsh mouth feel.

With water we were rolling the orange rind for a cocktail, waxing our chopping

board with oil and barbequing a kebab with apples and peppers.

In the taste the kebab has additional lamb pieces with some thyme and chives,

next to cold smoked mackerels and marinated carrots – Delicious !

GGLEN SCOTIA

Aged 14 years

60.4 %
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Date Distilled: 31st July 1999
Cask Type: Refill Barrel / ex Bourbon
Outturn: One of Only 212 Bottles
Society Single Cask No. Code: 93.58
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

"A manly adventure"

We the tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been passed under some of the most scupulous noses in the world and approved for

release as a Society bottling. Only single cask whiskiesthat promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members are selected, true to our motto:

"TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED"

The nose is manly adventure - dugout canoe, outboard engone, canvas, rope, leather, barbecued fish with tropical fruits, surgical spirit, bubble gum and hair pomade.

The palate blends vanilla, toffee and citrus with smoke, ash, oyster shells, leather and salt - big flavour!

GLEN SCOTIA

Age 20 years

58.6 %

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

FROM A SINGLE CASK

Society Single Cask No: 93.50

Distilled: 17th April 1991

Cask type: Refill Hogshead / Ex Bourbon

Outturn: One of only 275 Bottles

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,

The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

“Hot embers at the gates of hell “

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re[-

lease as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entyertain and delight our members

are selected, true to out motto: “To leave no nose upturned “

Interesting, inisual first impression – dark cherries, liquorice, black pudding and barbecued

pork.

Huge on the palate – hot embers at the gates of hell for one Panelist. With water it became scorched but sweet, long and luxurious to taste.

Grubby, vegetal and animalistic notes discouraged some Panellists but dark cherries, li-

quorice, old bike chains, black pudding & barbecued pork made for a really interesting (albeit unusual) first impression.

Huge taste – blackened pork belly, schnapps & burnt meat – one was chewing hot embers covered in meat grease at the gates of hell ( volcanic sulphur)

Water released scorched tablecloths and burnt pig hair but with the sweetness of molton fudge and barley sugar; on the palate it was long and luxurious ( but still scorched) with

black pudding, tattie scones and strong sweet black tea.

This Campbeltown distillery was built in 1832.

GLEN SCOTIA
Aged 21 years

46 %
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Quintessentially Scottish
Matured primarily in premium quality
bourbon casks to our cooperage specification
Non Chill Filtered
Natural Colour
Glen Scotia Distillery, Highstreet,
Campbeltown, Argyll

GLEN SCOTIA
Aged 14 years

60,6 %
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Society Single Cask Code No: 93.59
Date Distilled 31st Jul 1999
Cask Type: Refill Barrel / Ex Bourbon
Outturn: One of only 224 Bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
"The Undergraduate"

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re-

lease as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: “TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED “.

Shades of engine oil and lederhosen with carbolic soap and elastoplasts. Toffee apples

on the beach and honey marinated fish on the Barbie. Water tames the minx and a

“lite” character emerged. Misspent undergraduate days drinking Pisco sours, nibbling olives and smoking roll ups.

Sometimes the panel get carried away on an imaginative journey and this was one of those

occasions. Many shades of coal dust, engine oil and lederhosen competed with carbolic

soap and elastoplasts. Red toffee apples, vanilla ice cream and peaches in syrup provided

sweetness to the party.

Tidal waves lapping on shingle beach and honey marinade fish on the Barbie. Water tames

the minx and a fresh herbal “lite” character emerged. Members of the panel recounted

fondly their misspent youth drinking Pisco sours (lime cocktail), nibbling olives and smo-

king roll ups in seedy undergraduate flats

GLEN SCOTIA
19 years old

43 %
THE MACPHAILS COLLECTION
Selected Single Distilleries
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled: 1992
Botttled 2011
Specially selected produced and bottled by
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

GLEN SCOTIA
Estd. 1832
Aged 15 years

46 %
CAMPBELTOWN FINE WHISKY
CLASSIC CAMPBELTOWN   MALT
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Gently Matured in the Finest
American Oak Barrels
Non Chill Filtered
Rich & Smooth
Distilled, Matured & Bottled in Scotland
Loch Lomond Group
Glen Scotia Distillery, Campbeltown

An exceptional single malt whisky produced at this historic Campbeltown distillery and gently
matured in old American oak barrels before bottling .

It's signature nose has hints of vanilla oak, interwoven with the subtle notes of sea spray and spicy aromatic fruits.

Campbeltown whiskies are intriguing - appealing to those cunsumers looking for something
a little of the beaten track.

Campbeltown is a small town on the Kintyre peninsular on the west coast of Scotland,

GLEN SCOTIA
Estd. 1832
DOUBLE CASK

46 %
CAMPBELTOWN FINE WHISKY
CLASSIC CAMPBELTOWN MALT
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
FINISHED IN MATURE AMERICAN OAK
& PEDRO XIMENEZ SHERRY CASKS
Non Chill Filtered
Rich & Spicy
Distilled, Matured & Bottled in Scotland
Loch Lomond Group
Glen Scotia Distillery, Campbeltown,
Mull of Kintyre

Our Master Blender hand picks every cask and finishes the preciuous whisky
In first fill Bourbon Barrels and then finishes this outstanding single malt whisky
in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

This provides the perfect balance of rich spicy fruits overlaid with the characteristic
sea spray and vanilla oak finish of the house of Glen Scotia.

Campbeltown whiskies are intriguing - appealing to those consumers looking for
something a little of the beaten track.

Campbeltown is a small town on the Kintyre peninsular on the west coast of
Scotland. Affectionally known as the " We Toon".

Affectionally known as the "Wee Toon"

GLEN SCOTIA
Estd. 1832
V I C T O R I A N A

51,5 %
CAMPBELTOWN FINE WHISKY
CLASSIC CAMPBELTOWN MALT
Single malt Scotch Whisky
FINISHED IN THE FINEST DEEP
CHARRED OAK CASKS
Non Chill Filtered
Rich % Smoky
Distilled, Matured & Bottled In Scotland
Loch Lomond Group
Glen Scotia Distillery, Campbeltown

Campbeltown is a small town on the Kintyre peninsular on the west coast
of Scotland, affectionally known as the "Wee Town".

Campbeltown whiskies are intriguing appealing to those consumers looking
for something a little off the beaten track.

Our Malt master John Peterson, hand selects casks from our reserve cellar,
each chosen for their rare - characteristics and exceptional maturity.

Finished in the finest deeo charred oak, the result is an EXCEPTIOANL SMOOTH
Single Malt Scotch Whisky where the aroma and flavour work in harmony.

Bottled in the traditional way, straight from the cask and without chill filtration,
it's subtle wood and vanilla flavour is enhanced by a full bodied fruity aroma
and mildly smoky aftertaste.

GLEN SCOTIA
EST. 1832
Aged 10 years

50 %
LEGENDS OF SCOTIA
QUINTESSENTIALLY SCOTTISH
CAMPBELTOWN PICTURE HOUSE
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Limited Edition
6000 Bottles
Non Chill Filtered
Natural Colour
Glen Scotia Distillery, Campbeltown

GLEN SCOTIA

19 years

43 %

Cambeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The Macphail’s Collection

Selected Single Distilleries

Distilled: 1992

Bottled: 2011

Specially selected produced and bottled

by Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

GLEN SCOTIA

Estd. 1832

Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Campbeltown Fine Whisky

Classic Campbeltown Malt

Cask Strenght

55.7 %

Distilled March 2005

Bottled: Nov 2018

Heavily Peated

1 of 328 Bottles

Non Chill Filtered

Natural Colour

Limited Edition

The Glen Scotia Classic Series

Single Cask Selection Spring 2019

Cask Number 17/413 – 8

Cask Type: 1st Fill Oloroso HHD

Patience is n’t just a Virtue,

it ’s an Ingredient

Time Honoured

Distilled, Matured & Bottled in Scotland

Glen Scotia Distillery, Loch Lomond Group

Campbeltown is a small town on the Kintyre peninsula

on the west coast of Scotland, affectionately know as

the “Wee Toon”.

