Inverleven
SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > I
INVERLEVEN
geen leeftijd vermelding
40 %
1979
Trademark of Proprietors:
Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Plc.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
INVERLEVEN
1979
Trademark of Proprietors:
Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Plc.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
Water: Loch Lomond
Mash tun: 1 x 5 tonnes
Wasbacks: 5 x 28000 litres
1 wash still x 25000 litres
1 spirit still x 20.000 litres
Malt Whiskies: Inverleven, Lomond
25 years old
58,6 %
Date distilled Jun 68
Date bottled Jan 94
Society Cask No. code 20.10
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
INVERLEVEN
Date distilled Jun 68
Date bottled Jan 94
Society Cask No. code 20.10
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
Gelagerd in een fino sherryvat. Rood, goudkleurig. De neus is rijk met bruine suiker en toffee en met een ondertoon van gras. Met wat water toegevoegd wordt de zoetheid krentachtig en met een vleugje lijnzaadolie. De smaak is, in tegenstelling extreem droog, bijna wrang, hoewel er hoog in de mond een zoetige smaak blijft hangen. Scher¬pe afdronk.
LAST BOTTLE AND EMPTY
11 years old
40 %
Distilled: 1984
Bottled:1995
Trademark of Proprietors:
Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Plc.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
INVERLEVEN
Distilled: 1984
Bottled:1995
Trademark of Proprietors:
Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Plc.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
INVERLEVEN
15 years old
40%
Distilled: 1986
Bottled 2001
Proprietors: Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Plc.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
INVERLEVEN
Distilled: 1986
Bottled 2001
Proprietors: Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Plc.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
INVERLEVEN
24 years old
56,3 %
SINGLE CASK
SCOTCH MALT WHISKY
Date Distilled Nov. 78
Date Bottled Feb 03
Society Cask code 20.18
Outturn 216 Bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
'Bitter Grapefruit'
SINGLE CASK
SCOTCH MALT WHISKY
Date Distilled Nov. 78
Date Bottled Feb 03
Society Cask code 20.18
Outturn 216 Bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
'Bitter Grapefruit'
Closed in 1991, this distillery was opened in 1938 by Hiram Walker to provide fillings for Ballantines. You rarely see it as a single.
The first impression of this is of fruity hard sweets: pear drops and pineapple cubes. It is a little sharp for its age perhaps, but there is an apple quality also. The taste at this stage has some bitterness, and is a little pithy sourness, like grapefruit juice.
With water the pear drops come up again, with some vanilla and a washing powder fragance. The palate again has some dry bitterness, and it would fit well as an aperitif.
Aged 30 years
49,2 %
SIGNATORY VINTAGE
CASK STRENGHT COLLECTION
Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled on; 14/09/1977
Matured in a Bourbon Barrel
Cask Nos: 3603 + 3604
Bottled on: 10/12/2007
279 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Signatory Vintage scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh
INVERLEVEN
SIGNATORY VINTAGE
CASK STRENGHT COLLECTION
Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled on; 14/09/1977
Matured in a Bourbon Barrel
Cask Nos: 3603 + 3604
Bottled on: 10/12/2007
279 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Signatory Vintage scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh
INVERLEVEN
DISTILLED
1 9 9 1
40 %
SINGLE LOWLAND MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Proprietors: Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Plc
Specially selected, produced and bottled
by and under the reponsibillity of
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
SINGLE LOWLAND MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Proprietors: Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Plc
Specially selected, produced and bottled
by and under the reponsibillity of
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
Lowlands
INVERLEVEN also see LOMOND and DUMBARTON
Dumbarton, Strathclyde. Licentiehouder: Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Ltd. Onderdeel van Allied Distillers Ltd. Eigendom van Allied Domecq.
In 1938 gesticht door HiramWalker & Sons Ltd, op de plaats waar eerder de McMillan Scheepswerf was gelegen en eigenlijk twee distilleerderijen in één: Dumbarton Grain Distillery en een malt distilleerderij waar twee verschillende single malt whiskies kunnen worden geproduceerd.
Vanaf het begin was de produktie van Lomond bestemd voor de Ballantine's blends. Er was nooit een botteling als single malt, behalve die van onafhankelijke bottelaars.
In 1959 werd een nieuw soort ketels geïnstalleerd, naast de gewone ketels, die werden lomond ketels genoemd.
Dezelfde ketels werden ook geplaatst in Glenburgie, Mildonduff en Scapa, bij de laatste alleen een wash still.
