| Distilleries:
Benromach | Brackla | Dallas Dhu | Glenburgie | Tomatin
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| Benromach |
| Comments: |
Benromach ceased operation in 1983, but in what is another happy ending, the distillery was purchased by Gordon & MacPhail in 1992 and refurbished over the next five years. In 1998 two stills were installed (the original stills had been removed), and trial spirit runs were made. On October 15, 1998 the distillery was officially reopened by Prince Charles. |
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| Distillery Bottlings: |
The new Benromach won't be a "legal" (3-year-old) whisky until October, 2001. Since the stills are of a new design the flavor will certainly be different than the earlier bottlings. Other than some limited, special edition releases it is unlikely that we'll see official distillery releases for many years to come.
In an interesting turn of events, Gordon & MacPhail had for many years released independent bottlings of Benromach. Stores from the old stills are still being released but now proudly state "bottled by the proprietor." These bottlings have not been available in the US.
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| Merchant Bottlings: |
My only encounter with Benromach has been a Cadenhead 28-year-old (1965-93, 47.6 vol.). It has a light amber color and a rich, saturated nose with elements of malt, brown sugar, fruit, and some smoky, woodiness. There's a creaminess to the palate, along with a sweet, brandy-like fruitiness. It has the thick, saturated quality of an older whisky, and the finish continues that richness with lingering dry, smoky and oaky notes. 84 |
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| Information: |
Ownership: Gordon & MacPhail
Telephone: 01309-675968
From the US: 011-44-1309-675968
Tours: Visitor center with scheduled tours. |
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| Link: |
www.gordonandmacphail.com |
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| Brackla |
aka Royal Brackla |
| Comments: |
Brackla was established in 1812, on a site that some evidence indicates may have been the site of the original Cawdor Castle, home to Macbeth, the Thane of Cawdor. It gained the "Royal" prefix in 1835 from William IV who was fond of its whisky. Brackla was the first distillery to be granted a Royal Warrant, and a second was bestowed by Queen Victoria in 1838.
An interesting side note about Brackla: In 1994 during the demolition of one of the old warehouses, a 10 to 15 foot wide hive of wild bees was found in one of the walls. It was estimated that the hive was approximately 70 years old!
Brackla was mothballed in 1985, reopened by United Distillers in 1991, and recently acquired by Dewar's.
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| Distillery Bottlings: |
Distillery bottlings are not available in the US. In the UK a 10-year-old is available as part of United Distillers' Flora and Fauna series of bottlings.
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| Merchant Bottlings: |
An excellent Murray McDavid 17-year-old (1979) has a sweet apricot nose layered over a cereal-grain base and light smokiness. The palate is sweet, fruity, and has faint melon notes. A long, smooth finish. 77
A Murray McDavid 24-year-old is currently available.
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| Information: |
Ownership: John Dewar & Sons Ltd (Bacardi)
Telephone: 01667-402002
From the US: 011-44-1667-402002
No visitors. |
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| Dallas Dhu |
| Silent |
As Dhu is pronounced "dew" there is sometimes a misunderstanding that Dallas Dhu is actually a bourbon called "Dallas Dew".
There is a connection between the city of Dallas and the distillery. The village of Dallas, where the distillery is located, was purchased from the Crown in 1279 by William de Ripley. The city of Dallas was named in 1845 after the Vice President at the time, George Dallas -- a descendent of William de Ripley.
Unfortunately the Dallas Dhu distillery closed in 1983 and has been converted into a museum.
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| Distillery Bottlings: |
There are no distillery bottlings available. |
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| Merchant Bottlings: |
There have been many merchant bottlings available but they are starting to become scarce as time goes by. No doubt there will be 25, 30, and even 50-year-old bottlings to surface in the future at what will certainly be astronomical prices as Dallas Dhu becomes increasingly rare.
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Gordon & MacPhail has become either the official, or de facto official bottler of many single malts that are either not distributed by the distillery, or come from distilleries that are silent. Such is the case with Dallas Dhu.