Glen Scotia was founded in 1832 and has been produ-

cing Single malt whisky in the time honoured manner

since then. Troughout this time Campbeltown was

known as the “Victorian whisky capital of the world”

Campbeltown whiskies are intriguing and appealing

They reflect the regional character of sea spray with

hints of fruit and smoke.

Campbeltown
GLEN SCOTIA

Campbeltown, Argyll. Licentiehouder: A. Gillies & Co, Ltd. Eigendom van Gibson International Ltd.
Gebouwd in 1832 door Stewart Galbraith als Scotia. De distilleerderij zou tot 1895 in handen van deze familie blijven.
De distilleerderij heeft twee ketels en betrekt zijn water van Cross Hill Loch, een kunstmatig meer, aangelegd door de Duke of Argyll, om de distilleerderijen van Campbeltown van water te voorzien.
Stewart Galbraith & Co kocht in 1896 Glen Nevis (1877 - 1923) in de Glebe Street te Camp-beltown.
In 1919 is Duncan MacCallum de eigenaar van Scotia.

Ook in 1919 werd de West Highland Distilleries Ltd, (W.H.M.D.) opgericht door een groep blenders en handelaren, onder leiding van Robertson & Baxter te Glasgow, om de neergang van de whiskyindustrie te Campbeltown te stoppen.

In datzelfde jaar werden door de W.H.M.D. Ardlussa in de Glebe Street, (1879 - 1923), Da-lintober, Queen Street, (1832 - 1925), Glengyle, Glengyle Road, (1873 - 1925), Glen Nevis, in de Glebe Street, ( 1887 - 1923), Kinloch, Saddel Street, (1823 - 1926) en Glen Scotia gekocht.

De opkomst van, en neergang van Campbeltown heeft meerdere redenen: de kunst van het distilleren in Schotland begon hier, en/of op Islay, meegekomen met de missionarissen uit Ierland.
Campbeltown had met Campbeltown Loch één van de mooiste natuurlijke havens ter wereld, en had zo een voorsprong, door goedkoop vervoer boven de distilleerderijen in de Hooglanden.
Vanaf de 15e eeuw werden er al kolen gedolven te Drumlemble, vier en een halve kilometer van Campbeltown gelegen.
Schotten geëmigreerd naar Canada en Amerika, zorgden ook voor vraag naar de whisky.

In zijn hoogtijdagen bezat de stad wel een twintigtal distilleerderijen en in totaal zijn er meer dan dertig geopend en gesloten geweest.
De neergang kwam met het bankroet van de Pattison's in 1899, de overproduktie, mindere kwaliteit en smaak verandering van de afnemers.
Door de enorme voorraden, ontstaan door overproduktie, vóór het bankroet van de blenders Pattison, volgden er heel moeilijke jaren, gevolgd door de eerste wereldoorlog, waarin veel distilleerderijen sloten.
Campbeltown werd extra getroffen door de neergang, er waren al teveel distilleerderijen, en bovendien was de kolenmijn uitgeput en sloot in 1923, waardoor ook de spoorweglijn niet meer rendeerde.
Ook de naamsverandering van Campbeltown in West Highland Malt hielp niet, en in 1923 -1924 ging West Highland Malt Distilleries Ltd, vrijwillig in liquidatie.
David MacCallum, één van de directeuren van de W.H.M.D. nam Glen Scotia over van de West Highland Malt Distilleries, maar moest in 1926 Glen Scotia sluiten.
In de dertiger jaren waren er nog drie distilleerderijen over, Rieclachan (gesloten in 1934 Springbank en Glen Scotia.

In 1931 kopen Bloch Brothers, reeds de eigenaars van Scapa op Orkney, Glen Scotia.

Zij kopen in Januari 1941 ook Glengyle, maar door het begin van de tweede wereldoorlog gaan hun plannen niet door de distilleerderij te heropenen.
In 1954 verkoopt Bloch Brothers zowel Scapa als Glen Scotia aan Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd. Hiram Walker behoudt Scapa maar verkoopt Glen Scotia aan A. Gillies & Co, (Distillers) Ltd.A. Gillies & Co, exploiteert lagerpakhuizen, zijn makelaars in whisky, blenders en expor-teren Schotse whisky.

A. Gillies & Co, wordt in 1970 overgenomen door Amalgamated Distilled Products, eigenaar is de Argyll Group.
In korte tijd werden verschillende firma's overgenomen die betrokken zijn bij de whisky-industrie en rond 1980 bezit A.D.P. ongeveer twintig verschillende blended whiskymerken, en met een verkoop van een miljoen dozen per jaar die werden afgevuld in een eigen bottel-fabriek te Grangemouth.
In 1982 wordt Barton Brands Ltd overgenomen.

Barton Brands Ltd is een Amerikaanse groep met vooral activiteiten in de Amerikaanse Whis-keyindustrie, en in 1959 de stap naar Schotland maakten met de aankoop van een aandeel in Littlemill en begonnen met de bouw van Loch Lomond.

In 1971 kwam Littlemill geheel in het bezit van Barton Brands Ltd en werd de dochteronder-neming Barton Distilling (Scotland) Ltd opgericht.
Glen Scotia wordt na een kostbare renovering van 1,5 miljoen dollar in 1984 gesloten. Loch Lomond werd in 1985 verkocht aan Inver House en Littlemill wordt gesloten in 1984.
Amalgamated Distilled Products deed ook mee in een poging om The Distillers Company Ltd over te nemen, maar verloor van Guinness.
In 1989 was er een management buy-out onder de leiding van twee directeuren van A.D.P. Ian Lockwood en Bob Murdoch en met de hulp van Schenley, een Amerikaans- Canadese firma met whiskybelangen.
Schenley had al eerder belangen gehad in de Schotse whiskyindustrie, door de overname in 1956 van Seager, Evans & Co, Ltd. met als belangrijkste merk Long John en de distilleer-derijen Strathclyde, Kinclaith, Tormore en Laphroaig, maar dit avontuur werd in 1971 be-ëindigd.

Gibson International, zoals de firma verder ging heropende Glen Scotia in 1989.
In 1994 ging Gibson International bankroet, de Schotse activiteiten, Barton Distillers (Scotland) Ltd met de distilleerderijen Glen Scotia en Littlemill kwamen in het bezit van Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse, een firma die lagerpakhuizen exploiteert, bottelaar en blender is en sinds 1985 eigenaar is van Loch Lomond, overgenomen van Inver House.
Eigenaar van Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse is Sandy Bulloch, wiens familiegeschiedenis teruggaat tot 1855 toen Lade & Co fuseerden met Bulloch & Co, die Loch Katrine te Glasgow en Lossit op Islay bezaten, ook werd Caol Ila nog gekocht.

Hun toen wereldbekende blended whisky was B L Gold Label.

Maar ook deze firma kwam in moeilijkheden in 1920 en ging in liquidatie en werd in 1927 ingelijfd in de D.C.L. Het merk B L Gold Label bestaat nog steeds en Caol Ila, nu het eigendom van Diageo heeft nog steeds Bulloch Lade & Co als licentiehouder.

De Amerikaanse activiteiten van Barton Brands Ltd kwamen in handen van Canadaigua Brands, een onderneming groot geworden in goedkope wijnen en sinds 31 October 2000 van naam veranderd in Constelltion Brands.
Glen Scotia sloot in 1994 omdat het Clen Catrine Bonded Warehouse alleen te doen was om de voorraden whisky.
In Mei 1999 wordt bekend dat Glen Scotia jaarlijks drie maanden whisky gaat produceren met hulp van Springbank:

On May 5, 1999, the first mash was made by Hector Gatt, the brewer of Springbank distillery.

Mr. Mitchell Sorbie of the Loch Lomond Distillery Company, owners of Glen Scotia Distillery, stated in a press release, 'how pleased he is that it has been possible to arrange for the current season's production to be carried out by the staff of Springbank under the direction of its General Manager Mr. Frank McHardy.
The press release also states. Mr. McHardy is confident that the wide experience of his staff in the complete production of malt whisky from malting to bottling at Springbank will ensure efficient quality production at Glen Scotia.