De whisky afkomstig van Glenburgie kreeg een eigen naam: Glencraig, die van Mildonduff werd ketel van Inverleven werd zover bekend éénmaal gebotteld door The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh.
Inverleven, afkomstig uit de gewone ketels zijn uitgebracht door zowel Gordon & Macphail, te Elgin als Wm. Cadenhead te Campbeltown.
Allied Distillers Februari 2003
Dumbarton Distillery sluit. Het komplex waar ook het hoofdkantoor van Allied was gevestigd, hergde ook de Dumbarton Grain distilleerderij, en ook werden de malt whiskies Lomond, waarvan slechts één botteling bekend is, uitgebracht door de Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh onder code nummer 98.1, en Inverleven.
De capaciteit van de Grain distilleerderij Strathclyde wordt vergroot tot 39 miljoen liter spirit per jaar, dat was 32 miljoen liter.
Het hoofdkantoor wordt gevestigd te Kilmalid.
Het enorme gebouwencomplex is verkocht aan twee projectontwikkelaars.
Inverleven was constructed within the Dumbarton Distillery complex and equipped with a Lomond'.still. The Lomond still was developed by Alistair Cunningham at Hiram Walker with the purpose of acquiring a greater flexibility to produce different kinds of whisky with thesame equipment. When Dumbarton closed in 2002 production was moved to Strathclyde but then Inverleven had already been closed for ten years. When Dumbarton finally closed in 2002, Bruichladdich took the opportunity of buying some of the equipment including the Lomond still.
The whisky from the Lomond still, Lomond single malt was only bottled in 1992 in two versions of 19 and 20 years old respectively by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Inverleven single malt cannot be obtained as an official bottling, but there are releases from independent bottlers such as Gordon & Macphail 1989 14 years old, Signatory 1977 27 years old and three versions of Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare: 1977, 27 years old, 1978, 26 years old and 1979, 24 years old.
1938
INVERLEVEN also see LOMOND and DUMBARTON
Dumbarton, Strathclyde. Licentiehouder: Hiram Walker & Sons (Scotland) Ltd. Onderdeel van Allied Distillers Ltd. Eigendom van Allied Domecq.
In 1938 gesticht door HiramWalker & Sons Ltd, op de plaats waar eerder de McMillan Scheepswerf was gelegen en eigenlijk twee distilleerderijen in één: Dumbarton Grain Distillery en een malt distilleerderij waar twee verschillende single malt whiskies kunnen worden geproduceerd.
Vanaf het begin was de produktie van Lomond bestemd voor de Ballantine's blends. Er was nooit een botteling als single malt, behalve die van onafhankelijke bottelaars.
In 1959 werd een nieuw soort ketels geïnstalleerd, naast de gewone ketels, die werden lomond ketels genoemd.
Dezelfde ketels werden ook geplaatst in Glenburgie, Mildonduff en Scapa, bij de laatste alleen een wash still.
De whisky afkomstig van Glenburgie kreeg een eigen naam: Glencraig, die van Mildonduff werd ketel van Inverleven werd zover bekend éénmaal gebotteld door The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh.
Inverleven, afkomstig uit de gewone ketels zijn uitgebracht door zowel Gordon & Macphail, te Elgin als Wm. Cadenhead te Campbeltown.
Allied Distillers Februari 2003
Dumbarton Distillery sluit. Het komplex waar ook het hoofdkantoor van Allied was gevestigd, hergde ook de Dumbarton Grain distilleerderij, en ook werden de malt whiskies Lomond, waarvan slechts één botteling bekend is, uitgebracht door de Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh onder code nummer 98.1, en Inverleven.
De capaciteit van de Grain distilleerderij Strathclyde wordt vergroot tot 39 miljoen liter spirit per jaar, dat was 32 miljoen liter.
Het hoofdkantoor wordt gevestigd te Kilmalid.
Het enorme gebouwencomplex is verkocht aan twee projectontwikkelaars.
Inverleven was constructed within the Dumbarton Distillery complex and equipped with a Lomond'.still. The Lomond still was developed by Alistair Cunningham at Hiram Walker with the purpose of acquiring a greater flexibility to produce different kinds of whisky with thesame equipment. When Dumbarton closed in 2002 production was moved to Strathclyde but then Inverleven had already been closed for ten years. When Dumbarton finally closed in 2002, Bruichladdich took the opportunity of buying some of the equipment including the Lomond still.
The whisky from the Lomond still, Lomond single malt was only bottled in 1992 in two versions of 19 and 20 years old respectively by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Inverleven single malt cannot be obtained as an official bottling, but there are releases from independent bottlers such as Gordon & Macphail 1989 14 years old, Signatory 1977 27 years old and three versions of Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare: 1977, 27 years old, 1978, 26 years old and 1979, 24 years old.