The G&M bottlings were originally released as a 10-year-old, then a 12-year-old, and are now bottled by year of distillation
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A 17-year-old Cooper's Choice (1978-96, 43 vol., pale gold color), is quite different. The nose has a sweet fruitiness with an underlying peaty, earthy character. The palate is sweet with a fruit, nut, and honey creaminess. The finish is soothing, with creamy, nutty notes. A delicious malt. 81 |
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An 18-year-old Cadenhead (1977, 59.7 vol., gold color) has a quite unique "rhubarb and custard" quality to the nose and palate. A light palate, sweet, fruity with peaty undertones. A slightly dry finish. Wonderful. 83 |
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| Information: |
Telephone: 01309-676548
From the US: 011-44-1309-676548
Tours: Visitor center with scheduled tours. |
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| Glenburgie |
aka Glencraig |
| Comments: |
Much of the output from Glenburgie goes into the Ballentine blends, and a single malt is not readily available. In 1958 two Lomond stills were added, but the heavier output from these has only been available from independent bottlers under the Glencraig name. The Lomond stills were removed in 1981 so the Glencraig single malt is becoming increasingly rare. The name Glencraig was in honor of Bill Craig, the Manager of Allied Distillers' Malt Distilleries (he retired in 1993, after 49 years with the company.
For the Shakespeare fan, the distillery is situated about a mile west of The Knock, the hill where Macbeth met with the three witches.
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| Distillery Bottlings: |
There have been distillery releases of a 5-year-old, but it has only been available in the UK.
Gordon & MacPhail releases an "official" Glenburgie, an 8-year-old (40 vol.). It is gold with greenish highlights and the nose is slightly grainy with rich fruit and raisin notes. The body is slightly oily, The palate is cooling, soothing, with a little sweetness mixed with a creamy flavor and texture and a little leafy earthiness. The finish has a mild spiciness. 75
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| Merchant Bottlings: |
A Lombard 23-year-old Glenburgie (1975-98, 50 vol.), has a full gold color. At 50 vol. the nose is spicy with some cedar, peach pits, and a slight scent of mangoes. The palate is sweet, thick, fruity, and slightly herbal, becoming somewhat dry, oaky, and tart in the finish. A splash of water brings out a bit more fruit and some almond notes.
I have been keeping my eye out for merchant bottlings of Glencraig but have not encountered any. 79
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| Information: |
Ownership: Allied Distillers (Allied Domecq)
Telephone: 01343-850258
From the US: 011-44-1343-850258
No visitors. |
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| Tomatin |
| Comments: |
Dating back to 1897, the Tomatin distillery was greatly expanded between the mid 1950's and 70's. In 1986 Tomatin became the first Scottish distillery to be wholly owned by a Japanese company, Takara Shuzo & Okura. Tomatin has the capacity to produce five million gallons per year, making it the second largest distillery in the world (behind Suntory). |
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| Distillery Bottlings: |
The 12-year-old distillery release available in the US (43 vol.), is a full gold color with a reddish-amber deepness. The nose is intriguing: a malty sweetness combined with a notes of toffee, flowers, and a little peat smoke. The palate is similar, malty-sweet, lightly perfumy, and adding a little spiciness. The finish is slightly chewy, malty, and a little smoky. 78
Due to its low selling price (under $20), Tomatin is another enjoyable whisky that tends to be overlooked by many whisky-lovers.
Not helping their own cause, the distillery has recently introduced a new bottle design. The bottle is a multi-faceted mess that, for all the world, looks like an overgrown perfume bottle.
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| Merchant Bottlings: |
A Cadenhead 19-year-old (1976-96, 54.2 vol., straw color with greenish highlights), is very enjoyable. The nose quite aromatic, with a heathery sweetness balanced by an earthy pungency. The palate is dry, with notes of tobacco leaf and chocolate. A slight oakiness to the finish.79 |
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| Information: |
Ownership: Takara, Shuzo and Okura
Telephone: 01808-511444
From the US: 011-44-1808-511444
Tours: Visitor center with scheduled tours. |
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