Het water komt van Crosshill Loch
De Mash tun is 5 ton.
De Wash back is 16.000 liter.
De Wash still is 16.000 liter, de Spirit still 12.000 liter, beiden worden met stoom verhit.
De produktie capaciteit is 750.000 liter spirit per jaar.
1999 Production restarts from 5th May through J.A. Mitchell & Co, owners of Springbank
2000 Loch Lomond Distillers runs operations with its own staff from May onwards.
2005 kapaciteit: 750.000 liter spirit per jaar

GLEN SCOTIA

(1832 - 1928) (1933 - 1978) (1979 - 1982

reconstruction takes place)
( 1983 - 1984) (1989 - 1994)

(1999 on 5th May through J.A. Mitchell
the owners of Springbank)

(2000 Loch Lomond Distillers runs operations
with his own staff from May onwards)

1832

Founded by Stewart, Galbraith & Co. as

Scotia Distillery Alexander MacKelvie

was later made a partner
Founded as Scotia distillery by Stewart & Galbraith,

the partners where John and William Galbraith and James Stewart.

1835

Distilling license received
1840
Alexander Mac Kelvie and James Napier became partners
1885
Alfred Barnard visits Scotia
1891

Bought by Duncan MacCallum, who also built Glen Nevis Distillery

(1877 - 1923)

The two distilleries were incorporated in a limited company

Scotia purchased Duncan Mac Callum with the company name Messrs. Steward

Galbrath & Co, with the directors Duncan Mac Callum, Thomas Brown and NeilMcNish

1887

Glen Nevis is bought by Scotch Whisky Distilleries Ltd

1889

Glen Nevis is bought back by Duncan MacCallum after S.W.D. bust in 1889

1896-98

Scotia completely rebuilt Scotia remodeled as the malting floors were built at front and old buildings whered

1919

Sold to West Highland Distilleries Ltd, a consortium led by Robertson & Baxter

1924

Duncan MacCallum buys Kinloch Distillery (1823 - 1926) from W.H.M.D. and also acquires Glenside Distillery (1835 - 1926)
1926

W.H.M.D. is liquidated
1928

Scotia closes
1928

Duncan MacCallum commits suicide Bloch Brothers, also owners of Scapa takes over and the name is now Glen Scotia
1931

Duncan Mac Callum dies under mysterious circumstances in the Crosshill Loch
1933

Production at Glen Scotia restarts Bloch Brothers Ltd ( John & Sir Maurice) also owners of Scapa takes over Scotia and renamed the distillery Glen Scotia
1941

The empty Glengyle Distillery is bought by the Bloch Brothers, but the war intervened and nothing came of it

1954

Hiram Walker buys Glen Scotia and Scapa from the Bloch Brothers for 1.400.000 Pound

1955

A Gillies & Co are the new owners.

1966

The nephew of Sir Maurice Bloch, David Wolfe was partner/manager in A. Gillies

& Co and A.D.P.
1970

A. Gillies & Co becomes part of Amagamated Distilled Products

1979 - 1982

Reconstruction takes place
1984

The distillery closes
1988

Bought by Barton U.K
1989

Amalgameted Distilled Products

is taken over by

Gibson International Production restarts
1994

Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Ltd

takes over Glen Scotia is mothballed
1996
Loch Lomond Distillers with as owner

Alexander (Sandy) Bulloch buys Glen Scotia
1999

Production restarts from 5th May through

J.A. Mitchell & Co, owners of
Springbank
2000

Loch Lomond Distillers runs operations

with his own staff from May onwards
2005

A 12 year old is released
2006

A peated version from 1999 is released
2010
Glen Scotia is running at 15 % of its capacity =

100.000 litres a year.
Peated spirit, 30 ppm, is produced since 1999,

and were released in 2006 and 2007 as
6 and 7 years old.
The wasbacks are made of Corton steel
Between 1979 and 1982,

Amalgamated Distillers products

( A.D.P.) are owners 1 million pounds are

spent for refurbishing the distillery,

1984

but Glen Scotia closed .

1989,

Glen Scotia starts production

owners then, Gibson International,

owners of A.D.P

1994.

Then Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouses

Ltd bought the distillery

1999.

Glen Scotia starts production on a

modest scale

2011

After Iain McAlister became manager

six washbacks were installed

and also a new wash still condenser

2012.

and spirit still condenser

The racked warehouse used dates from

1971
From now on (2012) Glen Scotia is now

promoted as a premium single malt whisky

and producing whisky with a growth of

500 % in 2012.
The new range of Glen Scotia expressions

12, 12, 16, 18, 21 years old.

A 1973 Vintage is released in 2012.
New packaging is introduced, and also

peated versions are coming out.
New bottling are at 46 % and no

iron lauter, there are 6 stainless steel

washbacks with a capacity of 20.000

litres each
The wash still is 11.000 litres, the spirit stil

7.000 litres.

There are three mashes a week.
In 2011 12.000 litres of lightly peated

whisky was made and in the future also

heavily peated whisky will be made

Between 1979 and 1982, when

Amalgamated Distillers products

( A.D.P.) are owners 1 million pounds are

spent for refurbishing the distillery,

but Glen Scotia closed in 1984.

Glen Scotia starts production in 1989,

owners then, Gibson International,

owners of A.D.P.

Then Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse

Ltd bought the distillery in 1994.

Glen Scotia starts production on a

modest scale in 1999.

After Iain McAlister became manager

2014

A 10 years old, a No Age expression are

released, both heavily peated

2015

Double Cask Victoriana are launched

2017

A 25 year old, a 18 year old and two

duty free bottlings released

2019

Glen Scotia is sold to Hillhouse capital management

A 2003 Vintage, a 45 year old are released

2021

A 46 years old released

2022

Double Cask Rum Finish is launched

Capacity: 800.000 Ltrs

Outpu: 750.000 Ltrs

48.000 Ltrs will split between medium peated

and heavily peated resp. 23 ppm and 55 ppm

Glen Scotia was painted in 2008,

six washbacks were installed in 2011

and also a new wash still condenser

and spirit still condenser in 2012.

Water: Crosshill Loch
Mash tun: 1 x 5 tonnes
Wasback: 1 x 16000 litres
1 wash still x 16000 litres
1 x spirit still x 12000 litres
Output: 750.000 litres

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been
passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re-
lease as a Society bottling.
Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members
are selected, true to our motto: "TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED ".

This limited edition bottling of 6000 bottles is being
released to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of
the date this prestigious Glasgow School Art Noveau
design style of cinema was built in 1913.

Designed by A. V. Gardener it is the oldest continuous
operating in Scotland and one of the oldest in the world.
This limited edition bottling will provide a contribution
Towards the restoration work being undertaken by the
Campbeltown Community Business Ltd organisation
as a gesture of support for Campbeltown's heritage
and community.

GILLIES & CO DISTILLERS

According to Richard Paterson, who began his illustrious whisky blending career with A. Gillies & Co in Glasgow in 1966, the company was ‘an old-fashioned firm involved in broking, blending and distilling.’

While the company was based out of Renfield Street in Glasgow, it operated the Glen Scotia distillery and a whisky warehousing and bottling site in Campbeltown, the latter formed from the merger of Glen Nevis and Ardlussa’s disused warehouses.

Its main Scotch whisky brands included the Old Court, Scotia Royale and Royal Culross blends, as well as Glen Scotia single malt.

A. Gillies & Co was founded by Sir Maurice Bloch, founder of whisky blender and broker Bloch Brothers.

The firm acquired the Glen Scotia distillery in 1955 from Hiram Walker, which had itself acquired the distillery 12 months earlier from Bloch Bros.

In the same year the company bought the disused warehouses of Ardlussa and Glen Nevis distilleries in Campbeltown. The two neighbouring distilleries both closed in 1923, though their warehouses were combined in 1936 by Glen Nevis and Ardlussa Warehouses as a blending and bottling facility.

A. Gillies & Co. was eventually acquired by Amalgamated Distilled Products (ADP) in 1970, which became part of supermarket tycoon James Gulliver’s Argyll Group in 1983.