1938
The distillery is founded by Hiram Walker & Son
as part of Dumbarton Distillery, a complex with grain
distilling, warehousing and a bottling plant
1956
1956
Hiram Walker constructs a 'distillery within the distillery'
by inventing the Lomond stills, which makes whisky that
differs from Inverleven
The same type of still is introduced at Glenburgie,
The same type of still is introduced at Glenburgie,
Miltonduff and Scapa
1987
1987
Allied Lyons buys Hiram Walker Gooderham & Worts
1991
1991
The distillery is mothballed
2002
2002
Dumbarton Distillery closes
Dumbarton Distillery closes
Inverleven was build as a part of Hiram Walker's huge grain whisky distillery complex in Dumbarton in 1938.
The malt whisky stocks for Ballantine's blends had been secured, but grain spirit still had to be purchased from competitors.
Plans were laid down to turn an old shipyard on the banks of the River Leven, in Dumbarton, into the largest grain distillery in Europe.
More than 600 men worked on the grain distillery, when construction began in 1937. Incorporated into the site were a small malt distillery, Inverleven, extensive warehousing and bottling and a blending plant.
On the day the Dumbarton plant was officially opened - 28 September 1938 - the British navy was mobilised in preparation for war.
The distillery ceased production in 1992 and the remainder of the Dumbarton site was closed in 2002.
The distillery operated two traditional stills for the production of Inverleven and also a lomond still which produced a heavier malt called Lomond Single Malt.
Inverleven is now only available through independent bottlers, as there are no stocks left of the official distillery bottlings.
Water: Loch Lomond
Mash tun: 1 x 5 tonnes
Wasbacks: 5 x 28000 litres
1 wash still x 25000 litres
1 spirit still x 20.000 litres
Dumbarton Distillery closes
Inverleven was build as a part of Hiram Walker's huge grain whisky distillery complex in Dumbarton in 1938.
The malt whisky stocks for Ballantine's blends had been secured, but grain spirit still had to be purchased from competitors.
Plans were laid down to turn an old shipyard on the banks of the River Leven, in Dumbarton, into the largest grain distillery in Europe.
More than 600 men worked on the grain distillery, when construction began in 1937. Incorporated into the site were a small malt distillery, Inverleven, extensive warehousing and bottling and a blending plant.
On the day the Dumbarton plant was officially opened - 28 September 1938 - the British navy was mobilised in preparation for war.
The distillery ceased production in 1992 and the remainder of the Dumbarton site was closed in 2002.
The distillery operated two traditional stills for the production of Inverleven and also a lomond still which produced a heavier malt called Lomond Single Malt.
Inverleven is now only available through independent bottlers, as there are no stocks left of the official distillery bottlings.
Water: Loch Lomond
Mash tun: 1 x 5 tonnes
Wasbacks: 5 x 28000 litres
1 wash still x 25000 litres
1 spirit still x 20.000 litres
Inverleven distillery lied on the cusp between the lowlands and the highlands, at the northern shores of the Clyde in Dumbarton. Inverleven distillery was built as part of the Dumbarton complex in 1938, making it a relatively young distillery.
The Whisky
Inverleven distillery lied on the cusp between the lowlands and the highlands, at the northern shores of the Clyde in Dumbarton. Inverleven whisky has always been quite rare, especially as the distillery has never released an official bottling. The distillery was part of the Dumbarton grain complex and when the distillery was demolished, its stills were removed, which means that in the decades to come the precious spirit will disappear from the market entirely.
Away from that rather depressing thought, at the moment it is still possible to source Inverleven single malt. There have been a number of independent bottlings, performed by the likes of Gordon & McPhail, Duncan Taylor, and Signatory Vintage. These independent bottlings range from the 1970s right up to the last cask fillings in the early 1990s.
Inverleven was built with the intention of providing spirit to be used in the Ballantine's blends, but the blenders never quite took to the spirit.
The Production
The exact production capacity of Inverleven has been lost with its demolition, but what we do know is, that at one point in time, it was the largest grain whisky distillery in Scotland. Production-wise, Inverleven had quite a unique situation. Inverleven was not a 'distillery' as such, but rather two stills within the larger Dumbarton distillery complex, which produced mainly grain whisky. Both single malt whisky and the grain whisky drew their water from the stunning Loch Lomond.