The firm held Glen Scotia’s license until its mothballing in 1984, and following Gulliver’s failed bid to purchase Distillers Company Ltd in 1985, A. Gillies & Co, along with ADP’s distilling interests, which included Glen Scotia and Littlemill distilleries, were sold to Gibson International.

Gibson was later acquired by Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Ltd in 1994, where A. Gillies & Co. remains a subsidiary under the name AG Bowling Ltd. Its Scotia Royale and Old Court brands were transferred to Loch Lomond Distillers in 2014.

A. Gillies & Co’s former office on Renfield Street is now the location of a sandwich shop.

Burberrys

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Old Governor

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Old Worthy

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Royal Culross

BLENDED MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Across town at Glen Scotia, a private equity company acquired the distillery (with Loch Lomond at Alexandria) last year. After decades of neglect, work had started to improve Glen Scotia before acquisition, as manager Iain McAlister explains.

‘We’d already increased annual production from 100,000 litres a year to 350,000 litres and installed new washbacks before the new owners came along. Since the change in ownership, we’ve also been improving the overall image of the place, and we opened a distillery shop this spring, with pre-booked distillery tours now available.’

The single pair of stills has been cleaned and lacquered, and shine for the first time in living memory, while a three-section warehouse has been developed, allowing single malt stock to be matured on site.

‘We’ve just launched a revised Glen Scotia line-up of three new expressions – a 15-year-old, a Double Cask, and Victoriana – which are being promoted globally, and there’s a real sense that the distillery and the whisky have got their confidence back,’ says McAlister.

GLEN SCOTIA BRINGS CAMPBELTOWN TO LONDON

February 2018

Glen Scotia distillery is launching the Glen Scotia Grand Tour next month, a tasting experience in London’s Borough Market that will replicate the sights and sounds of the distillery’s home in Campbeltown.

Glen Scotia is taking the sights, smells and tastes of Campbeltown on tour

Based in Borough Market’s Wine Pantry store, the Grand Tour will give whisky lovers the chance to experience a visit to the distillery on Scotland’s west coast, without leaving their seats.

After sampling whisky-based cocktails and canapes, Campbeltown scenes and views of the Mull of Kintyre will be digitally projected onto the walls to create an ‘immersive’ experience.

The smallest of Scotland’s whisky-producing regions, Campbeltown is a remote area on Scotland’s west coast that was once the capital of whisky production and home to 30 distilleries. The region is now home to just three: Glen Scotia, Springbank and Glengyle (which produces Kilkerran whisky).

Iain McAlister, distillery manager at Glen Scotia, said: ‘We are the first to admit that Campbeltown isn’t the easiest to get to, but when whisky fans visit Glen Scotia, they are deeply impressed by the unique character of the region.

‘Our Glen Scotia Grand Tour will allow whisky lovers to share that sense of discovery and experience the lure of Campbeltown for themselves.’

The 60-minute Grand Tour will ‘guide’ visitors through the distillery manager’s office into the dunnage warehouse, where visitors will be able to sample drams straight from an authentic cask including a whisky exclusive to the experience.

Visitors will also have the chance to win a trip to the distillery to experience the region for themselves.

The Glen Scotia Grand Tour will run at the Wine Pantry from 15-17 March 2018, before being rolled out internationally to countries including the US.

CAMPBELTOWN WHISKY

Whisky making on the Campbeltown peninsula dates back to 1636 when a farm at Crosshill made a return for 6 quarts of Aqua Vitae payable to the town of Lochhead, the former name for Campbeltown. With the ready availability of local barley ‘bere’, peat for drying the malted barley and fresh water, the area became a rich bed of illicit whisky production through the late 18th century and the first years of the 19th century.

The final key element was the Armour family, a firm of local plumbers and coppersmiths, who arrived in Campbeltown in 1798. Robert Armour’s coppersmith business, set up in 1811, was the perfect cover for the manufacture of 4 part illicit stills made up of ‘The Vessel’, typically less than 40 gallons, ‘head , arm and the worm’. Robert Armour kept detailed records in his Still Book up until 1817. The map below shows the sites of all the stills supplied by Armour from 1811-1817.

THE DISTILLERY

Campbeltown or Lochhead as it was earlier known, was reportedly the ancient seat of the Scottish Parliament set up by King Fergus in 503AD. Indeed the site of the Glen Scotia distillery is built near to Campbeltown’s ancient parliament square. It is suggested that the Stone of Destiny, on which all Scottish monarchs were crowned, came from here.

Towards the southern end of the Mull of Kintyre, Campbeltown is an isolated, distinctive place. The whisky produced here is special too - so much so that it’s classified as a separate region, quite apart from the Highland, Speyside, Lowland and Islay whiskies which are perhaps better known today.

With an excellent water supply, easy access to peat and grain and a growing market in Victorian Britain and beyond, little Campbeltown had 28 distilleries by 1851, and proudly proclaimed itself ‘the whisky capital of the world’. Today only three distilleries remain, of which ours, Glen Scotia, is one of the finest in Scotland.

Glen Scotia adopts 100,000 bees

October, 2018

Loch Lomond Group's Glen Scotia has adopted 100,000 bees to increase the sustainability of the distillery’s environment.

The Campbeltown-based distillery teamed up with the Plan Bee, Scotland’s leading beekeepers, as part of its plan to position the Kintyre peninsula at the forefront of Scotland’s food and drink map.

The honey produced on-site will be available to purchase at the distillery in spring 2019 and Glen Scotia hopes it will be on sale at the next Glen Scotia Open Day, which is to be held as part of the Campbeltown Malts Festival in May 2019.

Iain McAlister, distillery manager at Glen Scotia said: “We’re dedicated to improving our corporate sustainability, and by partnering up with Plan Bee, we can help one of the world’s hardest workers.

“They (the bees) will help us to progress our plans to be more sustainable and protect Scotland’s beautiful countryside, which is so crucial to the distilling industry.

“Whisky itself is made with natural ingredients – water, yeast and malted barley, so it is essential that we do what we can to have a positive impact on the environment and protect the land on which we depend to make our wonderful award-winning Glen Scotia single malt Scotch.”

Plan Bee is an eco-innovation business offering beehive adoption, management and educational services to individuals and organisations. By providing an area where the bees can thrive, Glen Scotia is helping to preserve the endangered species.

The distillery, originally named Scotia, was built in 1832 by Stewart, Galbraith & Co who ran it until 1895. In 1919, it was one of the founding members of West Highland Malt Distilleries which brought together six Campbeltown distilleries in an attempt to share costs and stave off potential closure. Five of the six failed, but in 1924 when the axe was falling across Campbeltown, Scotia was purchased by Duncan MacCallum who had founded Glen Nevis. He was forced to close it in 1928, but it reopened in 1930. That year however, MacCallum committed suicide after owing his life savings in a scam (his ghost is said to haunt the distillery) and it was bought by Bloch Bros [see Glengyle, Scapa] which added ‘Glen’ to the name.

Bloch retained ownership until 1954, when its distillery estate was sold to Canadian giant Hiram Walker, but clearly Campbeltown malt was not part of its plans and 12 months later it was in the hands of blender A. Gillies & Co.

It in turn became the Scotch arm of Amalgamated Distilled Products Ltd which supplied bulk and bottled malt in a myriad of names globally. ADP in time owned Barton Brands [see Loch Lomond]. Despite reconstruction work at the end of the 1970s, Glen Scotia closed between 1984 and 1989 and when it reopened it was under the ownership of Gibson International (which had bought ADP’s distilling interests).

In 1994, Gibson’s whisky interests were bought by Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Ltd which promptly mothballed Glen Scotia once more. It worked intermittently until 1999, when it returned to fully staffed production. Although a 12-year-old was available, it was more widely available through occasional bottlings by independent bottlers. In 2012 however a new range, with striking wrap-around packaging featuring Highland cows, was launched. With Glen Catrine’s subsequent purchase in 2014 by private equity firm Exponent, there are hopes that there will be further investment in plant and brands.