The Pot Stills
Inverleven was distilled using only two stills: one wash and one spirit still. The wash still had a capacity of 25’000 litres, while the spirit still had a capacity of 20’000 litres. Both of the original stills had a traditional 'Speyside' shape, with wide, spherical lids and tall conical necks. In 1959, Inverleven took over the use of one of the stills, that were used to produce the Lomond single malt on site, which had a distinctive 'Lomond' shape. This still had the same bulb shaped bottom as the Speyside still, but rather than a lovely tapering neck, the Lomond still had a thick, wide neck resembling a coffee can, with a flat or dome-shaped head. The still was used to replace the original Inverleven spirit still. The angle of the lyne arm was quite severe, which had a dramatic effect on the flavour of the spirit – Hiram Walkers, who owned the distillery, did that deliberately in order to cater to the demands of the blenders.
Maltings
The malts that were used in the production of Inverleven were unpeated, and sourced from a nearby industrial source.
The Warehouses
Inverleven was stored on the Dumbarton site in a small complex of dunnage bonded warehouses. The distillery used a combination of oak and sherry casks in which to age the spirit.
Inverleven distillery was built as part of the Dumbarton complex in 1938, making it a relatively young distillery. Hiram Walker & Sons established the single malt with the intention of providing spirit to be used in blends. The site at Dumbarton was owned by George Ballantine and Company and hosted their continuous stills, which were used to produce grain whisky. In this sense, Inverleven was never a true 'distillery', but instead was simply a pair of stills within a larger facility. In 1991 Inverleven was mothballed. However, Inverleven’s legacy continues through its equipment. Bruichladdich recently decided to reopen the Lochindaal distillery at Port Charlotte and transported the machinery and stills from Inverleven to Islay.
Inverleven was situated just south of the Highlands border near Glasgow, making it a Lowlands single malt. It was predominantly set aside for blending in owner Hiram Walker’s Ballantine’s blend though it made a few outings as a single malt, the most recent being part of Chivas Brothers’ Deoch an Doras (one for the road) series in 2011. A smattering of independent bottlings exist, although stocks are undoubtedly rare.
After it purchased George Ballantine & Sons in 1936, Canada’s Hiram Walker-Gooderham and Worts needed to secure a steady supply of malt and grain for its newly acquired blend. Ballantine’s had no distilleries in its portfolio, so Hiram purchased the Miltonduff distillery in Speyside (it had already bought Glenburgie in 1930), and set about building a giant grain and malt distilling complex in Dumbarton, near Glasgow.
The Dumbarton grain distillery came to life in 1938, at the same time as its sister malt distillery, Inverleven, a more ‘compact’ plant featuring two copper pot stills situated within Dumbarton’s walls. The Canadians left their mark with Inverleven – the malt distillery is thought to be the first to steam-heat both its wash and low wines stills rather than use direct fire; a safety change now adopted widely by the majority of Scotch whisky producers.
In 1956 a third Lomond still was added to the Inverleven still house, a unique style of still featuring a rectification column with changeable plates capable of creating multiple styles of spirit. Although the Lomond still shared Inverleven’s wash still, it was classed as a separate distillery called Lomond. The two malt distilleries had a combined output of 500,000 proof gallons a year.
Lomond was mothballed in 1985, just three years before Allied Lyons purchased Hiram Walker. Not long after the acquisition, in 1991, Inverleven was also decommissioned, though its stills live on.
In 2005 the stills were transferred to Bruichladdich on Islay (as was the Lomond still, which is now used to make Botanist gin), though they were never used to make whisky. Inverleven’s wash still was relocated to stand proudly as a photo opportunity for tourists outside the distillery, while the spirit still was stored at the old Lochindaal distillery at Port Charlotte. In 2015 both were relocated to former Bruichladdich co-owner Mark Reynier’s new Waterford distillery in Ireland.
Dumbarton itself was eventually closed in 2002, its buildings demolished to make way for a housing complex.
1936
George Ballantine & Sons is
acquired by Hiram Walker-Gooderham
and Worts
1938
The Dumbarton grain complex is built,
with Inverleven malt distillery inside
1956
A Lomond still is installed at Inverleven
1985
Lomond distillery is decommissioned
1988
Allied Lyons purchases Hiram Walker,
including Dumbarton and Inverleven
1991
Inverleven distillery is closed
2002
The Dumbarton complex is finally shut down
Pernod Ricard
2005 - present
Chivas Brothers
Allied Domecq
1994 - 2005
Allied Lyons
1988 - 1994
Hiram Walker & Sons
1938 - 1988
Inverleven was situated just south of the Highlands border near Glasgow, making it a Lowlands single malt. It was predominantly set aside for blending in owner Hiram Walker’s Ballantine’s blend though it made a few outings as a single malt, the most recent being part of Chivas Brothers’ Deoch an Doras (one for the road) series in 2011. A smattering of independent bottlings exist, although stocks are undoubtedly rare.