Loch Lomond Group

2014 - present

CURRENT OWNER

Loch Lomond Distillers

1994 - present

PREVIOUS OWNERS

Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse

1994 - 2014

Gibson International

1989 - 1994

Amalgamated Distilled Products

1970 - 1989

A Gillies & Co Distillers

1955 - 1970

Hiram Walker & Sons

1954 - 1955

Bloch Brothers

1930 - 1954

Duncan MacCallum

1924 - 1930

West Highland Malt Distilleries

1919 - 1924

Stewart, Galbraith & Co

1832 - 1919

It could be its years spent as a supplier of fillings for blends, but there are elements of flexibility built into Glen Scotia. Three types of malt are processed [unpeated, medium-peated and heavily-peated] in its open-topped, cast iron mash tun giving wort which is fermented in (new) stainless steel washbacks, but the fermentation time will vary between short (giving nutty) and long (fruity). There is a single pair of stills. The greatest level of investment today is going into wood.

A GILLIES & CO DISTILLERS

Its main Scotch whisky brands included the Old Court, Scotia Royale and Royal Culross blends, as well as Glen Scotia single malt.

A. Gillies & Co was founded by Sir Maurice Bloch, founder of whisky blender and broker Bloch Brothers.

The firm acquired the Glen Scotia distillery in 1955 from Hiram Walker, which had itself acquired the distillery 12 months earlier from Bloch Bros.

A. Gillies & Co. was eventually acquired by Amalgamated Distilled Products (ADP) in 1970, which became part of supermarket tycoon James Gulliver’s Argyll Group in 1983.

A. Gillies & Co’s former office on Renfield Street is now the location of a sandwich shop.

DISTILLERIES & BRANDS

Burberrys

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Old Governor

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Old Worthy

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Royal Culross

CAMPBELTOWN BIDS FOR ‘WHISKIEST PLACE’ TITLE

May 2019

Campbeltown distillery Glen Scotia has launched a campaign to name the region ‘the whiskiest place in the world’ ahead of the annual Campbeltown Malts Festival (21-23 May).

The campaign has been designed to honour Campbeltown’s whisky heritage, as the region was once home to more than 30 distilleries during its height in the 1800s.

Iain McAlister, distillery manager at Glen Scotia, said: ‘Whisky is in our DNA in Campbeltown. After being at the forefront of production, distilling has become a way of life here.

‘We’re very proud of our exceptional single malts and their contribution to both Campbeltown and Scotland’s world-leading whisky industry.’

As part of the campaign launch, the distillery hosted MSP Michael Russell, who bottled his own one-off 18-year-old single malt from a first-fill ex-Bourbon cask.

Russell said: ‘It’s very encouraging to see how Glen Scotia is helping to attract visitors to Campbeltown and boost recognition of its role in Scotch. I wish it well with its new campaign.’

Campbeltown was once named ‘whisky city’ by Victorian writer Alfred Barnard after he reportedly visited 21 distilleries during his stay in the region in 1885.

However, the town’s active distilleries have since dwindled to just three: Glen Scotia, Glengyle and Springbank.

The Campbeltown Malts Festival is an annual event encompassing dinners, distillery open days, free tours and tastings, held before Fèis Ìle – the Islay Festival of Music and Malt – kicks off on 24 May.

Glen Scotia Single Malt Whisky

In de roemruchtige victoriaanse tijd was de whisky regio Campbeltown

het episch centrum van de whisky industrie in Schotland. Toen die tijd waren er maarliefst meer dan 30 distilleerderijen in de regio.

Gedurende de jaren is er echter veel veranderd en zijn er vele distilleerderijen op het schiereiland gesloten. Het sluiten van de vele distilleerderijen in combinatie met het kleine aanbod en de hoge vraag heeft er toe geleid dat er een schaarste kwam aan de whisky met de ziltige neus.

Ver van de bewoonde wereld

Campbeltown is een geïsoleerde plek, ver van de bewoonde wereld en uniek ten opzichte van de andere gebieden in Schotland. De whisky die hier gedistilleerd wordt is op zijn beurt ook uniek en niet vergelijkbaar met whiskies die afkomstig zijn van de Speyside, Highlands, Islay of de Lowlands. Ondanks dat er momenteel nog maar een paar distilleerderijen actief zijn op Campbeltown is de stijl eigenzinnig en heeft het een uniek- en eigen karakter. Door de uniekheid is de Campbeltown regio geclassificeerd als een van de 5 regio’s van Schotland. Elke regio heeft haar eigen specifieke karakter kenmerken en zo ook de whisky afkomstig van het schiereiland Campbeltown waar nog maar drie distilleerderijen actief zijn op dit moment.

Vakmanschap en liefde

Glen Scotia, opgericht in 1832, is een van de drie distilleerderijen. Het is tevens een van de kleinste distilleerderijen van Schotland. Het vakmanschap en de liefde voor het levenswater is dan ook nog steeds waarneembaar bij Glen Scotia. Elk vat wordt nog geselecteerd en gekeurd door de Master Blender, John Peterson. De distilleerderij van Glen Scotia is nog bijna in dezelfde staat als dat het was in de 19e eeuw toen de toenmalige eigenaar Duncan MacCallum de distilleerderij heeft opgekalfaterd. Een idyllische plek die menig hart van whisky liefhebbers sneller doet laten kloppen.

Glen Scotia Double Cask Single Malt

Master Blender John Peterson heeft elke vat persoonlijk geselecteerd van deze typische klasieke Campbeltown whisky. De whisky is opgevoed in bourbon vaten en gefinished in Pedro Ximinez sherry vaten. Dit geheel zorgt voor een perfecte balans met tonen van donker rood fruit, vanille en een karakteristieke ziltige neus.

Glen Scotia Victoriana Single Malt

Voor deze single malt whisky worden alleen de beste vaten gebruikt die afkomstig zijn van de ‘’reserve cellar’’ van Glen Scotia. Elk vat wordt geselecteerd voor een exceptionele en bijzondere vatlagering. De finish van deze single malt vindt namelijk plaats in getoaste en bijna verkoolde vaten wat resulteert in een ‘’full bodied’’, fruitige en zachte whisky met vanille tonen en een milde ‘’smoky’’ afdronk.

Glen Scotia 15 Years Old Single Malt

Een uitzonderlijke mooie whisky die 15 jaar lang op Amerikaanse eikenhouten vaten heeft mogen rijpen. De ‘’signature nose’’ van deze whisky verklapt dat het levenswater afkomstig is van Campbeltown . In de smaak hints van vanille en donker rood fruit.

Campbeltown is in 2021 weer even de whiskyhoofdstad van de wereld! De 25-jaar oude single malt whisky van Glen Scotia werd door de vakjury van het prestigieuze San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) verkozen tot ‘The Best Whisky in The World in 2021’.

Een fantastisch resultaat! En daarnaast een mooie erkenning van het werk dat Master Distiller Iain McAlister en zijn collega’s bij Glen Scotia hebben verricht.

Dit jaar beoordeelde de SFWSC-jury 3.800 spirits in 31 verschillende categorieën. Glen Scotia 25 Years Old werd daarbij uiteindelijk uitgeroepen tot 'Best in Show Whisky', wat het de beste whisky ter wereld maakt in het jaar 2021.

Over San Francisco World Spirits Competition

De San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) is één van de meest prestigieuze competities voor sterke dranken ter wereld. De juryleden zijn gerenommeerde experts in hun vakgebied met vaak tientallen jaren ervaring in de drankensector. De competitie begon in het jaar 2000 en is daarmee de op één na oudste spirits-competitie ter wereld.

Glen Scotia 25 Years Old

Deze mooie 25 jaar oude Campbeltown single malt heeft eerst rustig liggen rijpen op de beste vaten van Amerikaans eikenhout, om vervolgens gehuwd te worden in first-fill bourbonvaten. Daarna werd de whisky gebotteld op 48,8%, zonder koude filtratie of toevoeging van kleurstoffen.

Proefnotitie

Neus: Een verkwikkende zeewind zorgt voor een sterke maritieme invloed.

Smaak: Zilte zeelucht, rode appel, pittige sinaasappelschil met vanillesiroop en de zoetheid van karamel.

Afdronk: De smaak van zeezout is lang en aanhoudend met kruidige tonen van gemalen gember.