After it purchased George Ballantine & Sons in 1936, Canada’s Hiram Walker-Gooderham and Worts needed to secure a steady supply of malt and grain for its newly acquired blend. Ballantine’s had no distilleries in its portfolio, so Hiram purchased the Miltonduff distillery in Speyside (it had already bought Glenburgie in 1930), and set about building a giant grain and malt distilling complex in Dumbarton, near Glasgow.
The Dumbarton grain distillery came to life in 1938, at the same time as its sister malt distillery, Inverleven, a more ‘compact’ plant featuring two copper pot stills situated within Dumbarton’s walls. The Canadians left their mark with Inverleven – the malt distillery is thought to be the first to steam-heat both its wash and low wines stills rather than use direct fire; a safety change now adopted widely by the majority of Scotch whisky producers.
In 1956 a third Lomond still was added to the Inverleven still house, a unique style of still featuring a rectification column with changeable plates capable of creating multiple styles of spirit. Although the Lomond still shared Inverleven’s wash still, it was classed as a separate distillery called Lomond. The two malt distilleries had a combined output of 500,000 proof gallons a year.
Lomond was mothballed in 1985, just three years before Allied Lyons purchased Hiram Walker. Not long after the acquisition, in 1991, Inverleven was also decommissioned, though its stills live on.
In 2005 the stills were transferred to Bruichladdich on Islay (as was the Lomond still, which is now used to make Botanist gin), though they were never used to make whisky. Inverleven’s wash still was relocated to stand proudly as a photo opportunity for tourists outside the distillery, while the spirit still was stored at the old Lochindaal distillery at Port Charlotte. In 2015 both were relocated to former Bruichladdich co-owner Mark Reynier’s new Waterford distillery in Ireland.
Dumbarton itself was eventually closed in 2002, its buildings demolished to make way for a housing complex.
OWNERS
Pernod Ricard logo
PARENT COMPANY
Pernod Ricard
2005 - present
CURRENT OWNER
Chivas Brothers Holdings
PREVIOUS OWNERS
Allied Domecq
1994 - 2005
Allied Lyons
1988 - 1994
Hiram Walker & Sons
1938 - 1988
G&M UNVEILS NEW-LOOK PRIVATE COLLECTION
November 2018
Independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail (G&M) has released two new single cask bottlings from its Private Collection series, a 33-year-old Inverleven and 44-year-old Glenrothes, in redesigned bottles and packaging.
Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Inverleven 33, Private Collection Glenrothes 44
Extremely exclusive: Only a few hundred new-look Private Collection bottles have been produced
The Inverleven single malt was filled into a refill Bourbon barrel, labelled cask #562, for Gordon & MacPhail in 1985, six years before the Lowland distillery was mothballed.
Priced at £1,000 and limited to 130 bottles, the whisky is bottled at a cask strength of 57.4% abv and is said to possess ‘intense tropical fruit aromas’ on the nose and ‘sweet flambéed banana’ on the palate.
The Glenrothes single malt was filled into a refill Sherry puncheon, labelled cask #18440, for Gordon & MacPhail in 1974.
Bottled at 49.5% abv and limited to 276 bottles, the whisky is priced at £1,250 and is said to carry ‘complex aromas of Sherry soaked fruitcake’ on the nose and ‘fruit and nut chocolate with hints of raisin’ on the palate.
The new packaging for the Private Collection range includes a heavyweight bottle with vertical ridges, presented in a veneered wooden gift box.
Future Private Collection releases ‘to be revealed in coming months’ will adopt this new style of packaging, the company said.
The redesign is the latest alteration in a year of change for G&M, after it streamlined its portfolio of products in April from 16 different ranges down to five in order to stop consumers ‘getting lost’.
Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection
The Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection includes an ultra-rare whisky from Inverleven Distillery and a 44-year old single malt distilled at Glenrothes Distillery. Philip Day appraises both whiskies.
This detailed review of the Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection includes tasting notes by Gordon & MacPhail as well as Philip Day’s own personal tasting notes.
The popularity of malt whisky, worth over £1 billion to the UK economy last year, continues to flourish. Cognizant of this trend, Gordon & MacPhail, the specialists in Single malt Scotch whisky maturation is releasing two very desirable bottlings, as part of its redesigned ‘Private Collection’ range of single cask releases, from celebrated, little-known and closed distilleries, which have been personally selected by members of the Urquhart family that has owned the company for four generations.
The new look to the range features beautifully crafted ridged heavyweight bottles presented in exquisitely veneered presentation boxes.
The first releases in the new-look range comprise an ultra-rare whisky from Inverleven Distillery and a forty-four-year-old single malt distilled at Glenrothes Distillery.
Both bottlings have been chosen by Stuart Urquhart, Associate Director of Whisky Supply, who determined that the two whiskies from the Glenrothes and Inverleven distilleries, being matured in Gordon & MacPhail casks, had achieved their peak potential and were ready to be bottled.
In 1985, Ian Urquhart sent a refill bourbon barrel (Cask 562) to the Inverleven Distillery (Dumbarton) situated in the ‘Scottish Lowlands’ whisky region. This distillery had been making spirit for only forty-seven years beginning in 1938 and new-make would only flow for another six years before the Inverleven still was mothballed, in 1991. In 2002, the site was demolished, never to produce again.
Inverleven malt whisky has always been something of a rarity, given the fact that the stills required to produce it were removed in 1991, so the whisky will disappear altogether as stocks are sold off in the decades to come.
This exceptional single malt has matured for thirty-three years before being bottled by Gordon & MacPhail at cask strength (ABV 57.4%). It will retail around £1000.
Inverleven Distillery
1985 (Private Collection)
57.4% ABV
Region: Lowland
Distilled: Tuesday, 22 January, 1985
Bottled: Friday 6 July, 2018
Age: 33 years old
Cask No.: 562
Cask Type: Refill bourbon barrel
Outturn: 130 bottles
Gordon & MacPhail
Private Collection
Tasting notes by Gordon & MacPhail
Colour: Dark Gold
Aromas: Intense tropical fruit aromas to begin – cooked pineapple, honeydew melon, coconut cream, and little burst of sharp yet sweet lime. A sweet creaminess continues with notes of vanilla ice-cream, sugared red apples, apricot jam, and white chocolate. Hints of overripe cherry and almond marzipan develop into flowering gorse.
Flavours: Creamy and mouth-coating; warming white pepper notes transform into sweet flambéed banana, Madagascan vanilla pod, and salted toffee. Subtle spicy undertones remain as toasted malt comes to the fore; a drying cocoa and charred oak edge develops.
Finish: A long and lingering charred oak finish with a subtle floral edge.
Personal tasting notes
Nose: Aromatic with initial notes of sweet tropical fruit cut by a slight citric tang. Pleasing whiffs of top quality vanilla ice-cream alongside hints of the sticky cherry jam and almondy marzipan of a cherry bakewell.
Taste: Well-rounded creaminess and sweetness on the palette, offering warming peppery notes, complimented by a spicy, if slightly charred oakiness and toasted malt with a final offering of bitter dark chocolate.
Finish: The pleasant charred oakiness with its subtle undertones of floral notes provide a lengthy lingering finish.
In short, a lovely old dram, the nose is tempting while the taste delivers a refined and rewarding experience.
The second ‘Private Collection’ release dates back to 1974 when a refill Sherry puncheon (with a capacity of 110 imperial gallons (500 litres) was filled at Glenrothes Distillery in Speyside. Currently owned by Edrington, and produces some aged malts for Berry Brothers and Rudd, the famed London wine merchants. Most of the spirit from this distillery, however, is best known for its use in blended scotch whiskies, such as ‘Cutty Sark’ and ‘The Famous Grouse’.
This exclusive single malt has matured for forty-three years before being bottled by Gordon & MacPhail at cask strength (ABV 49.5%). It will retail around £1250.
Glenrothes Distillery
1974
(Private Collection)
49.5% ABV
Region: Speyside
Distilled: Monday, 2 December, 1974
Bottled: Friday 6 July, 2018
Age: 43 years old
Cask No.: 18440
Cask Type: Refill Sherry puncheon
Outturn: 276 bottles
Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection
Tasting notes by Gordon & MacPhail
Colour: Mahogany
Aromas: Complex; aromas of Sherry soaked fruitcake filled with stewed sultanas mingle
with sticky Medjool dates. Dark chocolate and citrus peel notes develop; a gentle
woodiness with a delicate herbal edge comes to the fore.