Art.nr. 108528 Glen Scotia 25YO Classic Campbeltown Single Malt

Beschikbaarheid: Glen Scotia 25 Years Old is momenteel niet voorradig. Het artikel is weer in bestelling en naar verwachting eind mei weer leverbaar. We ontvangen een beperkt aantal flessen.

Goud voor Glen Scotia 15 Years Old

Glen Scotia 25 Year Old was niet de enige whisky van de distilleerderij die dit jaar een prijs ontving in San Francisco. Ook de Glen Scotia 15 Year Old werd bekroond. Deze whisky ontving een gouden medaille in de categorie ‘Distillers Single Malt Scotch 13 to 19 Years’.

"It’s Campbeltown’s time and it’s beyond exciting" - why Scotland's smallest whisky-producing region is having a renaissance

As a host of new distilleries are set to open in Scotland’s smallest whisky region, Rosalind Erskine asks if Campbeltown is having a renaissance.

June 14, 2022

“Campbeltown is going to come out as the new Islay,” says a smiling Iain Croucher, co-founder of one of the town's newest distilleries Dal Riata.

And while Iain has skin in this game, he may not be wrong as his isn’t the only new distillery in the works in what was the ‘whisky capital of the world.’

Once home to almost 30 distilleries, Campbeltown was a powerhouse and, as such, is recognised as a whisky region.

Now this wee toon, as it’s known, is only home to three distilleries and, a few years ago, risked losing its regional status.

But there are plans brewing. Quite literally. The Dal Riata team have submitted plans for their distillery, which will be located on Kinloch Road overlooking Campbeltown Loch.

The name Dál Riata is derived from the ancient kingdom that existed on the Western coast of Scotland and Northeast Ireland between the 6th and 9th Centuries.

Permission is also pending on distillery plans for Dhurrie farm in Machrihanish.

These plans come from the owners of the Isle of Raasay Distillery, R&B Distillers, who want to add a second single malt whisky brand to their portfolio by building The Machrihanish Distillery to create Campbeltown’s first farm-to-bottle single malt.

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The new distillery will also include a visitor centre and whisky club.

Whisky expert Charles Mclean also hints that there’s a few more in the planning stages, when we sit down to chat during the first in-person Campbeltown Malts Festival since 2019.

“The good news is that there are two distilleries that are going ahead and another two that are proposed, so there is a renaissance in distilling in Campbeltown,” he said.

“It has had its ups and downs, not only because of the whisky but also because of the fishing.

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"I’ve known Campbeltown for over 30 years and my goodness it has really picked up in the last 10-15 years and is a very vibrant place.”

While Campbeltown has a rich whisky history, why is it now that new distilleries are being planned and built?

For R&B Distillers’ it was a link to the area plus a clear plan to be a leading artisan distiller in Scotland.

Co-founder Bill Dobbie’s family were from the Campbeltown area and, he said, they can now build on Raasay’s success. There’s also the growing global demand for quality drinks with a strong provenance.

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For Dal Riata, it was the history of the location, and Iain’s belief that Campbeltown produces some of the best whiskies as well as timing.

Iain said: “It’s a perfect place to make whisky. The whisky and history - they just lend themselves to (Campbeltown) needing a resurgence. It needs people who have the ability and the resources to invest in a place like Campbeltown.”

This growing interest in Campbeltown’s whiskies, old and new, will no doubt bring a boost to the town and malts festival (which is still relatively new and small in comparison to Spirit of Speyside and Feis Ile) but as Iain said: “it’s Campbeltown’s time and it’s beyond exciting.”

THE WHISKY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

Our charming Scotch distillery was founded in 1832 as Scotia Distillery. By 1835, it was one of almost 30 thriving distilleries in Campbeltown. This earned our dear region the title of 'Whisky Capital of the World' in the Victorian era. Today, there are only three Campbeltown whisky distilleries left — and the enduring Glen Scotia Distillery is one of them.

Located at 12 High Street in Campbeltown (or as we refer to it, the Wee Toon), our distillery aims to honour the fallen greats of our region. We do this by producing only the highest-quality spirits that authentically represent our town, its whisky character, and its flavour profiles of past & present.

Where is Campbeltown?

Campbeltown is situated in the West Coast of Scotland in Argyll and Bute, nestled on the Kintyre peninsula.

It was not long after the first settlement was established that residents discovered how perfect the location was — boasting a rich supply of all the ingredients needed for distilling single malts.

With the abundance of fresh water, local barley, fuel, and peat, the first distillery was established in 1817 — and the rest is history.

AN AUTHENTIC SCOTTISH WHISKY DISTILLERY EXPERIENCE

Visit our Campbeltown distillery to discover our incredible selection of sweet & fruity or rich & smoky single malt whiskies and explore everything that makes it unique. Choose from our tours and tastings at the distillery, or join us for our annual whisky festival.

With each spirit produced at our single malt distillery, we like to think that we have bottled the spirit of Campbeltown to perfection and — from the very first sip — you'll know why Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of the world.

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

A dram of Glen Scotia represents so much more than whisky. It’s about the hundreds of years of craftsmanship, passed down through generations of master distillers that have shaped the taste and feel of Glen Scotia’s single malt whiskies throughout its history.

Glen Scotia single malts are excellent examples of the Campbeltown style, with rich and complex flavour profiles that set them apart from other Scotch malts. Distilled and aged to perfection, a single malt from our collection is the perfect late-night sip or gift for any whisky lover. Discover our collection of incredible Scottish whisky below from our aged malts to whisky gift sets.

70CL • 54.7% ABV

CAMPBELTOWN MALTS FESTIVAL EDITION 2023

£65.00

Glen Scotia 25 Year old

70CL • 48.8% ABV

25 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT WHISKY

£550.00

70CL • 54.2% ABV

VICTORIANA WHISKY

£75.00

70CL • 46% ABV

DOUBLE CASK SINGLE MALT WHISKY

£43.00

70CL • 46% ABV

DOUBLE CASK RUM FINISH SINGLE MALT WHISKY

£49.00

New

70CL • 46% ABV

21 YEAR OLD WHISKY

£265.00

70CL • 46% ABV

15 YEAR OLD WHISKY

£68.00

Glen Scotia Seasonal Release Whisky 2022

70CL • 53.3% ABV

SEASONAL RELEASE 12 YEAR OLD WHISKY

LIMITED EDITION

£80.00

Glen Scotia Harbour Whisky Gift Set

Out of Stock

70CL • 40% ABV

HARBOUR WHISKY GIFT SET WITH GLASSES

Out of stock

Glen Scotia Double Cask Gift Set

70CL • 46% ABV

DOUBLE CASK WHISKY GIFT SET WITH GLASSES

£60.00

Glen Scotia Tasting Gift Set

25ML • VARIOUS ABV

GLEN SCOTIA WHISKY TASTING GIFT SET

£40.00

Glen Scotia Harbour Single Malt

70CL • 40% ABV

CAMPBELTOWN HARBOUR WHISKY

£37.00

Out of Stock

70CL • 46% ABV

18 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT WHISKY

Out of stock

Glen Scotia Single Malt Tasting

25ML • VARIOUS ABV

DUNNAGE WHISKY TASTING GIFT SET

£50.00

Out of Stock

70CL • 41.7% ABV

46 YEAR OLD WHISKY

Out of stock

70cl • 47.3% ABV

Only 120 bottles of this incredibly limited release are available worldwide. To celebrate our collaboration with our artist in residence, Alice Angus, we have selected remnants of a deep and distinguished unpeated 30-year-old single malt, matured in European oak casks, taste tested by Alice and Iain McAlister during Alice’s residency at the distillery. Each of the 120 bottles bears one of Alice’s four ‘Spirit Safe’ paintings (created especially for Glen Scotia during her residency), presented in a rigid display box which makes them a fantastic addition to any Campbeltown single malt lover’s whisky shelf or collection.

£2000.00

with free shipping

NOSE

Thick perfumed floral notes of violet and lavender are intertwined with bracing sea spray.

TASTE

Freshly sliced green apple and silky honeyed pear are followed by ground ginger spice and dark chocolate.

FINISH

The finish is long with a roasted sugar sweetness.