Flavours: Elegant, smooth, and sweet; Subtle cinnamon and nutmeg flavours balance
the mature oak and Sherry influences. Notes of fruit and nut chocolate and hints of raisin
and toasted walnut emerge and evolve into zesty citrus. Salted toffee develops towards the end.
Finish: A modest, medium sweet finish fades; hints of charred oak and chocolate remain.
Personal tasting notes
Nose: Distinctive sherry aroma combined with hints of alcohol soaked vine fruit are evocative
of a matured sherry-fed Christmas fruitcake, minus the over dominance of the spice ingredients
Notable hints of premium quality dark chocolate infused with orange oil mixed with a delicate trace of fresh herbs.
Taste: Exquisitely sweet and smooth with emerging flavours of warming nutmeg and cinnamon and
a welcome nutty toffee note together with touches of citrus zest that perfectly balances the influence
of the spirit’s time in the Sherry puncheon.
Finish: Lingering chocolate notes combined with subtle hints of charred oak remain as the medium
length finish subsides.
Out of the two samples tested, for me this one has the slight edge, being nicely balanced and complex.
Stephen Rankin, Gordon & MacPhail’s Director of Prestige and member of the Urquhart family, said:
“For over a century my family has been maturing whisky and using our skills, experience, and passion
for single malts to recognise exactly the right moment to bottle a spirit that will be loved by discerning
whisky drinkers around the globe. These two exquisite malts are complemented perfectly by the beautiful
new packaging.”
Among Gordon & MacPhail’s maturing stocks are casks from no fewer than twenty-six closed, mothballed
or demolished Scotch distilleries – a liquid archive unrivalled anywhere else in the world.
Further ultra-rare releases from the new ‘Private Collection’ will be revealed in coming months.
For further information, please visit their website at https://www.gordonandmacphail.com/
Established in 1895, family-owned Gordon & MacPhail is renowned as a curator of some of the world’s finest and rarest single malt Scotch whiskies from over 100 distilleries. Four generations of the Urquhart family have continued to pursue the perfect partnership between spirit and cask.
Since its foundation, Gordon & MacPhail has carefully matched spirit to the highest quality oak casks which are sent to distilleries throughout Scotland, filled with new-make spirit, and matured either at the distillery of origin or in the firm’s own bonded warehouses in Elgin.
Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection
Managing a portfolio of casks is a complex business. The Urquhart family have honed their expertise over generations allowing them to fully comprehend how the different styles of spirit produced by Scotland’s individual distilleries will mature in cask.
It is this simple but endlessly complex pairing that creates an intriguing and unique portfolio of expressions – single malts that Scotch whisky lovers will not find anywhere else.
It is this in-depth knowledge and experience of cask curation that allows them to consistently deliver a range of perfectly matured whiskies.
“Our maturation management creates complex, balanced and subtle single malts, which will only carry the Gordon & MacPhail name when ready”.
The Gordon & MacPhail core malt whisky portfolio:
In 2018, the company unveiled its new portfolio:
Discovery – Utterly dependable, this flavour-led range is the perfect introduction to our portfolio of quality single malt Scotch whiskies.
Distillery Labels – A range celebrating our long-standing relationships with Scotland’s distilleries.
Connoisseurs Choice – The heart of our portfolio – always unique, these non-chill-filtered, natural coloured, small batch expressions are genuine one-offs.
Private Collection – Greatly-aged single malts from celebrated, little-known, or closed distilleries specially selected by members of the Urquhart family.
Generations – A prestigious collection of old, rare, and exclusive masterpieces.
(See website for more details)
In addition to possessing an inimitable knowledge of Scottish single malts and passion for matching spirit with oak, the Urquhart family long held an unfulfilled ambition to own its own distillery. This desire finally became a reality in 1993 with the purchase of the Benromach Distillery on the outskirts of Forres, just twelve miles from the steps of their world famous shop in Elgin. Following five years of careful and deliberate re-equipping, Benromach Distillery was officially reopened by HRH Prince Charles in 1998.
Lowland malt distillery situated within the Dumbarton grain complex.
Inverleven was situated just south of the Highlands border near Glasgow, making it a Lowlands single malt. It was predominantly set aside for blending in owner Hiram Walker’s Ballantine’s blend though it made a few outings as a single malt, the most recent being part of Chivas Brothers’ Deoch an Doras (one for the road) series in 2011. A smattering of independent bottlings exist, although stocks are undoubtedly rare.
After it purchased George Ballantine & Sons in 1936, Canada’s Hiram Walker-Gooderham and Worts needed to secure a steady supply of malt and grain for its newly acquired blend. Ballantine’s had no distilleries in its portfolio, so Hiram purchased the Miltonduff distillery in Speyside (it had already bought Glenburgie in 1930), and set about building a giant grain and malt distilling complex in Dumbarton, near Glasgow.
The Dumbarton grain distillery came to life in 1938, at the same time as its sister malt distillery, Inverleven, a more ‘compact’ plant featuring two copper pot stills situated within Dumbarton’s walls. The Canadians left their mark with Inverleven – the malt distillery is thought to be the first to steam-heat both its wash and low wines stills rather than use direct fire; a safety change now adopted widely by the majority of Scotch whisky producers.
In 1956 a third Lomond still was added to the Inverleven still house, a unique style of still featuring a rectification column with changeable plates capable of creating multiple styles of spirit. Although the Lomond still shared Inverleven’s wash still, it was classed as a separate distillery called Lomond. The two malt distilleries had a combined output of 500,000 proof gallons a year.
Lomond was mothballed in 1985, just three years before Allied Lyons purchased Hiram Walker. Not long after the acquisition, in 1991, Inverleven was also decommissioned, though its stills live on.
In 2005 the stills were transferred to Bruichladdich on Islay (as was the Lomond still, which is now used to make Botanist gin), though they were never used to make whisky. Inverleven’s wash still was relocated to stand proudly as a photo opportunity for tourists outside the distillery, while the spirit still was stored at the old Lochindaal distillery at Port Charlotte. In 2015 both were relocated to former Bruichladdich co-owner Mark Reynier’s new Waterford distillery in Ireland.
Dumbarton itself was eventually closed in 2002, its buildings demolished to make way for a housing complex.
DUMBARTON DISTILLERY
LOWLAND SINGLE GRAIN SCOTCH WHISKY
Dumbarton featured American-style stainless steel columns rather than the traditional Coffey stills used by most Scottish grain distilleries. Though it soon realised the inclusion of sacrificial copper is important in the production of quality grain whisky, its process and strict adherence to the use of maize, meant its spirit was rather heavy in character.
Its whisky was mostly reserved for the Ballantine’s blend, and was never bottled as a single grain. However, some independent bottlings have emerged from Douglas Laing and Hunter Laing.
In 1936 Canadian distiller Hiram Walker-Gooderham and Worts purchased notable blender George Ballantine & Sons, giving it sizeable stocks of mature whisky and an established brand (Ballantine’s), but no distilleries. It had already acquired Glenburgie in 1930 and bought Miltonduff also in 1936, but it lacked a reliable source of grain whisky. The following year it established Hiram Walker (Scotland) to oversee its new Scottish operations, as well as build a new grain and malt distillery complex at the old MacMillan shipyard on the banks of the River Leven, which was to act as the group’s headquarters.
At the time Dumbarton began distilling in 1938, it was the largest continuous distillery in Scotland producing grain whisky. It was also the first to challenge the supremacy of the Coffey still by installing American-style stainless steel columns built by Vulcan Copper & Supply Co. of Cincinnati. The ‘continuous distilling unit’ had the ability to produce both potable grain spirit as well as neutral grain spirit, but could only process maize.
While Dumbarton was producing grain whisky for the Ballantine’s blend, Inverleven, which opened in the same year, began producing malt whisky. In 1956 a third Lomond still was added with an attached rectification column designed to produce different styles of spirit. While the still used Inverleven’s wash still, spirit receiver and low wines and feints charger, it was technically classed as a separate distillery called Lomond. It was decommissioned in 1985, though its still was salvaged by Islay’s Bruichladdich to produce its Botanist gin.
In 1988 Hiram Walker was sold to Allied Lyons, and so Dumbarton fell for the first time under British ownership. Three years later Allied mothballed the Inverleven distillery, and in 2002 Dumbarton itself followed suit. The buildings have since been demolished to make way for a new housing development, including the site’s long-standing, iconic red tower.
No record of Dumbarton’s history would be complete without mention of the ‘Scotch Watch’, a 100-strong gaggle of Chinese white geese introduced by Hiram Walker in 1959 to protect Dumbarton’s whisky stocks from intruders. The birds became something of a tourist attraction and were even used to advertise the Ballantine’s blend. When Dumbarton finally closed in 2002, the geese stayed put, though 10 years later the remaining seven birds were finally retired and sent to live with an existing flock at Glasgow Green.
Pernod Ricard
2005 - present
Chivas Brothers
Allied Domecq
1994 - 2005
Allied Lyons
1987 - 1994