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Like whisky production, Alice’s technique involves patience, time and experimentation. She uses pencil, watercolour and ink to draw from life, spending a long time observing her surroundings through sight, sound, smell and touch, often waiting for the right moment, drawing similarities with the time and craftsmanship required in whisky-making. Some of her works are completed on-site directly from life and others are developed in the studio into larger-scale artworks.

70cl • 40.8% ABV

Originally laid down in December 1974, this remarkable liquid has passed through the hands and care of multiple generations of distillery teams. It is incredible to think that it was specially selected to be kept back time and time again by various hands, and allowed to continue its journey long after its carers stood down from the helm of the distillery. More than just a remarkable age, it is a window through time into a past era of Glen Scotia.

£11,000.00

NOSE

Sweet citrus of Seville orange, pineapple, coastal saltiness, green herbal notes, bay leaf, with nutmeg and cinnamon.

TASTE

An elegant mouthfeel with layers of demerara sugar and treacle sweetness. There is orange marmalade, red apple then raisin and sultana, some dried peel and cinnamon spice.

FINISH

Long finish with melted brown sugar and stone fruit, apricot and peach.

Matured in a combination of refill bourbon barrels and refill American oak hogsheads before being married for a six-month finish in first fill oloroso sherry casks, creating a smooth and aromatic single malt whisky.

The Oloroso sherry finish adds perfumed floral notes, creating a delicately aromatic dram while preserving the signature distillery character of rich fruits, hints of Atlantic sea spray, and subtle maritime nuances. Glen Scotia’s 21-year-old is an exceptional single malt that delivers the true character of a refined and classic Campbeltown whisky.

£265.00

70cl • 54.7% ABV

Our annual limited edition Festival bottlings are intriguing, bold, and appeal to those looking to be wonderfully surprised. After a 12-month finish in white port casks, this 11-year-old lightly peated single malt is brimming with bright spiced orchard fruit flavours interwoven with a signature Campbeltown soft smoke and sea salt.

£65.00

with free shipping

“This year’s festival edition release is another superb, limited-edition that showcases the scope of what glen scotia can offer; the white port cask finish provides something different for us, while still maintaining that wonderful fruity, robust, and subtly saline campbeltown signature profile.”

Iain McAlister

NOSE

Warming spiced stone fruit, almost like stewed white peach & cloves, with a fresher lemongrass and a slight mineral element.

TASTE

Molasses, caramel sweetness with more prune and fig notes with waxed wood and sandalwood spice.

FINISH

Fills the mouth with a long fragrant finish.

To celebrate this unique and unprecedented collaboration, we've created a limited press of vinyl records - a medium of music which like Campbeltown is experiencing a real renaissance in popularity for its authentic quality.

SIDE A: COPPER HEART

Copper Heart is built by the sounds of Glen Scotia distillery during the working day. Listen carefully and you can hear the banging of casks as drumbeats, mills running, conversations and the sounds of birds in the courtyard. In harmony with these familiar sounds Jenny’s lyrics take you on a journey down the West Road to town. While witnessing the storing away of casks like old friends in our cold, salty-aired dunnage warehouse, she perfectly captures the rise and fall (and rise again) of the town’s whisky making industry over time.

SIDE B: THE SOUND OF GLEN SCOTIA

This fully immersive and rich, three dimensional, 17 minute track takes the listener on a journey through the distillery showcasing how their dram was made, from the sound of the barley being delivered, to the whisky finally being drawn from its cask, and then shared and sipped on our local beach.

£20.00

Free Shipping

with free shipping

48 Year Old Whisky

70cl • 40.8% ABV

48 YEAR OLD WHISKY

£11,000.00

In Campbeltown? We invite you to visit the Glen Scotia shop to marvel at our 48-year-old whisky, a masterpiece of craftsmanship and heritage.

CASK SELECTED: 1974 17/582-1

GLEN SCOTIA & ALICE ANGUS

DISTILLERS ONE OF ONE

Glen Scotia is delighted to unveil this exquisite one-off collaboration which has been donated to the coveted Distillers One of One auction. This 49 Year Old (42.5% ABV) bottling is a masterpiece, with extraordinary whisky drawn from the distillery’s oldest remaining cask reserves and is the oldest release from the distillery to date.

The auction lot comes with an original artwork from Alice Angus, the distillery's artist in residence, as well as a unique, hand painted walnut display case which showcases the distillery and the people that craft this award winning whisky.

70cl • 54.1% ABV

Introducing the new Icons of Campbeltown series: a celebration of the Campbeltown community that ensured Glen Scotia prevailed through history. Taking our inspiration from the Campbeltown Market Cross – a historic community meeting point for celebration and storytelling, with a series of saints and beasts carved into its stone face – each release recalls a tale of local community spirit. Glen Scotia has partnered with celebrated artist, Joel Holtzman (Lucasfilm, Marvel, Disney, Macmillan) to bring each of the icons to life.

In Release 1, over a subtly maritime dram, we recall the community sighting of a Mermaid on our local shores. To pay homage to this special event, we have selected an equally special Palo Cortado sherry cask finishing to compliment this unpeated coastal and saline cask strength spirit.

£90.00

with free shipping

A Gillies & Co Distillers

DISTILLER & BLENDER

Glasgow-based blender, bottler and owner of Glen Scotia distillery in Campbeltown.

A GILLIES & CO DISTILLERS

Its main Scotch whisky brands included the Old Court, Scotia Royale and Royal Culross blends, as well as Glen Scotia single malt.

A GILLIES & CO DISTILLERS

A. Gillies & Co was founded by Sir Maurice Bloch, founder of whisky blender and broker Bloch Brothers.

The firm acquired the Glen Scotia distillery in 1955 from Hiram Walker, which had itself acquired the distillery 12 months earlier from Bloch Bros.

A. Gillies & Co. was eventually acquired by Amalgamated Distilled Products (ADP) in 1970, which became part of supermarket tycoon James Gulliver’s Argyll Group in 1983.

A. Gillies & Co’s former office on Renfield Street is now the location of a sandwich shop.

DISTILLERIES & BRANDS

Burberrys

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Old Governor

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Old Worthy

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Royal Culross

BLENDED MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse (Owner)

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70cl • 54.1% ABV

Icons of Campbeltown series: a celebration of the Campbeltown community that ensured Glen Scotia prevailed through history. Taking our inspiration from the Campbeltown Market Cross – a historic community meeting point for celebration and storytelling, with a series of saints and beasts carved into its stone face – each release recalls a tale of local community spirit. Glen Scotia has partnered with celebrated artist, Joel Holtzman (Lucasfilm, Marvel, Disney, Macmillan) to bring each of the icons to life.

£90.00

WHISKY WRITER, CHARLES MACLEAN

Appearance

Deep amber, polished mahogany in hue. Good beading and thick legs, indicating texture.

Aroma

A rich and mellow nose, slightly drying with very little prickle. The top notes are maritime (salt crystals, boat varnish, edible seaweed). Beneath these is a thick, fruity note (tarte tatin, glazed French apple tart; a suggestion of Dundee Seville marmalade). Becoming tablet toffee as it develops. Aromas subdued but unchanged by a little water.

Taste

A creamy texture, with an overall lightly sweet centre palate taste, and a pinch of salt. At slightly reduced strength, the taste is more salty but otherwise unchanged.

Finish

Long and warming at natural strength, with a savoury aftertaste. A little water introduces a spicy note to the finish.

70cl • 47.3% ABV

To celebrate our collaboration with our artist in residence, Alice Angus, we have selected remnants of a deep and distinguished unpeated 30-year-old single malt, matured in European oak casks, taste tested by Alice and Iain McAlister during Alice’s residency at the distillery. Each of the bottles bears one of Alice’s four ‘Spirit Safe’ paintings (created especially for Glen Scotia during her residency), presented in a rigid display box which makes them a fantastic addition to any Campbeltown single malt lover’s whisky shelf or collection.

£2000.00

Loch Lomond: Alexandrian alchemy at work

June 17, 2024Longer pieces

Michael Henry opens the door and we enter a stillhouse unlike any other. There’s swan-necked pots in the far corner, but before them are hybrid stills made up of a pot still base with a straight neck containing rectifying plates: one in the wash, and 17 in the spirit, which also has a cooling ring. Of course it has. It’s all about reflux. It’s also about producing as many variations on flavour as possible.

As we’re in the Loch Lomond distillery in Alexandria (where Michael is master blender), you might think that those straight neck stills are Lomond stills. They aren’t. These were modelled on a design installed by Duncan Thomas at the Littlemill distillery in the 1950s.

Around the same time, Hiram Walker’s engineer Alastair Cunningham had a similar idea His design had three moveable baffle plates in the neck which could be cooled individually, varying the amount of reflux.

He first ran at the Inverleven malt distillery housed within Dumbarton grain distillery and was called a ‘Lomond’ still, presumably because Dumbarton is fairly close to the loch …Lomond stills also operated at Miltonduff ((making Mosstowie) Glenburgie (Glencraig), and Scapa. All are discontinued.

One of Loch Lomond’s straight necked stills

‘The characteristics of a swan neck pot defines the profile of the spirit,’ Michael explains. ‘The straight-neck stills, however, have flexibility and were created to produce a triple-distilled style in double distillation’.

By operating different cut points (high-strength at 85%, low at 68%) and levels of peating on the straight neck stills, he collects seven different flavour streams. Then there’s the new make from the swan neck stills to add in. Each release of Loch Lomond single malt is a blend of different distillates.

Engrossed in the stills, we’ve not even talked about fermenting. There’s no surprise that there’s different yeasts used, or that the minimum length is 92 hours to increase lactobacillus and esterification. Then, blithely, he says, ‘during silent season we just leave washbacks to get on with it. It’s a three week ferment.’

‘Funky?’ I ask.

“Oh yes… the wash is,’ he shakes his head and smiles, ‘but it distills beautifully’.

There’s more … of course there is. The malt side also has a Coffey still which distils a 100% malted barley wash (common practise in the 19th and early 20th century). The distillery asked the SWA if there could be a separate definition for this style, but the suggestion was turned down. So it’s ‘grain’, but not grain as we know it. That’s made at the site’s grain distillery. Confused?

With ‘grain’ now being used to label rye, oat and mixed mashbill whiskies from pot stills as well as Loch Lomond’s malt ‘grain’, maybe it’s time to re-examine the definition.

Everything here starts in the lab

What could be interpreted as wild, random experimentation is in fact based on research set up by Loch Lomond’s former production director John Peterson. It is a self-contained, virtually self-sufficient (all it misses is a maltings) entity, a treasury of whisky knowledge whose work has barely been acknowledged.

That’s when it dawns on me. Alexandria. Not this one, but Egyptian city of legend founded by Alexander the Great in 331. A seat of learning, the home of a great library which was what we’d call a research centre rather than just a repository for scrolls. It was called the Mouseion (‘seat of the Muses’) from which we get museum.

A Greek enclave, Alexandria was where ideas were hatched, experiments took place, religions mingled and fractured. By the 5th century it was the largest city in the (western) world, a nexus of learning and knowledge, the centre of literature, science, philosophy and medicine

‘Water of Life’ author C.Anne Wilson in her investigations into early distillation places it as a home to the Dionysian mystery cult which, she argues, used distilled wine in its ceremonies, and, later, a home for Gnostic fire baptism ceremonies where distilled wine was ignited on the foreheads of acolytes.

Maria Hebraea, alchemist, scientist, distiller

Alexandria was also home to Maria Hebraea (Maria the Jewess, Maria Prophetissima) whose role in the early days of distillation, particularly at this time of the growing (and belated) awareness of womens’ role in spirits, seems to have been forgotten (or maybe I’ve just been looking in the wrong places).

She perfects various types of distillation equipment, invents the three spouted still (tribikos), and gave her name to the balneum Mariae, (bain marie) which is still used today.

As an alchemist she was investigating the nature of the building blocks of existence – proto-chemistry, chemical metaphors, occult practise, the interaction of matter with spirit, the genders of metals. Alexandria comes before Salerno, or Cordoba, even predating the refining of distilling which took place in Persia.

An early Balneum Mariae

And now there’s a town in the Vale of Leven with the same name. Not named after Alexander the Great, but its 18th century landowner Alexander Smollett. It too has been a place of enquiry.

On the way to the distillery we passed a vast red sandstone Victorian palace which in the way of these things started life as the headquarters of a luxury car maker. Alexander (the name keeps popping up) Girvan’s Hozier Engineering started making Argyll cars in Glasgow in 1899.

He moved the business to Alexandria in 1905 building the palace with its marble interior, golden dome, and telephones. At its height it was making 3,000 cars a year – the biggest car factor in Europe at the time. It collapsed just at the start of WWI when the site was requisitioned by the war office and for the next half century it made munitions. It’s now a shopping centre.

A psychedelic Argyll Cars ad from 1906

Ideas seem to ferment here, thoughts and plan bubbling to the surface but never seem to stick. Instead there’s layering and repurposing. As one thing dies, another emerges. A place making. Before cars, torpedoes, or whisky it was cloth: cotton bleaching, printing, and dyeing.

In 1897 The Alexandria Works (formed by the Croftingea and Levenfield sites) and other enterprises merged to form the United Turkey Red Company (UTR), making dyes for the textile factories.

Turkey Red (is it me or is that crying out to be a whisky brand?) was a bright crimson dye prized for not fading or running. The colour came from the root of the madder plant and while the process was long known in India, China and the near east, as with spirits it was late to Europe only arriving in the 18th century. (‘Turkey’ refers to the country not the bird).

from valeofleven.org.uk

Six years later, Loch Lomond built its distillery on the site. Some of the old UTR buildings have been repurposed into warehouses. Others sit empty. That layering again. (As a side note, during WWII the old Levenbank dye works was used as a victualling store for the Admiralty storing Navy rum for the sailors’ daily tot).

Loch Lomond was established to produce whisky destined for value for money brands, a high volume, low margin business. If that was the model it made sene to have everything under one roof.

Blenders also need a wide variety of flavours and texture. Loch Lomond took that principle, plus its own ethos of self-sufficiency and created the most innovative distillery in Scotland. When Japanese single malt appeared on the export markets at the start of this century, everyone got excited about how innovative the country’s distillers were with their multiple streams and in-house blended single malts.

Meanwhile, Loch Lomond was already doing the same. The only thing was, they didn’t tell anybody about it. Even now at a time when Scotch distilleries are, rightly, talking about ‘new’ ways of approaching whisky, Loch Lomond can shrug and says, ‘aye, but we’ve been doing that for decades.’ Michael doesn’t seem to mind. It’s just what they’ve alway done.

Michael Henry: Master blender at work

What has happened however is greater visibility and, thanks to a more enlightened wood policy ever grater quality. Loch Lomond now plays at all levels of the market and with Glen Scotia is building a new cult Campbeltown malt. As this new approach develops so Michael and blender Ashley Smith have a platform to show the flavour possibilities which exist. It’s not just the price range which is covered, but the flavour spectrum as well.

Think back to Maria in that other Alexandria: the questions, the refining and multidisciplinary learning, the flames on foreheads, those scientific investigations which examined the properties of material, in which one stream led to distillation and another to dyeing.

Then see how all of that ancient understanding of transmutation spread out across the world and through time, continually evolving, reshaping itself; one day ending up in the west of Scotland where it spreads again. Dye for high fashion, drink for pleasure and a modern Dionysian cult.

It is a human story of trial, error, success, and also one of a relentless belief in building. Loch Lomond, the Mouseion of Scotch.

A bottle of Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown Release No.2 stands next to its box. The label and box feature a fiery dragon on a dark background, with text reading "Glen Scotia since 1832" and "Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years.

70cl • 56.8% ABV

Icons of Campbeltown

Release No.2

£98.00

Available 10am - 19th September 2024

Release No.2, the second in the Icons of Campbeltown series is inspired by the marking depicting Saint Michael, the courageous Archangel, who heroically slayed a fire-breathing dragon with his spear.

To celebrate the mythical tale, we have released this unique medium peated 14 year old single malt whisky. The bold maritime salinity and smoky peat are beautifully balanced by the wonderful sweetness of candied red fruits, enriched after six months in the finest ex-Barolo red wine casks.